Fill My Heart with Light - Re-posted

Flood my heart with Your light, Oh Lord,
Wash away all that’s dark.
Leave no shadow to trouble me,
Ignite in me Your spark.
 
For Lord I have dark thoughts sometimes,
That leave me feeling shame.
They’re not thoughts that would glorify
You or Your holy name.
 
They linger from a time long past,
When I was a lost soul,
But there’s no reason for them now
That You have made me whole.
 
So fill my heart up with such light
That shadows have no place,
And let my thoughts be only those
That are born in Your grace.
 
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

You Lifted Me - Re-posted

You lifted me from sin and fear,
To keep me safe with you,
And living by the words you spoke
Is the least I can do.
For I would have drowned in my sin,
If you’d not set me free.
So I now lift you up in praise,
And do so joyfully!

Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

My Empty Nest - Re-posted

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.

Sufficiently Blessed - Re-posted

I’m not what some would call wealthy,

But I have food to eat.

I have a roof to keep me dry

And, when it’s cold, there’s heat.

I have a job and loving friends

Who help me when in need.

So, though most folk don’t think it’s so,

I think I’m rich, indeed.

 

My car is old, my house is too,

But then, Lord, so am I.

Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed

All I can do is cry.

But that is when I count them up,

The blessings that are mine,

And I can’t help but realize

That my life is quite fine.

 

I have not lived perfectly, Lord,

Sometimes my life’s a mess.

And there are many who have more,

But many more have less.

So one more time, Lord, let me say

What I know to be true,

That Your Grace is sufficient, Lord,

And I’ve been Blessed by You.  

 

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

 

Thanks to DR for the wonderful photo with which she has blessed this praise! I'm so grateful!

Taking It Back

Did I not give this up to You

A day or two ago?
And yet I’ve taken it right back
With nothing good to show.
 
This problem’s way too big for me,
That’s why I let it go.
But then I picked it up again
And it just seems to grow.
 
I know that You have this in hand,
And, if I’d let it be,
You’d have it properly resolved
When it came back to me.
 
Yet I seem to be unable
To leave things up to You.
Oh Lord, I mean no disrespect,
Though it must seem I do,
 
I just don’t think I realize
That I have, once again,
Taken back that which I gave up,
And disrupted Your plan.

Truth, Not Doubt - Re-posted

Lord, it’s the simple things in life

That help me recognize
That everything was born in You,
Despite all doubts and lies.
 
The worlds may have burst into life
Within a blink or two,
But there’s no doubt left in my mind,
The one who blinked was You.
 
The sun will rise and set again
As it does every day,
Yet I cannot question whose hand
Has set it on its way.
 
I watch the tides dance in and out
In rhythm with the moon
And I know with all of my heart
It’s You who set the tune.
 
Yes, Lord, I recognize the hand
That’s shaped all that I see
And all the doubts throughout the world
Can’t hide that truth from me.
 
John 1:9
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

Apart, But Not Alone - Re-posted

I need to find a place apart
Where I have space to pray,
A place where I can be alone
During my busy day.
 
I live within the outside world
And I have work to do,
But sometimes I need time alone
To spend, Oh Lord, with You.
 
So each day I will slip away
And find a place apart,
A place where I can speak to You,
Then listen with my heart.
 
Matthew 14:23
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone

Safely Home - Re-posted

We lifted off into the air
And rode the billowed sky;
A prayer of faith to stay aloft,
To help that big plane fly.
 
I know that I am safe up there
But still, each time I roam,
I’m always thankful to be back
Within sight of my home.
 
So thank you for the adventure
And thank you for the fun
And thank you for the safe trip home
When my journey was done.

A Steadfast Spirit - Re-post

The day to day of every life

Often gets in the way
Of lifting up our hearts to God
And taking time to pray.
It’s not that we do wicked things,
Or that we’ve gone astray,
But God becomes an after thought
In what we do each day.
So I am asking God tonight
To wash the world away,
Then give us a pure, steadfast heart
And strength to stay that way.
 
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Prayers Raised - Re-posted

The friends whose needs are oh so great,
The loved ones lost to me,
All those who carry too much pain
And those I long to see.
 
The fear of growing old alone,
The pain of what is past,
The worries that I can’t resolve
And joys I fear won’t last.

Oh Lord I give all these to you,

And you handle each one.
Not only mine, but round the earth
They rise from sun to Son.
 
How can you hear the prayers off all,
The worries, pains and fears,
And not break down, the way I do,
Beneath just my own tears.
 
But you hear every prayer raised
For help when we can’t cope,
Then you return them, once resolved,
And package them in hope.
 
Photo a blessing from Suzie Campagna

Fire Beneath the Snow

The mountain stands sheathed in cold ice,
Yet deep beneath the snow
The fires of its molten core
Bubble unseen below.
 
It seems too still, almost serene,
To hide such fire within,
But that is often how it is
With mountains, and with men.
 
We all hold secrets in our hearts
That no one else can see,
Secrets of loss, of fear, of shame,
Of painful memory.
 
Walk gently then, with those you meet,
For you may never know
What burns at them from deep within,
Beneath the outer snow.
 
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

On My Father's Rock - Re-posted

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.

Now Choose Life - Re-posted

We have before us every day
Choices that we must make;
What we will give most value to
Or which path we will take;
Do we seek good in every day
Or focus on the grim;
Will we let others run our race
Or set the pace for them?

Choose well, because each choice you make
Will follow you for years,
And you will bear each consequence
With happiness or tears.
I will not purposefully choose
To walk the paths of strife,
But I will leap with joyous heart
And make the choice of life!

Deuteronomy 30:19
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

My Savage Heart - Re-posted

You ask so much of me, Oh Lord,

I have a savage heart.
I don’t know if it can be tamed,
Or even how to start.
 
You taught me how to live my life,
When You lived here on earth,
But You were born in perfection,
While I’m savage from birth.
 
You left me with the words You spoke,
The lessons and the praise,
And I try to live as You taught,
Despite my savage ways.

Oh Lord, I’m not sure how we’ll do,
My savage heart and I,
Yet this one thing I promise, Lord,
For You, we’ll always try!

The Easter People - Re-posted

 

We are the Easter people, Lord,

We are not born of the cross.

We live in the resurrection

Not in the sorrow and loss.

 

Yes, we are the Easter people,

Born of redemption not sins.

Death punctuates not our ending,

But marks where true life begins.

 

Since we are the Easter people,

Though the cross darkens our way,

We will step out of its shadow

Into the light of your day.

 

We are the Easter people, Lord,

We no longer fear death’s face.

We live in the resurrection,

In Easter’s redeeming grace.

Waiting, With Faith- Re-posted

Waiting at the door of the tomb

Listening to the sounds of the night

The chirping bugs, the rustling brush
Something scurries by out of sight
 
Waiting at the door of tomb
Watching as the stars cross the sky
They shimmer with the dew of night,
As if they paused a bit to cry.
 
Waiting at the door of the tomb
The dusty smell of death and gloom
The bitterness of useless tears
The unrelenting sense of doom
 
Waiting at the door of the tomb
I’m not sure why I linger still
Death doesn’t change its course for man
And yet, for Him, I trust it will!
 
Mark 15: 42-47
It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was lai

Darkness and Grace - Good Friday - Reposted

The darkness that consumes the earth

Was born of sin and pain.

The price of life was paid in blood

And, though the sins remain,

They have been washed from guilty lives

By one who bore no stain.

 

So, though we stand in darkness now,

The light will soon return

And we will reap the blessings of

A grace we didn’t earn.

 

Matthew 27: 45
From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.

Tears in the Garden - Maundy Thursday - Re-posted

I heard you whisper in the garden,

Prayers raised beyond the skies,

But I was growing sleepy then

So I just closed my eyes.

 

I heard you calling in the garden,

As if about to weep,

But I was too weary to act

So I went back to sleep.

                                                          

I heard you hurried from the garden

By those who cursed your name,

But I was too afraid to speak

So I hid out in shame.

 

I stood there in the empty garden

While your friends fled or lied.

But I too failed you, in that garden,

And, in my shame, I cried.

 

Mark 14: 32-38

32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

 37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Relics and Eternity - Re-posted

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

Psalm 145:13

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

Broken, But Blooming - Re-posted

It lay there, broken, in the bed,

And bloomed with all its might,
For it knew that, despite its state,
It can’t give up the fight.
 
It chose to bloom, despite the fact
That it can’t see the sun.
Being broken is not the end,
If joy is not undone.
 
And so it blooms, there in the dirt,
Denying fate its prize.
It’s claiming victory instead
Of weeping where it lies.
 
1 Corinthians 15:55
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

Restless Longing - Re-posted

I have a restless soul, my lord,

I long for something more;
A better life, a sweeter love,
To walk a different shore.
I cannot seem to find the peace
I know you hold in store,
Because I’m busy missing all
That my heart’s longing for.

You know the longings of my heart
Much better than I do.
I’ve seen you answer prayers that I
Had thought could not come true.
Yet many simple human dreams
I’ve had to bid adieu,
And so my restless heart cries out,
In anguish, Lord, to you.

Please show me how to ease this heart

That beats so selfishly
And lead me to the peace, oh Lord,
That’s mine abundantly.
This longing heart, this restless soul
Bring empty pain to me.
I long to long less, to find peace,
And learn to simply be….

Psalm 38:9
All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.

The Place of Choices - Re-posted

I see the footprints of all those

Who passed this way before.
I cannot follow where they’ve gone,
And they’ll come by no more.
For I am standing at the place
Where choices must be made,
And with each choice there’s consequence,
A price that must be paid.
There is no way of going back
And I fear moving on,
For once I’m set upon this path
All other choice is gone.
So, I will linger here a while,
Where many feet have trod.
I will pray for guidance on
Which path will best please God.

Let Me Leave Joy - Re-posted

Lord, let me leave joy in my wake

Where sorrow dwells today,
Let me lighten the weary load
Of those met on my way.
 
Let me use kind words in the place
Where harsher words would do,
And let me not forget to share
A cheery smile or two.
 
Let me remember the stranger,
The one I pass each day,
That I may lift him up each night
When I bow down to pray.
 
I may not have too many gifts,
But one thing I can do,
Let me leave joy behind me, Lord,
That I may honor You!

Philemon 1:7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Staying in the Light - Re-posted

I try to live within the Light

Though others think it odd.
That I’d choose to live narrowly
Within the lines of God.
 
It’s easy to be drawn into
A life just in the shade,
Not so far in to be full dark,
But enough to have strayed.
 
I see so many cross that line,
I know that I have too,
But always I’m drawn back into
The Light that’s born in You.
 
How sweet the thought of that bad choice
That’s outside of the Light,
But, just because I want a thing,
Does not make that want right.
 
So I’ll try to stay in the Light,
Though others walk away,
And pray for strength to resist that
Which might lead me astray.
 
Genesis 3: 4-5 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Love Notes from God - Re-posted

There are so many serious

Moments in every day,

But now and then a simple joy

Happens along our way.

Such moments are not accident,

Though they may seem to be.

They are, in fact, an “I love you”

Left there for you to see.

 

Don’t overlook the small blessings

That add joy to your life,

For they’re more than a passing break

From each day’s stress and strife.

They are the sweet reminders of

The love God holds for you,

And that, though you might forget Him,

He’s still thinking of you.

 

This photo is a blessing from LF and her trip to the Tulip Festival in the Skagit Valley. Thank you, L!! It's wonderful!

Standing Firm - Re-posted

It’s stood upon that wind swept shore,

Defying every storm.
The struggle has left it ragged
And twisted in its form.
 
Yet despite all the fearful winds
That ripped and tore its face,
Its roots have delved deep in the soil
And it has claimed its place.
 
It stands, despite all that the world
Throws at it, year by year,
And when the storms are past and gone
That tree will still be here.
 
And I am like that twisted tree,
My faith run deep in You,
Although the storms might tear at me
That faith will see me through.
 
Proverbs 10:25
When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

Spring and Rebirth - Re-posted

It’s just a little promise now,

The sweet rebirth of Spring.
It happens this time every year
And seems a humdrum thing.
 
We take for granted all it means,
New life from winter’s death,
The cold gives way to life reborn
Warmed by heaven’s sweet breath.
 
But the promise of life reborn
As witnessed by the Spring
Is just the preamble to what
The Lord of Life will bring.
 
So do not look with jaundiced eye
Upon Springtime’s rebirth,
For there is even more to come
To those born first of earth!

A Temple for Me -Re-posted

You’ve built a temple in my heart

Where I can hear Your voice,
I lift my prayers of thanks and praise;
I go there to rejoice.
 
You built the temple to give me
A place to call my own,
Someplace where I can come to you
When I feel all alone.
 
I find I love to linger there
More often every day,
Sometimes I just sit quietly
Without a need to pray
 
For You know all my hopes and needs
Much better than I do,
And there are days when what I need
Is just to be near You.
 
2 Chronicles 7:16
I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

Hiding in Him - Re-posted

I hide myself in You, Oh Lord,
You shield me with Your strength,
And I will praise You for Your love
Til my life’s run its length.
 
When my heart fails within me, Lord,
You fill me up with joy
And I am shielded in a grace
That no fear can destroy.
 
You are my strength, my hiding place
My shield in times of fear
And my heart leaps with joy to know
That You are always near.
 
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Unexplainable Mystery - Re-posted

Oh Lord, You are the mystery

That I cannot explain
The loving heart, despite my sin,
The joy that heals my pain.
You give me strength to carry on
When I feel crushed by strain
And You have washed a life of sin
Clean of eternal stain.
You are the hope that never fails
When no hope should remain.
Oh Lord, You are the mystery
That I cannot explain.