You Are My Light

The blows fell on and on today,

Not one or two or three.
They brought me from standing with pride
To bow on bended knee,
But not because I’m broken now,
In spirit or in mien.
I bow in prayer to Thank You, Lord,
For walking me through pain.
 
The world is not a gentle place,
But You are always here,
And if You stand beside me, Lord,
There’s nothing I should fear.
 
Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear?

Hard Work and Faith

The harvest is now growing near

And summer passes on,
But there will still be sweeter days
Before the season’s gone.
 
We cannot know, when spring first blooms,
What fruits autumn will bear,
But still we work in patient faith
That those fruits will be there.
 
We count the blessings yet to be,
By keeping faith in place,
And work to bring good fruit to bear
While trusting in God’s Grace.

Psalm 128:2

You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Sun Breaks

However dark the rainy day,

The sun’s not far away.
Hold on in faith through every storm,
Do not be tossed astray,
For those winds that cast you about
Drive dark clouds on their way,
Until the sun breaks through again
Upon a brighter day.

Vast and Wondrous

In the beginning there was God,

Then He brought life to all.
And still today His handiwork
Answers His every call.
 
The earth is rich in all the life
Formed by His loving hand.
The heavens sweep beyond our dreams
And move at His command.
 
How vast and varied are the works
He has shaped in His name.
How much more wondrous is the Love
That each of us may claim.
 
Genesis 2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

The third and last photo from LT and her trip to Africa. Again, thank you, L, for letting me use these amazing photos.

Clouds and Questions

I see them hover in the sky

Above the mountain’s face.
They never seem to settle in,
Drifting from place to place.
 
I find myself wondering thus,
What moves them here and there,
Other than currents in the wind,
Heated or cooling air.
 
The science part, I understand.
It all makes sense to me,
But, that it’s not the whole answer,
Is very clear to see.
 
For nothing started in a void.
Somewhere it all began,
And nothing carries on this well
Without a master plan.
 
So, while you look at all the clouds
And see impending rain,
I look at them in perfect awe
For all I can’t explain.
 
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

That Peaceful Moment

Thank You for that little peace,

The moment in the day
When all the world grew still and sweet,
And trouble slipped away.
 
Like the rose, impatient in bloom,
That opens in the sun,
Then settles into peaceful joy,
When that labor is done.
 
So was that moment, in the dusk,
When all the world grew still,
The instant when I felt both peace
And respite’s joyful thrill.

Fitting In

I know I don’t fit in as well

As I would like to fit,
But that’s not always a bad thing,
Now that I think of it.
 
Admittedly I’d like to fit
Within the crowd, not doubt,
But by not fitting in, I find,
I do more standing out.
 
So I will take the compliment
That I am a bit odd,
And count myself more truly blessed
To still fit in with God.

Colossians 2:8

Let me not stand in the ways of man

But in the way of The Word,
For mankind changes every day
And daily grows more absurd.
 
But Christ stands ever unchanging,
And that’s how I want to be.
So when the world looks in my heart,
It’s His heart that they will see.
 
I know that I am not there yet,
Nor do I even drawn near,
Yet, let me stand in shadowed lands
And live The Word without fear.
 
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

Another Thank you to LT for this perfect Black and White photo!

The Bridge

You are the Bridge that leads me home,

You are the Bridge to life.

You are the Bridge to peace amidst

A world of pain and strife.

You are the Bridge away from sin,

The Bridger to a new start.

You are the Bridge to Heaven’s throne

And to Our Father’s heart!

Oh, Savior, please lead me across. 

This photo is a blessing from LT, taken on her trip to South Africa. Thank You SO MUCH for this and the other photos I hope to be sharing soon! 

On The Lookout

I’m always watching for the chance

To rise and shine for Him,

To turn a dark and weary time

Into something less grim.

A chance to bring a smile back to

A face still washed with tears,

Or hold a trembling hand until

It lets go of its fears.

I know I miss too many things,

But now and then I’m there,

Right at the moment when I need

To show someone I care. 

Psalm 42:8

I sing to You, Oh Lord, My God,

I praise Your Holy Name.

Since I have listened to Your voice,

My life is not the same.

You’ve placed the path before my feet,

Your word sings in my ear.

No way is too long or too dark

For me to doubt You’re near.

So, Lord, I lift a prayer to You,

And cry out from my heart,

My life is blessed in many ways,

But You’re the greatest part!

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.

Choices

The wind whips down the sandy beach
Tossing the waves that roar,
Yet in the sky they dance with joy
Above the wind whipped shore.
 
Life’s really all about the way
We face all that it brings.
Will you rage like the roaring surf,
Or rise above such things?

Work To Do

The world holds so much promise, Lord,

And I have work to do.
I’m ready to step out and start
If I can walk with You.
 
I know the way will not be smooth,
But I will walk on through
Because I know I’m not alone
When I’m walking with You.
 
I’m anxious to get started, Lord,
It’s time for my debut.
So if You think I’m ready, Lord,
We have Your work to do.

My thanks to RM who let me use this breathtaking photo of her for this praise. Love you, Sweetie.

Hair on Fire

Some days it seems I spend my time

With my hair all on fire,
Running around in tight circles
With tension piling higher.
When all I really have to do
Is let the flames expire
And I will find Your perfect peace
Which does true joy inspire.
 
Psalm 123:1
I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven.

Point of View

I’m seeing things so differently
Since I see them through You.
I never knew how things could change
Just by changing my view.
 
You taught me to look at the world
In a more loving way,
And, while I sometimes forget to,
I work at it each day.
 
I still see all the same old things,
But I see them anew,
As if, in looking at them now,
I get a glimpse of You.
 
So I don’t mind that what I see,
To others seems askew.
I’m learning to appreciate
This different point of view.

The Rock or The Sand

 

I’ll build my house upon The Rock

For I have seen the sand
Swept out to sea in crashing waves,
Forever lost to land.
 
I would not live tossed by the sea,
With no hope of the shore,
Where my Lord will not only guard,
But will, by Grace, restore.
 
So I choose to build on The Rock
And, when the storms blow through,
I’ll watch the sands wash out to sea
While clinging, Lord, to You.  

Matthew 7:24-27 

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Holding Hands

They started with trepidation

But soon found common ground,
As laughter and their loving hearts
Quickly brought them around.
 
They were a most unlikely pair,
I knew it from the start,
But no fear can withstand for long
A loving, gentle heart.
 
What a delight it was to see
The two sit, hand in hand.
They may not have started off well,
But they finished off grand!

Thank you to NB for catching this sweet moment and sharing it with me. What a fun night it was.

Child of Light

I want to stand within The Light

And live my life for You,
But sometimes that’s easy to say
And much harder to do.
 
Yet somehow I keep standing up
And trying once again,
Because I know that giving up
Is not within the plan.
 
You haven’t given up on me,
And, much to my delight,
It seems that You want me with You
Standing within The Light.
 
So I will always seek The Light,
And in that Light renew
My promise to live in this life,
A life worthy of You. 

 

Ephesians 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

 

Seasons Change

The summer has not left us yet,

But autumn hovers near,
Though little blossoms smile with joy
And offer me their cheer.
 
I know that autumn’s not far off,
I feel it coming on,
There’s change in the breath of the wind,
Some of its warmth is gone.
 
There will be more summer ahead,
Of that there is no doubt,
But every season must move on
And summer’s moving out.

I will not mourn the passing days,

But greet those still to be.
For each season brings its own joy,
And that’s enough for me.
 
Daniel 2:21
He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Ephesians 2:10

The sun rose in the darkened clouds

Barely making it through,
Yet still it shone with all it had
For that’s what it’s to do.
 
Its presence was an eerie thing,
But it seemed not to care,
For it was focused on its work
And not the cloud filled air.
 
I’ll take my lesson from the sun
And keep on shining through,
For I have been designed by Him
And have His work to do.
 
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Bee's Eye View

They’re busy in their day to day

Like I have lately been,
But I have seen much more of life
Than they have ever seen.
Thus too is Your sight great still
Than mine could ever be
And You can see much further than
I’ll ever hope to see.
 
So while I’m busy day to day
With my limited view,
I’m going to trust the big picture
Is in good hands with You!

Psalm 136:26

How skilled the hand that formed the stars,

That burn the with heaven’s light
And also created the wings
That lift a bee in flight.
 
The massive and the delicate,
With details so precise.
And each one is wholly unique,
Not one has been made twice.
 
How overwhelming is the thought
That such a mighty hand
Might belong to a loving God,
For love we understand.
 
Psalm 136:26
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

 

Flaws and Smiles

I may not be all there these days,

And I don’t quite fit in,
Yet I still try to start my day
With a positive grin.  
 
I’ve heard it said I lack the charm,
Or maybe the good sense,
It takes to make it through a day
Without giving offense.
 
I’m not the best at anything
And yet I have to say,
At least I try to find some joy
With which to start each day.
 
I’m rough around the edges, Lord,
And in the middle, too.
If I knew how, I’d find a way
To shape myself anew.
 
But I am who I am, you see,
Though I’d love to be more.
Yet up or down, I try to smile,
No matter what’s in store.

Choices

The sky was the same on each side

Of the ribbon of light,
And yet it seemed one side was dark
While the other was bright.
 
I didn’t understand, at first,
How that difference could be
Until I recognized a truth
That I had failed to see.
 
You see, the darkness fell outside of
The rainbow’s brilliant arc,
While all was bright inside its curve,
As if light by its spark.
 
For the dark sky reflected rain
And, from it, took its cue,
But within the bright rainbow’s curve,
It chose light’s vivid hue!

The world is what the world will be,
It holds both wrong and right,
But we each choose what we reflect.
For me, I choose The Light.

A Better World

Lord, I worry about the world

That we will leave behind.
I don’t know what kind of a place
Our little ones will find.
 
But I have watched them growing up,
Each strong and loving heart,
And that leaves me with room to hope.
That’s a pretty good start.
 
So I will work to leave the world
Better than where it stands
And from that point I have to trust
I’ll leave it in good hands.

Both the photo and one of the beautiful girls in it are a blessing from SK. Thank You, S, for sharing both of them with the world! We owe you!! Love you.

Unsearchable Things

Oh Lord, there’s so much everyday,

That I can’t understand.
How can that be when all that is
Exists within Your hand.
 
The world is vast, spreading so far,
Yet it’s lost in deep space.
So how am I to comprehend
The reach of Your embrace?
 
For You, what’s past is just as new
As what is still to be.
My mind is simply just too small
To grasp all that You see.
 
Yet all that is too vast for me
Still moves at Your command,
And someday, when I see Your face,
I know I’ll understand.
 
Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

This photo is a blessing from JK, and I just loved it's soft colors and expansive, endless feel. Thank You, J, for letting me use it!

Our Gifts

To rise above the turbulence

And soar into the light,
Feeling the wind rush through my hair
As I leap into flight.
 
It seems to me a simple thing,
So effortlessly done,
The way he rises on the wind
Into the morning sun.
 
And yet it’s something I can’t do,
A gift not given me,
And I must stand upon the shore
While he flies out to sea.
 
We each have gifts, given by God,
To use as best we can
In order to fulfill the role
That we have in His plan.
 
I cannot begrudge him that flight,
Though joining would be fun,
For if I joined in his winged dance
My work would go undone.
 
So I will stand upon the shore
Rejoicing in his flight,
Then joyfully pick up my pen
And find a praise to write.

Day's End

I hurried through the day today

With lots and lots to do,
But through it all I kept my eyes
Securely fixed on You.
 
The busy moments scurried by
With little time to spare,
And I was grateful it began
With silence and with prayer.
 
Now as the day winds to an end
I turn my eyes to You.
I thank You for the grace and joy
With which You brought me through.

As I Am

I see the splendor of the dawn,

The grandeur of Your Grace,
And wonder at how glorious
Must be Your holy face.
 
I turn in shame, lest You should see,
And hide in my disgrace,
Knowing full well I don’t deserve
The warmth of Your embrace.
 
Yet still You offer me Your love,
Beyond doubt’s merest trace.
For You don’t see me as I am,
But as I am in Grace.
 
Isaiah 55:8
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

Impatient Blossom

You try to teach me patience, Lord,

I don’t have time to learn.
Can we start learning something else?
Patience has had its turn.
 
I know the blossom takes its time
From seed, to bud, to bloom,
But there’s not time in busy days
To give patience that room.
 
I need to get my answers now,
I’m sure you understand.
I don’t have time for lessons, Lord…
Would You give the command?
 
I don’t see what patience can teach
That I don’t know right now,
So can we please jump to the end
And skip learning somehow?

Alright, Lord, I understand.

There’s so much I don’t know,
But isn’t there a faster way
To help my patience grow?

Child of Faith

Oh lord please give me half her faith

To leap and know You’re there,
For she follows You joyfully
Where I still would not dare.
 
It is not youth that makes her brave,
But knowledge, sure and true,
That, whatever life sends her way,
She can rely on You.
 
She lives life as a miracle,
For she trusts in Your Grace.
I don’t know that I’d trust that much,
If I were in her place.
 
I thought that years would make me wise,
But that seems not the truth,
For I am not as wise, though old,
As she, despite her youth.
 
So, Lord, I ask You to give me
Just half the faith she knows,
That I might follow joyfully,
Until my own faith grows.
 
Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

This is a photo of my niece, whose faith is powerful and has left me in awe more than once.  I'm grateful to her mother for catching this fearless leap and sending it to me.