A Stormy Day In

The rain kept me inside today,

My errands had to wait.
There was no reason to rush out,
No place where I’d be late.
 
And so I snuggled in to rest,
Thankful that I could see
How the rain was a blessing, not
A problem sent to me.
 
I know most won’t see rain that way,
The image doesn’t fit,
But it’s not rain that’s good or bad,
It’s what you see in it.
 
So let it rain, I’m rain’s big fan.
It’s on my blessings list
Along with time spent doing all
The fun things that I’ve missed.

Watchful and Thankful

I never used to see You, Lord,

As I walked through each day,
Though I always knew You were there,
Each step along the way.
 
Yet as I prayed each day for help
And guidance in my life
I came to recognize Your hand
Helping me through the strife.
 
Then I began to recognize
That I could see Your face
In so many unexpected
Instances of grace.
 
So now I see You everywhere,
And, much to my delight,
I find I’m happier in life
When I have You in sight!
 
Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Arise, Arise

Arise, arise and greet the dawn,

Let it waken your soul.
Then lift your voice to praise the Lord
That He might make you whole.
 
Arise, arise and greet the dawn,
For God has called your name
And He redeemed you from all sin
With a love you can claim.
 
Arise, arise and greet the dawn,
For death has lost the fight.
It cannot hold within its grasp
Those living in God’s light.
 
1 Corinthians 15:54-55
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

My Amazing Grace

I am going to step away from my usual praise pattern today for a very special reason. Grace.

Three years ago God brought the gift of Grace into my life, at a time when I needed her most. I didn’t know it then, but I was about to face a couple of terribly hard years. Having her gentle, loving spirit by my side truly helped me pull through what might have been a period of extreme loneliness. She was the proverbial “rescue dog” who rescued me right back.

Through the last year of my mother’s life, Grace acted as a service dog and loving support to me, my family, my mother’s caregivers and the hospice staff. All while watching over my mother, literally, at times. Then, through the year of wrapping up the estate and figuring out how to move on, she never left my side. She never let me stay sad for too long and she never complained through all of my moods and tears and emotional collapses.

I went back to work a year ago and I am blessed to work for a wonderful company and with incredible people, who opened their hearts to both of us. Grace comes to work with me every day and she works every bit as hard as I do at her job… being the cheerful smile and wagging tail that greets each arrival to the office. She comforts the anxious, she delights the unsuspecting and she entertains the children of our customers and friends. Even those who are afraid of dogs, find a friendly companionship with Grace before they leave the office. She’s a wonderful ambassador for her species and her breed.

Within a month of starting the new job, we found out that Grace has cancer. For the last year we have been fighting a long, and sometimes costly, battle against the disease. In all that time Grace never broke her stride or stopped offering loving support to all who come into the office. At the end of the summer and into early fall, Grace’s health took a turn for the worse and I found myself praying each night for healing and for her to simply be happy. After two long months of very scary checkups, today we got the wonderful news that Grace is back on track, still in remission and her liver function is back to normal.

Driving back to work from the Vet’s office today, as I started one more prayer of thanks for healing, wise Vets and a happy Grace, I noticed in the distance that a faint rainbow was beginning to form. As I prayed and praised God for His kindness the rainbow got brighter and brighter. At one point, we finally drove into the light rain that had combined with the sunlight behind me to make the rainbow and I realized that I had needed both the sunshine and the rain to be able to see the rainbow. Isn’t life just like that?!

Tonight I lift a praise of gratitude and rejoicing for healing, for warm snuggles, for the wiggly back end and the loving heart that that belongs to my Amazing Grace.

An Empty Mind

I have no ideas

And no place to start.
It seems like my thinker
Has fallen apart.
But I’m not too worried,
The words He’ll impart,
For He fills my mind and
He strengthens my heart.
 
Proverbs 2:10
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

The Dark and The Light

Even living within the light

Does not mean there’s no shade
And dark can happen despite all
The best efforts we’ve made.
 
Dark and light are interwoven,
But they are not equal.
The dark can only be a force
If light allows it pull.
 
So face the darkness without fear
And live within the light,
But when the shadows start to fall
Don’t give up on the fight.
 
Psalm 97:11
Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

The Path

The path that leads us through this life

Is never smooth and straight.
We have to deal with bumps and ruts
And painful twists of fate.
 
We get diverted from the path,
Or bogged down in our sin,
Before we find the path once more
And start off once again.
 
Sometimes we stray so far away,
That we can lose all track,
Until we make excuses for
Refusing to turn back.
 
We justify the life we choose,
Though we know that it’s wrong,
And we pretend it’s what God meant
For our lives all along.
 
We live so long within the sin
We think there’s no return.
That life along God’s path us
Is a bridge we must burn,
 
But we forget the path we walk
Leads us beneath the cross,
And after such a sacrifice
Christ won’t accept our loss.
 
It’s not the sin that matters when
All has been said and done.
The thing that matters most to Him
Is grace and redemption.
 
Isaiah 44:22
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Again, thank you to LHB for another wonderful photo of the Vermont autumn and a perfect fit for today's praise!

Adrift...

I find my mind adrift these days,

My thoughts scattered or lost.
As if they were blossoms of light
Blighted by bitter frost.
 
I know that I am busy now,
With so much on my mind
That time to think things through clearly
Is something I can’t find.
 
Yet that does not fully explain
How scattered my thoughts are
And I am worried that I face
Issues greater by far.
 
I want to find the peace I need
To trust it’s in God’s hand,
But right now I’m fighting a fear
I dearly understand.
 
So, Lord I ask You for clear thoughts
And comfort from my fear,
For, whether unfounded or not,
You’ll always hold me near.

Slow Down

Don’t move too quickly through your life

Lest you should fail to see
The blessings God placed on your path
To set your spirit free.
 
There’s beauty everywhere you go,
Blessings God meant for you,
But you must slow down if you hope
To ever catch a view.
 
Let others race on down the road
Seeking what they may find,
For they will never know the grace
They missed and left behind.
 
So slow down, for life is the goal,
It’s not just a journey.
Don’t miss the best part of the trip,
Moving too fast to see!

This photo is a blessing from LHB. Another lovely shot from her home state of Vermont! Thank you, again, L, for sharing your joy with all of us!

No Sweeter View

You send us out into the world

With work we’re meant to do,
And we are more than glad to go,
To see each effort through.

But, when the work has all been done,
There is no sweeter view
Than that which says, “At Last, I’m home
To hearth, and loved ones, too.”

Someday my work will finish, Lord,
I’ll have done as You’ve asked
And I will have completed all
The chores I have been tasked.

And when the day comes that I’m done,
I no longer must roam,
Please turn me once more on the path
That will lead me back home.   

Mark 2:1
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.

This photo of Mt Rainier is a gift from NB, who was so kind to share it with us. Thank you, N, for your patience while the praise that goes with it was forming.

Psalm 40:8

I desire to do Your will,

Yet I so often fail.
Each day I say I’ll do better,
But my will is too frail.
 
Your law is written in my heart
And bound there with your name.
So, though I fail You day to day,
Your love’s still mine to claim.
 
Thus, I will keep trying, my Lord,
To live within Your will,
And hold your law within my heart,
While it is beating still.
 
Psalm 40:8
I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.

Psalm 62:5

The psalm says my soul rests in Him,

And I know mine does too,
For when I feel battered and tossed
He’s there to see me through.
The peace that comes from knowing Him,
From living in His hand,
Is something you must live yourself
Before you understand.
Now you may choose to fight alone,
Until your hopes grow dim,
But if you call out, He’ll be there.
Then rest your soul in Him.
 
Psalm 62:5
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

Crazy Busy Days

I’m glad to have reflection time

At the end of the day.
I’d planned on getting so much done,
But life got in the way.
 
A little chaos, bits of joy,
With lots of laughs thrown in
Can make a day most would call lost
Into a thrilling win.
 
It seems I worked the whole day long
With so much left to do,
But still I came home feeling good
For all I did get through.
 
So I will take the quiet time
At the end of this day
And thank God for the crazy life
That He has sent my way.

Listening and Understanding

The week ahead was filled with stress,

With so much on my plate.
I knew some would be hard to take
And some would not be great.
I tried to lay it out just so
And plan it in my head,
Yet I was not aware how much
Trouble still lay ahead.

But then I heard a small voice say,

“Be Still and know I’m God.
I know the places you must walk
And those places I’ve trod.
I will not let you walk alone,
And there’s much I can do
That you can never achieve, child,
So let me care for you.”

I felt a peace come over me

Such as I had not known
And all my worries fell away,
While seeds of hope were sown.
Then as the week came on and went
I saw Him work first hand.
"Be still and know that I am God…"
At last I understand.
 
Psalm 46:10
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Hold On To Joy

Beneath their ruffled coat of frost

Their colors are still clear,
As they face winter’s coming cold
Without despair or fear.
For they have seen the seasons pass,
And they trust in God’s plan.
Believing that, through darkest days,
The spring will come again.
 
The wisdom born of many years
Of struggling through this life
Has taught them that joy will return
However great the strife.
So when the frost begins to form
As summer takes its leave,
They choose to hold on to their joy,
And not wither and grieve.

My Cathedral

There’s a cathedral in my heart

Where I can go to pray
Within the stillness of His peace,
A place to hide away.
 
I won’t find choirs echoing,
Though singing fills the air,
For all creation sings to me
When I am sheltered there.

I don’t hear sermons preached in there,

I simply hear His voice
Reminding me that sin and grace
Both still remain my choice.

I love to linger there in praise,

Within that secret hall,
Where I can always talk to Him
Who answers when I call.

Facing Down the Dark

We all have moments in our lives

When we face down the dark.
Those days when despair fills our lives
And crushes out the spark.
But we can choose to turn away
And leave the dark behind.
For when we turn into the light,
There’s so much joy to find.
 
Psalm 18:28
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light

Contemplating The Lord

Though I am tainted with the sin

That afflicts all on earth,
Still I have been loved by the Lord
Since long before my birth.
 
What greater miracle of grace
Could there possibly be
Than the forgiveness of my sin,
That my soul might be free.
 
That one defiled and tainted child
Might stand before His throne
And hear Him call me by my name,
Then claim me as His own.

2 Corinthians 3:18

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Attitude Adjustment

It suddenly occurred to me

As I drove home today
That I was grumpy as could be
And I’m no good that way.
 
It might have been the traffic that
Was packed on the freeway,
Or maybe the sun in my eyes
As it set for the day.
 
Whatever set me in that mood
Could not be let to stay,
And so I took a still, deep breath
Then I began to pray.
 
I asked for safety for the man
Who cut too close to me,
And for the one up my tail pipe
As rushed as he could be.
 
I thanked God for the clear blue sky
Instead of clouds and rain
That let the sun shine bright and clear
Despite causing eye strain.
 
I found, as I spoke through my prayers,
My attitude had changed
By offering praises and my prayers
My thoughts were rearranged
 
I’d left behind the stressful edge
That had been building up,
Then found that God had brought His peace
And gently filled me up.

Too Many To Count

Let me count my blessings, Lord…

No, that would take too long.
So let me simply thank you for
Loving me, right or wrong.
Thank you for spring, with all its blooms,
Winter with days of white,
For summer and its endless sun
And autumn, crisp and bright.
Thank you for laughter and for tears,
For those I love so much,
And for keeping an eye on them
While we are out of touch.  
Thank you for ups and for the downs,
For each end and new start,
For blessings too many to count,
Thank You, with all my heart.  

Sabbath Peace

Today I speak of marigolds

Kissed by an autumn rain,
And of sweet lavender in bloom
While warmer days remain.
 
The week holds days of busyness
Of being on the go,
But Sabbath is a day for peace,
For living nice and slow.
 
A day for seeing all God’s Grace
For what it’s meant to be,
And to count all the blessings that
That Grace has meant to me.
 
A Day that stands apart each week
From the fast and routine,
Filled with the gifts born of His Grace,
The seen and the unseen.
 
And so today I spent some time
Alone within His peace
With marigolds and lavender
And Sabbath’s sweet release.

Exodus 20:8

Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.

The Gift of a Rainy Day

I had so much to do today

With little time at hand,
But someone needed me at home
And that changed what I’d planned.
 
We settled in to watch the rain
And pass a gentle day.
It’s been so sweet, it seems as if
You’d planned it just that way.
 
I know for most, the rain is cause
To grumble and complain,
But for the two us today,
We say, bring on the rain!

Proverbs 22:6

Their roots spread wide within the soil

And tangle with each other.
Thus, when the winter storms blow in
They support one another.
Yet even they will age, then fall,
And crumble into decay,
Leaving behind what is needed
For the young still on the way.
Rich loam to grow in and sunshine
Will set them upon their way,
And they will grow into the light
Without once going astray.
 
Proverbs 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Wait and Pray

Oh Lord, the day was endless fear,

Chaos was at its core,

And as each rush of fear would pass

I’d be faced with one more.

But I stood fast, face to The Light,

Believing to my soul

That God would bring me through this day

And leave me strong and whole.

These days of turmoil beat at me,

But they can’t touch my heart.

For they are just moments that pass,

They have no lasting part.

The only thing that ever lasts

Is the love offered me,

And I hold faithful to the good

That He has promised me.

I know His plans are for my good,

And I’ll live them one day,

But for now, I will wait on Him,

Rejoicing, while I pray.

Psalm 27:13-14

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Resting On You

I like to think I’m strong enough

To make it on my own,
That I can face what the world brings
And do it all alone.
I tell myself I’m tough enough
That I can fight it through,
And come what may I’ll find a way
To do what I must do.
 
But I’ve found that it’s arrogance
That makes me feel that way,
For when I’ve done all I can do
I’m still lost and astray.
It’s only when I rest on You
That I begin to see
I truly can face what life brings
If You are holding me.

Many thanks to LHB for this delightful photo from her charming Vermont farm. Her blessing has become ours.

Poetry

There is a poetry in dawn,

A rhythm in its light,
That’s different than the rhythm of
The noonday or the night.
 
It’s peaceful in its majesty,
Its promise of rebirth,
It is the hope of better days
For the children of earth.
 
It is the reminder that Christ
Has risen from the grave
And marked the path to redemption
For those He came to save.
 
There’s power in the midday sun,
Mystery in the night,
But there’s a poetry in dawn
That’s written in its light.

Your Light Has Come

The sun slipped golden through the trees

And rose toward the skies,
Gilding the scattered clouds with light
Before my very eyes.
 
I watched in breathless awe the sight
I couldn’t bear to miss.
How glorious must be the God
Who shapes beauty like this!
 
Isaiah 60:1
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

In The Gray

The world is never black and white

Though it might seem that way,
For in between the two extremes
There’s always shades of gray.
 
The question’s not, “do they exist”,
The question is instead,
“Do we accept the in between
Or Live where God has lead?”
 
It’s easy to live in between
The shadows and the light.
It means not having to decide
To stand up for what’s right.
 
It means hiding in platitudes
Instead of speaking out,
Relinquishing the truth you know
To the pretense of doubt.
 
We each must make the choice these days
Between the dark and light,
Or hide in ambiguity
Between what’s black and white.
 
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Tomorrow's Worries

I don’t know what tomorrow holds,

But I know who holds me
And I will not fear tomorrow
Whatever it may be.
 
I don’t know what tomorrow holds
But this I understand,
Tomorrow may bring what it will,
God Holds me in His hand.  

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

Changless, Yet Changing

It rises later every day,

Sleeping into the night,
Until it finds itself, at last,
Upon its scheduled flight.
It’s ever faithful in its task,
Though changing every day,
And though it disappears from sight,
It never goes astray.
 
Perhaps I need that faithful walk
As I move through this life,
That I might not be distracted
By each day’s stress and strife,
But carry on, along the path
That I am meant to tread
Recognizing that change is life,
Not something I should dread.  
 
Psalm 89:37
it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.

Peace and Grace

Where will I find the peace I need,

The stillness of the soul,
To heal the broken heart in me
And make my spirit whole?
 
Where shall I look to find the grace
That my heart longs to see?
I’ve sought for it in every place
Except where it must be.
 
I know that there is grace for me
And peace that can be mine,
But I must look beyond this earth,
For they are gifts divine.
 
Ephesians 1:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.