Despair to Joy

I had a rough afternoon, Lord,

Which You already knew,
Because when I thought all was lost,
I called, in tears, to You.
 
I recognize how small they seem,
These problems that haunt me,
When seen from heaven’s point of view,
But they’re all I can see.
 
Although You formed the universe
With just a single thought,
You still paused to hear me, and heal
All that this day had wrought.
 
You rescued me from my despair
And dried up every tear.
Though I’m too small for most to care,
Lord, You still hold me dear.
 
Psalm 91:14-15
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

 

A little hummer in my dogwood tree that AC caught when she came to visit. Isn't she sweet?!!

A Place to Rest

I rest myself within the Lord,

Within His loving grace,
For I can find such peace in Him
And in no other place.
 
I rest myself within the Lord,
His peace I claim as mine,
For there is an all healing strength
In love that is divine.
 
I rest myself within the Lord,
And praise Him that I can,
For there is no peace to be found
Relying just on man.
 
Psalm 62:5
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

One of my few remaining photos from ATF's trip this fall. Calm and Peaceful, indeed!

Billowing in the Wind - Repost

The winds that circle round the earth

Can shatter the strong wall
And tear asunder all we’ve built,
Destroying each and all.
 
But in the fiercest winds we face,
While others twist and bend,
If we are anchored in his grace
We’ll billow in the wind.
 
Job 37:9
The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds.

Always There - Reposted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When peace won’t come

I seek your face

I always find you here

Down by the water

Near the sea

Where all my thoughts run clear

Thank you for the water

Thank you for the sea

Thank you for always being here

Waiting just for me.

Solitude or Loneliness

I have those days, now and again,

When I feel crowded in.
I need to fly off by myself
Until I’m sane again.
 
I wonder if it’s about age
Or if it is just me,
But there are days when I’m the one
Person I want to see.
 
I like the silence that I find
When no one calls my name
And I can spend my day my way
When my time’s mine to claim.
 
But before long I realize
That solitude is fine
Right up until I miss the joy
That makes this chaos mine!

Heaven and Earth

I’ve loved you longer than I’ve lived,

You’ve loved me longer still,
And, though the world may call to me,
I’ll answer to Your will.
 
For all the world is meaningless
If You are lost to me,
And it is when I live in You
That I’m who I should be.
 
So let me walk upon this earth,
But let me live in You
Until the day You call me home,
And my walk here is through.

Psalm 103:11

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

John 1:5

I dreamed that all the world was lost,

That darkness ruled the land,
And there was no place left where I
Could hope to make a stand.
 
It was as if the bitterness
Of darkness held my soul
And I feared I could not escape
From darkness’s control.
 
But, when I woke and saw the sun
Rising at His command,
I knew that He was still in charge
And held me in His hand.
 
I felt the grip of the darkness
Let go and set me free
For dark cannot long imprison  
The soul that God set free.
 
John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

To Step Out - reposted

I plan to step out in faith, Lord,

But it won’t be today.
I meant to get it done, I did.                             
Then life got in the way. 
 
Just as I raised my foot to go
I thought of something more.
It wouldn’t be wise to step out,
Unsure of what’s in store.
 
I know that’s what stepping in faith
Is meant to be about,
But I was just too frightened still
To faithfully step out.
 
So give me one more day, I pray,
And help my faith to grow.
I don’t want to mess up this time,
When I step out and go.
 
Luke 8:25
“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Always Looking Back

Why am I always looking back

When I should look ahead.
My future is filled with His grace,
But I look back instead
At years and years of pain and sin
That I have left behind.
My Savior has forgiven me,
But they weigh on my mind.
 
I’m not sure why I hold them close,
Those sins of yesterday,
They hold me back from moving on
They linger in my way.
Perhaps the one who thrives on sin
Wants to keep me close still,
But He who has forgiven them
Claims me, and always will.
 
So I must find a way to stop
Looking behind at them,
To turn my eyes from my past sins
And focus them on Him
Until the day they lose the pull
That they now hold on me.
If my Savior’s forgiven them,
Why can’t they let me be?

My Floods

When troubles rise around me, Lord,

I call to You in fear.
I need to know You hear my call
And that you’re somewhere near.
 
But when the world is going great
And I’m not in distress,
I find I that reaching out to You
Seems to happen much less.
 
So if this current round of floods
Is Your reach out to me,
Then please know Lord, I’m listening,
And most attentively.
 
I thank You that You took the time
To rustle up a squall,
I’m sorry that I made You wait
Til floods broke loose to call.
 
Psalm 32:7
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Many thanks to AC for catching this great shot in Nisqually flats and sharing it with us!

Little Joys

Be joyful in the little things,

For life is filled with those,
And it is from those little things
That great joy often grows.
 
The bright splashes of color
When all is drab and gray,
Can hold enough encouragement
To lift you through the day.
 
So open up your eyes to see,
Let your heart understand
That joy is born in simple things,
Not in the vast and grand,
And be on watch for little joys
That linger close to hand!

A Willing Spirit

The world conspires to break me,

But You restore my strength
Until I find that, with You help,
I can rise up at length.
 
Please grant me Your salvation, Lord,
And also give to me
The willing spirit I will need
To be who I should be.
 
Then let me shine across the world
Which sought to break my soul
That those still trapped beneath its weight
Might find You and be whole!
 
Psalm 51:12-13
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

This photo is from Nancy at Racing With Jesus Ministries. What an amazing photo moment!

Sunlight and Shadow - Reposted

Soft light flickers on moss and fern,

Shifting the verdure’s hue.
Nothing else changes in the wood;
Just the light’s point of view.

Constant is the sunlight’s visage,
Though shadows shift and flow.
The ferns reach up to grasp its light
And, as they strive, they grow.
 
So, like the fern’s beneath the trees,
We’re rooted to the earth;
Yet, in our striving to reach God,
Our shadowed souls find worth.
 
James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Waiting For The Lord

There is a stillness in the earth,

A stillness and a peace
That comes of waiting on the Lord
And trusting without cease
That He has laid His plans with care
And He will not release
Those who wait patiently on Him,
But will their joy increase.
 
Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Cathedrals - Reposted

Some cathedrals aren’t made of stone

With all the frill and frock,
And choirs singing anthems of
The same old standard stock.
 
There are cathedrals formed of light
That dapples a blue sky
And drapes across the tallest boughs,
Its spires reaching high.
 
Not all the choirs and the hymns
Are born in hearts of men,
For many flourish in the songs
Of robin, hawk and wren.
 
So worship God within the church
And in creation, too,
For one was built by man for God
And one by God for you!

Unhealed Wounds

Please guide my thoughts, keep them on You,

But, even more than this,
Please guide each word that it might be
No more harsh than a kiss.

For You spoke first and foremost, Lord,
Of love for all mankind
And I should strive to speak, also,
Only words that are kind.
 
For words can break a loving heart
Or make it strong, once more.
And words can make a wound so deep,
There’s no healing the sore.
 
If I want to live in Your light
I must live life Your way,
So help me guard the thoughts I think
And every word I say.
 
Psalm 19:14
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Above the Storm

The storm is raging off the shore

And bearing down on me,
But I will not cower in fear
For You have set me free.
 
I’ll rise up on the very winds
Meant to toss me to earth.
For You have shown to me a love
Far greater than my worth,
 
A love that will not let me fall
Into the storm blown sand,
A love that will lift me on high
As if held in His hand.
 
So let the winds rage through the day
And fill the night with fear,
The Lord of love will lift me up
For He is ever near.
 
Genesis 50:20
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Resting In Him - Reposted

I rested by the shore today,

Nestled within its peace.
For, when I hear the sounding waves,
My spirit finds release.
 
Thus is it with the Lord, also,
I’m still within His Grace.
When I am frantic, tossed and blown
He is my resting place.
 
If I can stay within the calm
That flows from God to shore,
Then I can face whatever storm
That life may hold in store.
 
Psalm 62:1
Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.

Crowned with Victory

Sometimes that climb seemed all up hill

With no way to succeed,
And there was no one to help out
In times of greatest need.
 
It seemed like I could never win,
However hard I fought,
And every time I’d move ahead
My dreams were snagged and caught.
 
But You told me to carry on,
That I was in Your hand,
And so I kept on climbing, Lord,
Trying to understand
 
How I should be so put upon
And stymied by travail,
While others seemed, without struggle,
To have a smooth, swift sail.
 
Now, as You promised, I am here,
My struggles fall behind,
And all those who seemed far ahead
Are nowhere I can find.
 
For I climbed upward in the faith
That Your word would hold true
And I find that I’ve done much more
Than I thought I could do.
 
While others dropped back in hard times,
I found You in my heart,
And finished up in victory
Where they dared never start.
 
So Lord, I thank You for the climb,
The faith that brought me through,
And for the crown of victory
That comes from trusting You.
 
Psalm 149:4
For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

Thank you to Sally Lebo for this incredible shot of a praying mantis finishing a big climb!! LOVE IT!!

I'll Come Running

Although I’ve lived my life in sin,

You’ve shown me such mercy
That I cannot but jump and run
Each time You call to me.
 
You came not for those without sin,
But for the likes of me,
So I will answer to Your call,
Doing so happily.
 
Oh Lord, I leap up with such joy
That, sinner though I be,
You find me worthy of your love
And of Your vast mercy.
 
So call to me, Lord, I will come
And do so with great glee,
Running as swiftly as I can,
Because You came for me.
 
Matthew 9:13
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Only By Grace - Reposted

There is no glow in the morning

If you don’t light the world.

If not for your hand in the dawn,

The clouds would go unfurled.

The wind won’t toss the misty sea

Upon the waiting land

If you don’t raise it from the depths

By your almighty hand.

Lord, I would never see the light

Or feel the windy spray

If you had not saved me from death

And washed my sins away;

For it is only by your grace

That I stand in dawn’s light,

The faith that brought me to this dawn

Secured me through the night.

Ephesians 2:8-9  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

On Being Prickly

Sometimes I seem more prickly than

I really mean to be,
But I’m not quite as grumpy as
The me that you might see.  
 
I’m working on my attitude
And how I present me,
That someday you might come to find
A softer, kinder me.
 
But until I have fully changed
Into my kinder me,
I hope that you’ll look past the fact
That I am so prickly.

This Day's End - Reposted

Oh, I will rest in You, my Lord,
When this day ends at last.
May sunset find me, still and safe,
With this day’s worries past.
 
I know that each new day that comes
Will have its worries, too.
But for this night let me find peace
And let me rest in You.  

Born of Light

We’re born of light, to live in light

And to defy the dark.
For this, the Lord of Light and Grace,
Breathed into us a spark.
 
He gave us, not a heart of fear,
But one made fierce with joy
That we might hold the dark at bay,
To be bold and not coy.
 
He calls us to rise up and shine,
To push back on the night,
That we might cast across the world
The promise of His light.
 
We’re born of light and we are called
To shine out through the world
That all who live within the dark
Can see His Grace unfurled.
 
Psalm 18:28.
Oh Lord, you give me light; You dispel my darkness.

In My Heart - Reposted

When I rise up or when I sleep

You know what’s in my heart.
You know what I will face each day
Before I ever start.
 
I turn to you each day in prayer,
I praise you as I rise,
But you’ve seen all the day will bring
Behind my sleeping eyes.
 
And when I search my heart and mind
To find these words each day,
You know before I even start
Just what it is I’ll say.
 
I sing with joy that I’m so loved
By one who knows me well,
For there’s so much locked in my heart
That I can never tell.
 
Psalm 139:1-2
1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

The Choice

So, here I am, Lord, in between

This rock and that hard space,
And I’m not getting out of here
By sitting in one place.
 
And yet this must be what you planned
For, sweet Lord, look at me!
You gave me roots and rain and sun
Enough to be a tree.
 
I know it’s not an easy life,
But we’ve all got a choice,
Give up and let the hard place win
Or grow strong and rejoice!

Thank You, ATF, for another perfect praise photo!

Above the Earth

How splendid, then, must heaven be,

To be more grand than earth.
For there is beauty past compare
In every new day’s birth.
 
The color of the morning clouds,
Born of the new day’s bliss.
How could heaven, in its grandeur,
Be more splendid than this?

Psalm 148:13

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Like Morning Mist - Reposted

Though they’re many, those sins of mine,
He scattered them like mist
That melts away with morning’s sun
Until they don’t exist.
 
And, like the inlet cleared of mist,
My soul floods with His light.
For He has swept my sins away
And made my grey world bright.
 
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.

Burn Brightly

I watch the fire dancing blithely,

Frolicking in sweet delight.
Its flame burning with such passion
That it might hold back the night.
 
But I know that by tomorrow
It will be a memory.
Fading away like a shadow,
Forgotten even by me.
 
Thus is it with each life also,
Today’s all that we can claim.
For tomorrow is not promised,
Though we live life in His name.
 
Therefore let your life shine brightly,
Burning to hold back the night,
Living so that when life’s over
Heaven still treasures your light.  
 
Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

A favorite of both ATF's and mine... a fire burning sweetly to hold back the night.

Empty Places

Lord, help me in the empty places,

Where my thoughts used to be.
They once filled up my mind, but now
I lose them so quickly.
 
I worry that the holes they leave
Might be filled with despair,
But I could find great joy in them
If I knew You were there.
 
If You would fill the emptiness
With a sense of Your grace,
Then I would not be so afraid
Of all that empty space.
 
In fact, my joy would overflow
At every empty place,
If I were to look at each one
And see, instead, Your face.

The inside view of a covered bridge from ATF.

To Live Fearlessly- reposted

He rises up above the earth

Seeking the face of God on high,
For he feels closest to the Lord
When sweeping, fierce, across the sky.
And even when he drops to earth
To rest himself for one more try,
He perches high above the world.
Then, without fear, he leaps to fly.
 
How can he live so fearlessly
When I’m bound, timidly, to earth?
He understands, better than I,
We are fearfully made at birth.
He strives to live his life each day
Not seeking comfort, ease and mirth,
But yearning to give back to God
Full measure of his birth’s true worth.
 
Psalm 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.