My Heart Leaps- Re-Posted

Troubles followed complications,

Both of them followed me.

The day went quickly straight down hill,

And yet my spirit’s free,

For I am not without your grace.

My heart leaps up in me.

 

I did not fall before the pain,

I stood on my two feet,

And, though the day went far astray,

I will not claim defeat,

For you stayed with me through it all.

Your love makes me complete.

 

You are my strength when I am weak,

You shield me through the worst,

And when the world falls down on me

You always reach me first.

So I will dance with boundless joy,

Though life may do its worst.

 

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.

The Climb To Him - Re-posted

The journey’s not an easy one,

But we don’t climb alone,
For God has placed his perfect name
On every rock and stone.

And, while we struggle with the climb
To reach the mountain’s peak,
It’s he who guides the steps we take,
For he knows what we seek.

So place your faith in him whose hand

Holds up the mountain’s crest,
For, though the way is challenging,
With him, you’ll meet the test.

Psalm 95:4

In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Where I Meet Him - Re-posted

The hills sweep to the mountain’s rise,

A rich and rolling land,
And over all, the arching sky,
Formed by the Maker’s hand.
 
There are no towers made by man
Cathedrals, grand and bold,
Sufficient to encompass all
The majesty they hold.
 
How great the sweep of sky and earth,
My hearts beats to the thrill.
I feel You closest to me here
And, Lord, I always will.
 
Though I live in the world of man,
Still I hold this place dear.
And I will come back often, Lord.
I love to meet you here.

The photo is a blessing and a gift from an old friend. MM thank you, so much, for letting me use your perfect photo!

What I See - Re-posted

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. 

He Still Sees Me - Re-posted

Though I’m a plain and simple thing,

Unnoticed on most days,
By lots of folks who pass me by
Down sidewalks and hallways;
I know that God sees me each day,
And loves me just the same,
As any creature, lovelier,
For I live in His Name.
 
And I may blend in to the world
That passes me right by,
But I know I can’t disappear
Beneath God’s loving eye.
 
Psalm 121:8
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Faith in Dark Times - Re-posted

Faith is not born in what we know

But in what we believe.
It is the truth that grace exists,
Despite what we perceive.
 
I watched the storm clouds gathering
And fear grew in my heart,
For I knew, if that wild storm hit,
I would be torn apart.
 
My faith was weak, my fear was strong,
Until I saw the light;
My glance touched on a single cloud
Turning the darkness bright.
 
And, when I saw that one bright cloud
Nestled within the storm,
I knew that all hope was not lost,
And I felt my faith form.
 
What I knew really hadn’t changed
From what it used to be,
But my faith had grown strong enough
To make a change in me.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see

His Plans - Re-posted

I cried out to the Lord in rage,
“Why have You made it so?
You’ve planted me in barren rock
And then told me to grow.”
 
“My child I need you to be strong
That you may offer shade
To those who otherwise might fail 
In these fierce lands I’ve made. 
 
I need you to stand up to heat,
To winter storms that blow.
Thus I have planted you in rock
With strength enough to grow.
 
So, do not doubt my faith in you,
I know your heart is strong,
And trust Me when I say to you,
My Plans are never wrong.”

I Will Leap- Re-posted

I’m going to take a leap of faith,
And put my trust in You.
I’m not sure if I’ll fall or fly,
But You will see me through.
 
I was afraid to take that leap,
But I now understand,
Though I leap into the unknown,
I’ll still land in Your hand.

Job 37:1

At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place.

 

Roses and Thorns - Re-posted

They’re elegant and beautiful,

Without a thorn to show,
And yet they have so little scent.
For that is how they grow.
 
But in the wild, when roses bloom,
Their fragrance scents the wind,
And every stem is rich with thorns
The careless hand to rend.
 
Why is it that such rich perfume
Comes only with the thorn
And not upon the thorn less rose
That’s safely hot-house born?
 
Perhaps it’s so in all of life,
What’s safe can be dull, too.
The sweetest hearts that we all know
Have a sharp thorn or two.
 
I’ll never be as perfect as
The silken hot house rose,
But I can still be sweet enough
To offset thorns I grow.

I'm On My Way, Lord - Re-posted

I don’t know where I’m going, Lord,

But I am on the way.
For, since I heard You calling me,
There’s no way I would stay.
 
I don’t know what lies up ahead
Except that You are there,
And that alone would buoy me
To follow anywhere.
 
In faith I’ll step out on the path
That you have set for me.
Since You are right beside me, Lord,
There’s nowhere else I’d be!

Upon His Hand - Re-posted

Rest gently in the morning light,

Be still and understand
That You are safest where you are,
In the palm of my hand.
 
There’s time enough to seek the world,
Travelling sea and strand,
But for the moment stay and rest
In the palm of my hand.
 
And when you’re strong enough to fly,
No matter where you land,
Remember that I have you still
Engraved upon my hand.
 
Isaiah 49:16 
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

In Different Light - Re-posted

I felt my worries piling up

And then I looked around
At all the troubles of the world
That are plain to be found.
 
The sorrow of the broken hearts,
The crippled and the poor.
The lonely, lost within themselves,
With no hope left in store.
 
The children without tomorrows
Where they can grow in peace.
The old, whose minds have gone ahead,
Seeking longed for release.
 
I know my worries are all real,
And must be faced head on,
But I will most likely live still
When those woes are all gone. 
 
And, though my troubles seem to mount
Up exponentially,
Yet I have no doubt I am blessed
More than I ought to be.
 
So, as I look about myself,
I see my troubles still,
But I see them in different light,
And, from now on, I will.  

The Unseen Blessing - Re-posted

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.

The Kingdom - Re-posted

We build our kingdoms out of stone,

The turrets tower high,
Proclaiming we are mightiest
To every passerby.
 
In arrogance we build them up,
But time tumbles them down
And generations that follow
Find no kingdom or crown.
 
But such is not the way it is
In the kingdom of God.
There is no shattered edifice
To mark where Jesus trod.
 
There is no tower, no turret,
Nothing to mark its place,
Beyond the children who proclaim
His never ending grace.

His kingdom is not here or there,

But lives within them all
Who walk within the everyday,
Yet listen for His call.
 
Luke 17:20-21
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

I Raise My Eyes Higher - Re-posted

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.

Narrow is the Path - Re-posted

 

The way was wide and smooth to walk

That led away from God,
But tangled was the narrow path
That they, the faithful, trod.
 
Those whom He called to spread the word,
And those who heard their voice,
Were all who chose to walk the path
When God gave them the choice.
 
They lived their lives along that path,
In service to His word,
And, though the path was hard to walk,
They blessed all those who heard.
 
Thus His path was less travelled on,

And so it is today,

But wide and easy is the road
That leads a soul astray.
 
Matthew 7:12-14
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Beauty and Eternity - Re-posted

Even as battered as it is,

Its beauty is divine;
Its wings, though tattered by travail,
Are delicate and fine.
For, all that God has made on earth,
He’s marked with grace sublime,
And everything still bears His mark
Despite the scars of time.
 
The vastness of His mighty works
Are hard to comprehend,
And even time’s beyond our grasp,
From beginning to end.
Yet He sees all His creation,
However great or small,
With eyes that look, beyond the sin,
To beauty in us all.
 
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end

Give Me Strength - Re-posted

Why did you ask me to do that?

Lord, that task seems too great.
If I were to try doing that
I’d be tempting my fate.
 
Oh Lord, please ask somebody else,
Please don’t ask this of me,
For I am much more frightened than
I ever thought I’d be.
 
Oh Lord, If I must be the one,
Please strengthen me to try.
I’m terrified to do it, Lord,
But for You, I will fly!
 
Isaiah 35:3
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;

And By Your Fruit - Re-posted

God plants a seed in every heart,

But we must make it grow.
It only thrives with diligence
And, by its fruit, He’ll know.
 
Nurture the seed within your heart,
Let God’s abundance show,
That all who see it see Him too,
And by your fruit they’ll know.
 
Matthew 7:19-21
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Pierced by Awareness - Re-posted

I know the way that I should live,

The path that I should walk,
But sometimes I’m distracted by
All of the noise and talk.
 
I let myself get caught up in
The things that I should not;
I know You’ve shown me how to live.
I guess I just forgot.
 
I wandered out a bit too far
Into the bitter weeds
Of wilful thoughts, of careless words,
And bold, rambunctious deeds.
 
But just before I lost my way
And strayed too far from You
My heart was pierced by awareness
Of all I know is true.
 
While I might rightfully bear shame
For what I thought or said,
I’m grateful that you called me back;
I cling to that, instead.

Romans 2:15
They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.

My Guide - Revised and Re-posted

Lord, I know you move sun and stars
With a simple command,
While every wave that sweeps the sea
Was born within Your hand.
 
Why would a mind, so powerful,
Take time to stop and see

A creature who's as frail and small,
And unworthy as me.
 
And yet, as small as I may be,
You still hear every prayer.
While guiding the sun on its path
You guide me, too, with care.
 
Jeremiah 32:17
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

Hunger Pains - Re-posted

Feed me, Lord, for I am hungry;

I’m hungry for Your Word.
The Word that walked at Your right hand
Before Your laws were heard,
Before You spoke the endless night
Into a budding day.
Oh Lord I hunger for Your Word;
Please fill my heart today.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Perfectly In Control - Re-posted

The moment when it all aligns,

When things fall into place
And suddenly I understand
How perfect is His Grace.
 
The world moves in seeming chaos,
But He controls it still
And all the chaos falls in place
According to His Will.
 
So I am never too surprised
When the proof’s clear to see,
That God controls heaven and earth
And does so perfectly. 

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

Standing in the Light - Re-posted

It stands alone, each day at dawn,

To greet the rising sun,
And joyfully it lifts its face
As each new day’s begun.
 
It does not fear the night that’s past,
For light shines out each dawn,
And, even in the dark of night,
In its heart light shines on.
 
It stands apart from all its kind
Living not in their shade
For it knows that, only in light,
Is God’s true face displayed.
 
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.

The Many and The Few

The path that we’ve been asked to walk,
Gets harder every day;
Though many set out on the path,
Most fall along the way.
The choices and excuses made
Don’t change what we must do,
For we are called to faithfulness;
We have to see it through.
 
Each step we climb leaves those behind
Who walk another way,
However clear the path may be,
Some choose to go astray.
So many hear the words He spoke
When He too walked this earth,
But only a few follow Him
All the way to re-birth.
 
The path gets harder everyday
As we seek compromise
With all that this world declares truth,
Though we know they are lies.
Yes, I have stumbled more than once,
And fallen on my face,
But I pray I can climb in faith
Until I walk in Grace.
 
Matthew 22:14
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Stronger Than You Think - Re-posted

He may be battered by the storms,

And by the years he’s seen,
But he stands proudly, fierce and strong
In spite of where he’s been.
 
He is a fighter, he won’t quit,
And he will never run,
He’d proudly do, once more again,
The things that he has done.
 
And when he’s called, again, to stand
Before the coming storm,
He’ll rise up in the face of fear,
To face down each new swarm.
 
So look not at his battered face,
But at his focused gaze,
For he is stronger than you think;
Wiser for these hard days.

Starting Fresh Each Dawn - Re-posted

Tomorrow dawned anew today

In a clear and freshly washed sky
All the tears it had wept last night
Were, by the dawning, long since dry.
 
I am reminded, with each dawn,
Of something that I always knew…
However dark my past has been,
Each day tomorrow dawns anew.
 
So, with the setting of each sun,
I gather up my hurt and pain
And leave them in the night’s dark arms,
To start tomorrow fresh again.

What It Means - Re-posted

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.

Work Cheerfully - Re-posted

Go joyfully about each task

That God has given you.
Don’t worry if they seem too hard,
For God will see you through.
He does not ask so much of us
That we must surely fail,
But He, also, does not promise
A task without travail.
So, face each task with cheerfulness,
Be thankful for His Grace.
Have confidence, through everything,
He sees your smiling face!

Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters

Thinking of Me - Re-post

Lord let me see only myself,
Though that may sound perverse.
Thinking of others can, at times,
Turn out to be much worse.
 
I mean, when I think of someone
Who seems greater than me,
And dwell on all the things they have
Or what they’ve come to be,
 
Then I will find that I seem less
Than who I was before.
Though I’ve not changed, I’m who I was,
Not someone to abhor.
 
Or I might linger smugly on
One whose plight is far worse,
And there’s no doubt vanity is
A soul destroying curse.
 
Again, I know I have not changed
From who I was before.
Though either case may make me feel
That I am less or more.
 
Thus I cry out, Lord, help me keep
My thoughts on only me.
For I am blessed in my own life,
And that I clearly see.

Freshwater Into Salt - Re-posted

I sat beside the sea today

To watch the rising sun,
Just as I have each day at dawn,
And I have loved each one.

But as I sat where the sweet stream
Runs into the salt sea,
I praised the Lord that I was there
Amid such mystery.
 
For that small stream always flows sweet,
Though tides consume its flow,
And though it spills unendingly,
The oceans still don’t grow.
 
Such miracles we watch each day,
Yet seldom stop to see.
We give no thought to rising sun
Or streams that touch the sea.
 
But if, one day, they all were gone,
We would suffer their lack
And lift our hearts in plaintive cries
Begging to have them back.
 
Ecclesiastes 1:7
All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.