Half In The Light- Re-posted

It seems I live half in the light

And half the time in shade;
Although I try to do what’s right,
Poor choices are still made.
 
I know what You’ve asked me to do,
I answer when You call,
But, though I try to see it through,
I rise, often to fall.
 
Yet still You fill me with Your grace,
Then, once again, You ask;
And, in the strength of Your embrace,
I rise, once more, on task.
 
Someday I’ll feel Your endless light
Shining upon my face,
But until then I’ll fight the shade
And seek the light filled place.

Secret Little Moments - Re-posted

Petals that drop like silent tears

Upon the ruffled leaves,

The wind that stirs the silver chime

To dance beneath the eaves,

  

The sun that sparkles in the foam

That crests the laughing waves,

The grass that blows in summer winds

Around forgotten graves,
 

The fears we hold for those we love,

The prayers raised in their names,

The laughter of the cricket’s song

As they play evening games,
 

The egg new hatched, the unspun web,

The moisture in dry air,

The hopes we hide within our hearts

That we don’t dare to share.
 

All the secret little moments

That only God can see;

The miracles of every day

That pass so quietly.

Overwhelmed - Re-posted

I must admit I’m overwhelmed

By all that’s come to be.
It’s clear that someone is in charge,
But I know it’s not me.

I cannot fathom how it is

That God handles it all,
From mountains towering on high
To molecules so small.

I try to think I’m in control
Of how I live each day,
But I’m often forced to admit
Chaos has had its way.

Yet, God seems to have things in hand
When I’m too lost to see.
If one of us must be in charge,
I’m glad it’s Him, not me.

This is another beautiful photo from our friend CC! Thank you for these wonderful gifts!

The scent of Autumn - Re-posted

I feel the autumn drawing near,

Though summer lingers on.
The flights of songbirds slowly leave,
The butterflies are gone.
 
The winter birds are moving in,
The cormorants and geese.
The sheep out in the pastures soon
Will grow a thicker fleece.
 
I’m not prepared for summer’s end,
Though autumn too can please
With crisp, sharp air and tinted leaves
Scattering with each breeze.
 
The seasons pass so quickly now,
But each one brings its grace,
So I will savor summer’s warmth
And smile at autumn’s face.

His Faithfulness - Re-posted

I feel my faith wobble some days.

What witness have I got
To testify to faithfulness
That seems beyond my lot?
 
The truth is that His faithfulness
Is what I see each day
When sun and moon rise in the sky
And travel on their way.
 
For He who set them on their course
And will not let them fall
Will overlook my weaknesses
And answer when I call.
 
Psalm 89:37
it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.

Standing in Faith - Re-posted

I keep my eyes always on You,

My heart is made to serve
My feet are settled on Your path,
And from it, they won’t swerve.
 
You have loved me since long before
My mother gave me birth.
You wrote my name among the stars
And taught my soul its worth.
 
You’ve lifted me beyond myself,
Something I could not do,
And I will not be shaken from
My constant faith in You.
 
Psalm 16:8
I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Storm Coming In - Re-posted

I see the storm is lowering
I hear the thunder growl,
And, though I think I’m safe from harm,
I tremble at its scowl.
 
I know the storm is on its way,
I feel it in the air;
It crackles with the static charge
Of anger and despair.
 
There seems to be so little hope
In all I see today,
But I know that is far from true.
That’s why I pray each day
 
That You will give me strength enough
To stand against the squall
And faith enough to ride the waves
Until You calm them all.
 
Luke 8:24
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

You Are the Bridge - Re-posted

You are the Bridge that leads me home,

You are the Bridge to life.
You are the Bridge to peace amidst
A world of pain and strife.
 
You are the Bridge away from sin,
The Bridger to a new start.
You are the Bridge to Heaven’s throne
And to Our Father’s heart!
 
Oh, Savior, please lead me across.

 

This photo is a blessing from LT, taken on her trip to South Africa. Thank You SO MUCH for this and the other photos I hope to be sharing soon!

Touched By Grace - Re-posted

I’m gonna go out on a limb

And say I’ve seen it all,
The ups, the downs, the win, the lose
The climbs and every fall.
 
But there’s one thing I’ve never seen
In all the years I’ve known,
I’ve never seen the day when I
Had to face life alone.
 
You’ve always been right there with me
In everything I’ve tried,
And win or lose, I’ve always known
That You were by my side.
 
So let the world think what it will
When it looks on my face.
I may be ruffled up by life,
But I am touched by grace!

I'll See Your Face - Re-posted

Though I am insignificant,

I know I’ll see Your face;
And, though I may be imperfect,
I’ll still receive your grace.
I’ll never make a difference
To all the human race
Or heal the wounds that mar the world,
Make it a better place.
Yet still You hold me lovingly
Within Your warm embrace,
For, it is not by my poor deeds
That I am granted grace,
But only through Your ceaseless love
That I will see Your face.

Blessings in Adversity - Re-posted

Dear Lord, this life can be so hard,

There’s no doubt that is true,
But You have blessed me with so much
And I give praise to You.
 
I have to work hard for each meal,
But I have food to eat,
And I cut corners now and then
To make my ends all meet.
 
I walk the world without someone
To walk it by my side,
But I have family and friends
Who help me stem the tide.
 
I have shelter when darkness falls,
Though it’s not fine or grand,
And I sleep safely every night
Nestled within Your hand.
 
So, Lord, I know this life is hard,
I struggle to get through,
But I can take the hard times, Lord,
Because You’ve blessed me, too.
 
Psalm 34:19
The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;

In The Crucible - Re-posted

We pray He shields them from the flames

And keeps all harm away.
We ask that they be spared the pain
That we felt in our day.
 
We hope the children we gave birth,
And those we love so well,
Will never have to face the heat
Of their own private hell.
 
Yet it is in the crucible
That silver’s purged of dross.
And metal finds its strength within
The forge’s fiery gloss.
 
So let us pray they face the flames,
And come through them alright;
Let them not be warped by its heat,
But burnished by its light.
 
Psalm 12:6
And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.

Both the photo and the inspiration for this praise come from my dear friend TAF, who has blessed me in so many ways.

In My Shame - Revised and Re-posted

I hide my face from You in shame

For I have lived in doubt.
When I should have had faith in You
I’ve let life stress me out.
When I should have given You praise,
I'd think, “That was all me!",
And when I heard You call my name
I'd rush by hurriedly.
 
But through all that, You loved me still,
You answered every call,
And each time that I tripped on pride
You’d hold me through the fall.
So, Lord, I hide my face in shame.
I'm grateful You love me,
And I'll strive from this moment on
To be who I should be.

The Long, Steep Path - Re-posted

The way is long, the grade is steep,

Broken and overgrown.
I know that I will not climb it
If I try it alone.

The way is difficult to scale,
I long to turn away
As it seems many have before.
They didn’t come this way
 
For it has clearly not been trod
By any foot in years
And trying to climb that way now
Will bring me pain and tears.
 
And yet that is the path I seek
The way I choose to go
For that’s the path you chose to walk
Because you loved me so.
 
So I will follow where you’ve walked
Whatever the travail,
For that is what you’ve asked of me
And with you I’ll prevail.

Clinging To The Rock - Re-posted

I’ll build my house upon The Rock

For I have seen the sand 
Swept out to sea in crashing waves,
Forever lost to land.

I would not live tossed by the sea,
With no hope of the shore,
Where my Lord will not only guard,
But will, by Grace, restore. 

So I choose to build on The Rock
And, when the storms blow through,
I’ll watch the sands wash out to sea
While clinging, Lord, to You.  

Matthew 7:24-27 

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Not A Squeak - Re-posted

There are those days when I have thoughts

That would best go unheard. 
They probably should not be thoughts,
Much less become a word. 
 
I try my best to hold them in,
Though sometimes they slip out,
And I regret them instantly.
Of that, there is no doubt. 
 
I mean them to be just a joke
Or some flippant comment, 
But what I think and what comes out
Don’t sound like what I meant.
 
So help me, Lord, to think it through
Before I start to speak,
And if there’s any doubt at all,
Don’t let me make a squeak!

Twisted, But True

My life’s been filled with twists and turns,

That I could not make straight,
No matter how hard I might try.
It seemed to be my fate.
 
But all the time I kept my eye
Clearly fixed upon You,
So, even on that twisted path,
I’ve managed to grow true.
 
We may not all grow straight as rods,
Because life is that way,
But, if we keep reaching for God,
We won’t go far astray!

This wonderful photo and the praise concept were both a gift from Laure B. She offered them to me and as soon as I saw them I knew she was right! Thank you, Laurie

A Glimpse of The Light - Re-posted

I watched the panoply of stars
That swept across the sky
And recognized how small I am
Within the Lord’s great eye.
 
I heard the rushing of the wind
Crushing all in its wake
I recognized how weak I am
And I began to quake.
 
I saw the sea rush to the shore,
Singing unceasingly.
I understood what faithful means
As it applies to me.
 
I live within the twilight world
Trapped between day and night
But now and then I glimpse the truth,
A heavenly insight.

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

This photo was kindly shared with us by KLS. It intrigued me and I just loved the precious imagery it called to mind. Thank You, K!!

What's At my Feet - Re-posted

I’m always dreaming of the day

I’ll have what’s not now mine,
While, at my feet, there’s something else
That would suit me just fine.
 
It’s not that I need something more,
That’s just a pleasing thought,
But that thought distracts me from all
That I’ve already got.
 
So, Lord, today I ask of you,
Keep me in gratitude.
For I have all I need right now,
Except my attitude!

Matthew 6:33-34
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In A Foreign Land - Re-posted

I’ll sing to You where I am, Lord,

For You have sought me here.
I wasn’t looking to be found
And yet I found You near.
 
You sought me out, here in my shame,
When I denied Your call,
And though I tried to run from You
I never ran at all.
 
For You are there before me, Lord,
Wherever I might run,
And I surrendered to Your Grace
Before I had begun.
 
I don’t know why You love me so,
But, despite me, You do.
So I would sing to You, from hell,
because, Lord, I love You!
 
Psalm 137:4
How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?

Abundantly, Unceasingly - Re-posted

I stand upon the shore in faith

That this is where You’ll be,
And wave on wave of Your deep love
Comes rushing in to me.
 
Abundantly, unceasingly,
It rushes onto shore.
There’s always more Grace than I need,
And still You send me more.
 
I did not ask to be born, Lord,
I do not seek to die,
But in between please keep me close
Beneath Your watchful eye,
 
And I, in turn, will linger near
The ocean of Your grace,
Until the time comes that I see
Your Glory, face to face.

A hard Question - Re-posted

Would I have followed Him back then,

When he walked on this earth?
Would I have doubted due to His
Ignominious birth?
 
If I had lived back in those days
Would I have believed Him
Or would I, too, have condemned Him
To that death, bleak and grim?
 
I know He was a simple man
Born of a humble folk,
So would I have, when He asked me,
Chosen to wear His yoke?
 
Or would I have thought, “This can’t be
The Son of God’s Command.”
Would I have been too filled with doubt
To ever understand?
 
It’s said they’re blessed who did not see
And yet they have believed,
But had I lived to see Him then,
Would I have left Him grieved?
 
By humble features, well-worn clothes
A face seen every day?
I wonder, would I recognize
The God I praise today?
 
Isaiah 53:2-3
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem

Shout With Joy - Re-posted

Though sorrow may reach out to you,
Don’t let it change your heart.
Let every tear drop that you weep
Be the place joy can start.
For laughter always dries up tears
Like rain melts with the sun
And joy will burst forth everywhere
As soon as weeping’s done.

Job 8:21
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

It's The Little Things - Re-posted

Some days it’s in the little things

That we claim victory;
A smile where only pain had been
Is such a gift to see;
 
A simple meal with one whose time
On earth is nearly past,
That you might have one extra day
Of memories that last.
 
A hand squeezing your own hand back
Can be a blessed gift;
A moment when your name’s recalled
Might give your heart a lift.
 
We all have times within our lives
When sorrow looms too near,
But it’s a gift of God’s great love
To hold onto what’s dear.
 
So take your victories each day
And wipe away each tear,
For joy’s a crown that God bestows
On those who hold it dear.
 
Psalm 149:4
For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.

Future's Hope- Re-posted

Lord, I worry about the world

That we will leave behind.
I don’t know what kind of a place
Our little ones will find.
 
But I have watched them growing up,
Each strong and loving heart,
And that leaves me with room to hope.
That’s a pretty good start.
 
So I will work to leave the world
Better than where it stands
And from that point I have to trust
I’ll leave it in good hands.

Both the photo and one of the beautiful girls in it are a blessing from SK. Thank You, S, for sharing both of them with the world! We owe you!! Love you.

Both Faith and Doubt - Re-posted

I pray in faith, with perfect calm,

For people I don’t know,
Yet just today, for a loved one,
I quaked and trembled so.
 
I found myself doubting Your strength
To handle the problem,
Until I heard my calmer side
Say, “Place your trust in Him.”
 
I knew that You would see it through,
But I feared for him so.
I found that there’s still variance
In faith and “what I know”.
 
I knew that You would hold him close
Beneath the surgeon’s knife,
But my faith wobbled when I thought
That he might lose his life.
 
It seems that half of me has faith
And half of me has doubt,
But all of me is confident
You’ll help me work it out.

To Each A Gift - Re-posted

To rise above the turbulence

And soar into the light,
Feeling the wind rush through my hair
As I leap into flight.
 
It seems to me a simple thing,
So effortlessly done,
The way he rises on the wind
Into the morning sun.
 
And yet it’s something I can’t do,
A gift not given me,
And I must stand upon the shore
While he flies out to sea.
 
We each have gifts, given by God,
To use as best we can
In order to fulfill the role
That we have in His plan.
 
I cannot begrudge him that flight,
Though joining would be fun,
For if I joined in his winged dance
My work would go undone.
 
So I will stand upon the shore
Rejoicing in his flight,
Then joyfully pick up my pen
And find a praise to write.

I Turned Away - Re-posted

I heard you calling me one dawn,

But I still turned away.
What you were asking me to do
Was far out of my way.
 
I heard you calling me one noon,
But I still turned away.
I had my heart set somewhere else
And I was off to play.
 
I heard you calling me one dusk,
But I still turned away,
For you expected more of me
Than I could give that day.
 
Then in the darkness of the night,
When all my fears held sway,
I called to you through anguished tears.
You did not turn away.
 
So now I rise with each new dawn
And listen, while I pray,
To hear your voice calling to me.
I smile and turn your way.
 
Romans 2:4
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

And Guard Your Heart - Re-posted

Be sure to guard your heart, He said,

For it’s precious to me,
I placed a love within its walls
Of greatest purity.
 
I made it strong enough to bear
The pain that life may bring
By bracing it with joy enough
That it knows how to sing.
 
With charity and compassion,
Wisdom and a few tears,
I’ve given it the grace it needs
To brighten all your years.
 
Be sure to guard your heart, my child,
From it, all you do, flows.
Be careful what you plant in it,
And from it, what then grows.
 
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

The Faith To Leap - Re-posted

Oh lord please give me half her faith

To leap and know You’re there,
For she follows You joyfully
Where I still would not dare.
 
It is not youth that makes her brave,
But knowledge, sure and true,
That, whatever life sends her way,
She can rely on You.
 
She lives life as a miracle,
For she trusts in Your Grace.
I don’t know that I’d trust that much,
If I were in her place.
 
I thought that years would make me wise,
But that seems not the truth,
For I am not as wise, though old,
As she, despite her youth.
 
So, Lord, I ask You to give me
Just half the faith she knows,
That I might follow joyfully,
Until my own faith grows.
 
Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

This is a photo of my niece, whose faith is powerful and has left me in awe more than once.  I'm grateful to her mother for catching this fearless leap and sending it to me.

The Voice I Love - Re-posted

I seek You where the world is still 

And I can hear Your voice
Where I can see You most clearly.
I seek You there, by choice.
I know that I can find You on
The crowded noisy street,
But I could not hear what You say
Where man and machine meet.
 
So I will go where I can hear,
Your quiet whispering
And where I know my heart will find
Enough joy left to sing.
I’ll seek You in the quiet world,
Of lakes and mountains grand.
For I hear You most easily
When standing in Your hand.
 
Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

A gorgeous photo from my Aunt JSK. Lake Jenny near Jackson Hole, she said. Perfect!!