Morning Prayer

For just today, please give me peace,

Let the world fall away,

Take all the anger from my heart.

Please give me peace today.

 

For just today, please give me joy,

Let your light fill the air.

Take all the worries from my mind,

Give me laughter to spare.

 

For just today, please give me hope

Let grace flow into me

Then let it flow out to the world

Like a renewing sea.

  

Just for today, I ask You, Lord,

Use me to do some good.

Too often I forget to give

Back as I know I should.

In Black and White

 

The world is vibrant in array,

With many colors on display,
But I stand out, with some dismay,
In shades of drab black, white and gray.
Yet I’m content and I will say,
Though it may sound somewhat cliché,
God made me, and I’ll gladly stay,
This fearful and wonderful way!

Psalm 139:14

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

This gorgeous photo was captured by my aunt, JSK. I just loved it she joyfully shared it with us! Thank you, J!!

That Place I Lost

Oh Lord, I can’t find that still place

That once lived inside me.
You know, the place that I could go
To sit and let things be?
 
I don’t know where it could have gone,
Though it has gone, clearly.
I wonder if it is because
I’ve gotten so busy?
 
Or is it all the noisy thoughts
That whirl inside my head
All through the day and even when
I settle in my bed?
 
I know I’m in the working world,
And that was a good choice.
Both a necessary evil
And a cause to rejoice.
 
For this is work I’m meant to do,
You gave this gift to me,
And I do it with a glad heart
As it was meant to be.
 
But sometimes in my busy days
I need some extra grace
And that is when I notice most
That I’ve lost my still place.
 
So come and sit beside me, Lord,
Please touch my busy mind
And help me see my way back to
The place that I can’t find.
 
Then linger by me for a while,
 I love it when You’re near.
Those are the moments I still hold
As most precious and dear.

I Look To You

I look to You in times of loss,

Of worry, or of fear.
I know that I won’t see You, but
I will see signs You’re near.
 
I don’t expect to see You, Lord,
Amongst this life’s blessings,
But I do see your handiwork
In all the little things.
 
There are those who only believe
The things that they can see
And yet their eyes are often blind
To what I see clearly.
 
Each problem that seems too immense
For one as small as me,
At Your direction soon becomes
An opportunity.
 
The darkness gives way to the light,
A path opens at length,
And when I feel broken or lost
You fill me with Your strength.
 
Where those who won’t see find despair,
I find impending grace,
Where they see only the mundane
I look on heaven’s face.  

Burnished and Refined

I know my edges are still rough

And sin still stains my face,
But You won’t give up on my til
I’m burnished by Your Grace.
 
I know that I still have a ways
To go before I’m there,
But You keep working on me, Lord,
With gentle, focused care.
 
I may not sparkle right now, Lord,
But I have faith that You
Will have me shining like the Son
By the time You are through.
 
Isaiah 48:10
See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

A Shadow on My Heart

There’s a shadow over my heart

Of sorrow that will be,
A pain that no healing can ease,
From which I can’t be free.
 
How swift is life, it’s here, then gone.
Patterns of dark and light
That punctuate the passing days
Before the last good night.
 
I weep for those whom I have lost
And those who’ll soon pass on.
I pray for those who’ll still be here
When I am long since gone.
 
This life is tinged with bitterness,
And death’s its last embrace,
But I find comfort in knowing
Heaven is filled with Grace.

Psalm 31:9
Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.

Psalm 119:60

I know that I should move quickly

To answer when you call,
But I am paralyzed with doubt
For I’m too weak and small.
 
How could I be of service, Lord,
To one as great as You?
I am so insignificant,
I don’t know what I’d do.
 
It seems as if my heart is stone
And, though I want to cry,
I don’t think I could rise and go
Even if I could try.
 
But I have heard you call to me,
So I must find a way
To shake off all this doubt and fear,
Then hurry to obey.
 
Psalm 119:60
I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

Too Busy Today

I got so busy today that

I forgot about You.
I had so many projects on
My list of things to do,
That I did not spend time with You
Until the day was through.
 
Most days I know that there’s some sense
In running the day through.
I have a job, obligations,
And so much that I do,
But Sundays are the one day, Lord,
I ought to spend with You.
 
So now, before the day is gone
And it’s too late to do,
Please come and sit beside me, Lord,
I’ll stop and sit with You.

A Day Off

I thank You for this peaceful day,

Though I got so much done,
I still was able to relax
And have a little fun.
 
The sun was warm, but not too hot,
The grass was sweet and green,
The water was blue as the sky,
The air was fresh and clean.
 
Tomorrow will be different,
There’s work that must be done,
But I am thankful for today,
The rest, the peace, the sun!

Turbulent Times

The world has grown so turbulent.

Though, it’s done that before,
I still find it unnerving when
I don’t know what’s in store.
 
So many things I know are wrong
Have now been declared right
And innocence is sacrificed
For cruelty’s delight.
 
I sometimes don’t know which is best,
To fight or let things be
And trust the plan You have in place,
That I cannot yet see.
 
I know this turbulence will pass,
But what damage is done
By all the darkness in its wake?
What new trouble’s begun?
 
Lord, I trust You with all I am
And all I hope to be.
I just wish I could look ahead
To see what I can’t see.

Sonbreaks

Though there are stormy skies in life,

The sun will still break through,
The clouds will light up with new joy
And I will sing of You.
 
So I will not let stormy skies
Keep me from seeing You,
And I will rise up with a song
When You come shining through.
 
Psalm 68:4
Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.

In The Light

I try to live within the light

Though darkness pursues me
And sometimes I have to fight hard
To be whom I should be.
 
The moon shines no light of its own,
But reflects the sun’s hue.
It lives in the sun’s influence
As I intend to do.
 
For You’re the Son that I reflect,
Though I am dimmed by sin,
And Your Light is the only one
That I choose to live in.  
 
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Unseen and Loving Hand

He knew that he had found a feast.

How fortunate his fate
That no one else had been there first.
The blessing was so great.
 
He did not know that great danger
Was sleeping quite nearby,
But also that a loving heart
Guided a watchful eye.
 
One who kept him safe from the dog
That lingered out of sight
And let him enjoy his blessing
To his complete delight.
 
It made me think how often I
Live my life unaware
Of all the dangers that might be
Lingering everywhere.
 
How blessed am I, that, much like him,
The danger’s held at bay
By one who’s loving heart and hand
Protect me on my way.
 
It’s such a gentle, peaceful scene,
If viewed from his small scale,
But when the whole picture’s complete
It tells a different tale.
 
A miracle beyond his sight,
One he can’t understand,
The blessing of protection from
An unseen, loving hand.
 
Psalm 32:7
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

This delightful photo was a gift from my sister ATF, who opted to take the picture rather than call her dog to chase the rabbit from his feast in her garden. A loving and unseen hand indeed.

In His Promise

The world had been gray all day long,

But in the day’s last light
A reminder of God’s promise
Lit up the coming night.
 
It was but a moment of light
That swept the leaden sky,
But that moment was all it took
To lift my spirits high.
 
Now, though the rain bedraggled night
Might stretch out before me,
I’ll rest secure in His promise
And sleep contentedly. 

I Lift My Eyes

The mountains tower in their strength,

Arrogant in their pride,
But even they can be destroyed
By time or rising tide.
 
There is no power on this earth
As mighty as the hand
That formed it out of nothingness
With a simple command.
 
So when I seek a source of strength
I seek the mountain’s rim,
And then I raise my eyes higher,
Until they rest on Him.
 
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—     where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Old, But Still Standing

It’s seems a broken memory

Of what it once had been
When it stood straight against the storms.
Yes, that was way back when.
 
But don’t think age and frailty
Have weakened its old heart
Or robbed it of the will to stand
That it knew from the start.
 
For, though there’s but a fragment left,
Broken, shattered and small,
Yet still it knows its task in life
And stands up straight and tall!

For Whom They Thirst

Let them lift up their songs of praise,

However great or small,
For God blesses them, every one,
Who answers to His call.
 
He blesses all who call His name,
Quenching the thirsty soul
Until the emptiness is gone,
What’s broken is made whole.
 
So let them lift their songs of praise
And bless His holy name.
For it is Him for whom they thirst
And His love is their claim.
 
Psalm 107:8-9 
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Before I Sleep

In a day filled with frustration

There was also some delight,
But I will put them both behind me
And prepare to sleep tonight.
 
I will lift them all up to You,
Instead of holding so tight
That I will lie awake and fuming
Until deep into the night.
 
You are now my total focus,
All Your glory and all Your might.
Lord my soul is in Your keeping,
Wash me in Your perfect light.  

My Excuse Today

Tonight I spent time helping friends

And fell so far behind
That I may not get this praise done.
I hope that You don’t mind
If I just say, “Thank You, My Lord
For giving me great friends
 Who don’t mind asking me for help
When trying to meet ends,
Friends who’ve also been there for me
When I needed a hand.”
Oh Lord I thank You for my friends.
I know You understand.

In Large Letters

I wanted to be sure you see

How much I love you, child,
Though you have lived a wayward life,
Too often running wild.
 
So I have written of my love
In letters large and clear
That you might never have a doubt
That I hold you most dear.
 
I wrote my love in mountain peaks
In canyons deep and wide.
I wrote my love in sweeping skies
And in the rolling tide.
 
I wrote my love in open plains
That reach beyond your sight
And in the endless field of stars
Lighting the sky at night.
 
I wrote my love in letters large
That you might understand
I love you more than all the worlds
I wrote with my own hand.
 
Galatians 6:11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

This incredible photo was taken by my cousin, Chloe Phillips-Harris, on her current adventure in Kazakhstan. Thank you, sweet Chloe, for letting me share your exquisite photo with all my friends! You can follow Chloe at https://chloephillipsharris.wordpress.com/ or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Chloe-Phillips-Harris-Adventurer-256834944381988/ Chloe lives life as a great adventure and gives back to others, human and animal, in even greater measure.

Until I Shine

I found myself complaining again

About the grey and cloudy sky.
I called out to the Lord in heaven
And I asked Him to explain why.
 
Why are some people blessed with great joy,
While I have to fight through each day?
What is the reason I feel so lost
And others dance along the way.
 
I waited in the silent morning
Beneath the cloud draped winter sky,
In absolute defiance of Him,
I demanded He answer why.
 
And as I stood there in my anger,
Self-righteous in the rage I knew,
The sun rose up and all around me
The dark clouds took on heaven’s hue.
 
Now, I know this might sound prosaic
Or maybe even a bit trite,
There had to be clouds in that sky
To reflect back the morning light.
 
I knelt, humbled in understanding,
The answer was there all along.
I thanked the Lord for cloudy mornings
And troubles that will make me strong.
 
I don’t complain now, of my burdens,
I understand why they are mine.
The Lord will use these times of trouble
To burnish me until I shine.

Another beautiful sunrise from my neighbor, AT. This one taken in Costa Rica. Thank you, AT!!! Thank you!

The Little Things

I
t’s all about the little things.
The big things come and go,
But how we face the little things
Is where our soul will show.
 
The little daily frustrations
And how we deal with them
Are a reflection of the choice
We make to live like Him.
 
Do we give honor to His name
And to His sacrifice?
Or, by what we do every day,
Do we add to the price.
 
I have such a long list of sins,
For which He had to pay,
That I try extra hard to watch
With little things each day.
 
Mark 12:30-32  
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

About My Work

I must now be about my work,

There’s plenty still to do,
But while I work I’ll keep my thoughts
Ever turned towards You.
 
In You I find I have purpose
That I can’t find alone,
And in You I have found a faith
That warms my heart of stone.
 
I do not curse the work I do,
I’m grateful it is mine,
For it means You have need of me
And that suits me just fine.
 
So I must be about it now,
But, Lord, keep me near You,
For I suspect I’ll need Your help
Before this day is through.

Tomorrow's Troubles

Today was burdened with the tears

That I could not let show.
Tomorrow I don’t know if I
Can still hold back the flow.
 
I’m so afraid to close my eyes
For fear I’ll wake and weep.
I can’t wake up and fall apart
If I don’t go to sleep.
 
Tomorrow seems so far away
And yet it weighs on me.
I don’t know what the day will hold,
Besides more misery.
 
Oh Lord, I dread the coming dawn,
But I know I must sleep.
So I will bid today farewell.
Tomorrow I will weep.
 
Matthew 6:34 
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

All Dried Up

The words tonight just will not come,

I think my brain is gone.
But even in my frustration
I plan to carry on.
 
It’s not a lot You ask of me,
Though now it might seem so,
And yet tonight I really don’t
Know where this praise will go.
 
But this I know, despite my brain
And the thoughts that won’t be,
You’re still there, Your love is real, and
You won’t give up on me.

In The Light

The world lay still in the darkness,

Its breath held in the chill,
As it waited to hear His Voice
And answer to His Will.

Hushed silence and vast darkness
Wrapped the newly formed earth,
As it waited on His promise
And its impending birth.
 
Then, the sound of a single word
Burst through the darkest night
And all the world was washed within
The Lord God’s Holy Light.
 
For in Him, there is no darkness,
In Him is purest light.
And we, who were born of darkness,
Now rejoice in His light.
 
1 John 1:5         
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

This amazing photo is a gift from my neighbor, AT. What an incredible moment he caught!! Thank you, A!!

Fearlessly

Today I felt lost in the world,

Tonight I just feel small.
Though I might try to flee my fears,
I can’t outrun them all.
 
But I can rise above them, Lord,
And hide within Your hand.
For there are no fears I can dread
That You cannot command.  
 
So hold me, Lord, if You don’t mind,
And cast these fears from me.
Then give me faith to rise once more
And praise You fearlessly.
 
Ephesians 6:19-20
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Blessed is the Nation

Today it’s not about the fun,

The food or family.
Today is all about those who
Fought for our liberty,
For those who stood when others turned
Or simply could not see
How mankind could live in a land
Where all would soon be free.
Today is not about a dream,
Or some lost memory.
Today’s about being the land
That they meant this to be.

Psalm 33:12

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

A Cheery Memory

It was a cheery little smile

To brighten up the day,
But it was just what I needed
As I passed on my way.
 
A moment and a memory
Of a day that’s now past.
The hand that planted them is gone,
But his blossoms still last.
 
They seem a fragile link to him
And yet they’re blooming still
As if in reflection of him
And his enduring will.
 
Each time I pass them in their bed
I see his face once more,
I hear him tell me gardening
Is his joy, not a chore.

Did You Call Me?

Did You call out to me, Oh Lord?

Was that You that I heard?
I thought that it might be the wind
Or just a passing bird.
 
I wasn’t quite sure what to think,
But yet I understood
That there was no harm in the words,
They were meant for my good.
 
The words were soft, but still I heard
“Rise up and follow me”.
Yet I could not be sure those words
Were truly meant for me.
 
For I have not lived perfectly,
Indeed I’ve not come near.
Surely You would not call to me,
And yet Your words were clear.
 
But if You truly meant me, Lord,
Despite my broken past,
Then I will rise and follow You.
I’m grateful to be asked.

Matthew 10:38

Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Memes

Enough

A week of work that was well done,

A time of rest ahead,
A meal and a small cup of tea,
And then my comfy bed.
 
A job, a home, good company,
They’re simple things, I know.
Yet I am happy, safe and loved,
That makes me good to go.
 
My world is never quite perfect,
And it’s not meant to be,
But I am blessed with just enough
And that’s enough for me.