Because in each day, no matter how dark or how long, there is a praise to be found. Sometimes our hearts are too weary or too frightened to voice them, but our souls cry out to God... and He is there.
Lord, even in the long darkness,
Your love and grace shine through.
No other blessing, great or small,
Can hold a light to You!
John 8:12
Into Your hands, oh Lord, my God,
I lift this broken world.
We’ve seen redemption in Your blood,
And Your mercy unfurled.
Yet still, we struggle to give grace,
That we’re given each day,
To some of those who walk with us
Along the broken way.
While others still prefer their sin,
And will not understand
That resurrection from this life
Rests only in Your hand.
Still others, Lord, I can’t give grace,
For no grace lives in them.
They offer only rage and hate,
From souls hollow and grim.
I know that I’m called to forgive,
Yet, also to defend
The helpless and the innocent
From evil that won’t end.
I face that cross roads every day,
And every day I fail
To find a way to be a light
Upon the darkened trail.
Oh Lord, I know You are the King,
All power lies in You.
Please help me understand, then act
As You would have me do.
But most of all, Lord, let Your Word
Fill me up, mind and soul,
That I may walk through this lost world,
Yet give it no control.
I lift this world into Your hands,
Oh Lord, Eternal King,
And pray for healing and the grace
That only You can bring.
James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Oh Lord, I’m growing wearier
Of this world’s rage and grief,
But I can only see one path
Through which we’ll find relief.
I know that struggle, pain and loss
Are all a part of life,
But, it is to my great dismay,
That they come with such strife.
I know that You still rule this earth,
I have no doubt that’s true.
I pray that more hearts come to see
The path to peace is You.
I pray that more souls come to see
Wealth and celebrity
Won’t fill an empty life with joy,
Or set their spirit free.
I pray that more minds come to see
The truth that I have learned.
Mercy and grace are theirs to claim,
But they cannot be earned.
I pray, Lord, that this world, once more,
Will know what it once knew.
That heart and soul and mind will see
What we most need is You.
Matthew 22:37
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
The autumn rains are here at last,
Dancing on branch and bough.
I hear the whisper of their song
Calling me even now.
There is a peace in autumn’s rain,
A stillness I can feel,
That reminds me that winter’s calm
Is coming and it’s real.
Oh, Lord, the seasons are Your gift,
Each one brings its delights.
For me, autumn is about peace,
Still days and rainy nights.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven
I hold a secret in my heart
That no one knows but You.
You are the only one I trust
To help me see it through.
I know that it is safe with You,
As safe as it can be.
In fact, I trust You with it more
Than I even trust me.
Thank You for loving me enough
To hold it close to You,
And thank even more, Oh Lord,
For holding me close, too.
Psalm 13:5
But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
The storm was raging on the sea
And in their fear they cried.
He called out simply, “Peace. Be still!”
And all that uproar died.
The storm responded to His words,
But the twelve did, as well.
For His words calmed, in them, the fear
In which we often dwell.
I know that this must have been so,
For I have heard Him, too,
When I feel my storms rising up
And don’t know what to do.
Today my world came crashing in.
I could not bear the weight
Of all that I felt I must do
Before it grew too late.
I almost gave in to the storm,
In grief and pain, I cried,
But then I heard Him, “Peace. Be still,”
And felt the fear subside.
I can’t explain it properly,
As I have tried to do,
But I have no doubt that the voice
I clearly heard was You.
The words were simple, but the peace
They brought to me was real,
And even now, no storm can touch
The perfect peace I feel.
Peace! Be still!
Mark 4:39
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
There’s so much turbulence in life,
But I know what to do.
I step outside of all the noise,
And find my peace in You.
I want to weep at each day’s end,
But that won’t help me through.
I close my eyes, and walk in faith,
And find my peace in You.
You are the solace that I seek,
The answer that is true.
Though all the world tears at my soul,
I find my peace in You.
Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
You know that day that starts with tears,
But ends up wrapped in peace?
Well, He just brought me through that day.
His mercy does not cease.
I’ve walked this earth for many years,
And now my steps grow slow,
But His enduring mercy still
Follows me where I go.
He is the light that marks my path,
My shelter in the rain,
And I will always trust in Him
To bring me through the pain.
John 16:22
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
I felt the world press down on me,
A weight I could not bear.
I cried out, anxious in my fear,
“Shepherd, are You still there?”
“Can You still hear me when I cry,
Shepherd, do You still care?”
I knelt down in my own darkness
And lifted up my prayer.
Then light began to touch the sky
To warm the morning air.
I felt a soft voice call my name,
And I knew He was there.
He said He’d counted every tear,
And treasured every prayer.
He knew the doubt tormenting me,
And felt my deep despair.
He said, though I had walked hard roads,
My path was His to share.
That He was where He’d always been,
And He’d always been there.
For I am ever in His sight
And He has grace to spare.
He told me He still keeps me close,
My Shepherd will always care.
Numbers 27:17
who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.
The boat was dancing in the wind,
Racing before the gale,
Tipping close against the waves,
The wind filling its sail.
The trick is moving through the wind,
Staying above the waves
And knowing how to navigate
The sea that kills or saves.
As long as it stays on the waves
The wind will move it through,
But, if the waters seep inside,
There’s nothing it can do.
So is it for us, in this life,
As we move through the world,
We have to stay above the waves
And keep our sails unfurled.
For if we let the world spill in,
Its weight will drag us down,
And, in the bitterness of sin,
Our souls will flail, then drown.
2 Samuel 22:5
“For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me;
Tonight, Lord, I want to be still.
Tomorrow’s coming fast,
And I will need to feel Your peace,
If my strength is to last.
As I have gotten older, Lord,
I feel weariness grow.
Though I may want to rise and shine,
Sometimes I barely glow.
Lord, help me to find rest tonight,
Renewing faith and strength,
Until I have enough of both
To rise again, at length.
Psalm 127:2
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Oh Lord, the little blessings fall
Like raindrops from the sky
And scatter on the barren ground,
Refreshing what was dry.
My weary spirit springs anew
And blossoms with delight
Thanks to the blessings of Your grace.
I grow, Lord, in Your Light.
What kind of love, Lord, offers me
Such grace and such blessing
That, from a withered, broken soul,
New life and hope can spring!
2 Corinthians 4:16
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
I call out to You in despair
For all of this world’s pain.
It seems that all the joy is lost,
And only tears remain.
The world is drifting far away
From all that’s good and true.
I see the darkness taking hold,
But I have faith in You.
This isn’t the first time this earth
Has fallen prey to lies
And given credence to false gods
Who wear a thin disguise.
It took Your sacrifice, in blood,
To wash us clean back then.
I’m grateful that redemption’s still
An answer to our sin.
For we are covered in it, Lord,
Body, mind and soul,
And nothing short of Your mercy
Can cleanse and make us whole.
I lift this sad and broken world
Into Your loving grace.
In all of heaven and of earth
There is no better place.
1 John 2:2
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
This muddy fellow is another photo gift from AC and her trip to Africa!
Lord, teach me how to walk Your path
That I may follow You.
I find myself often astray,
Not knowing what to do.
I try to keep myself on track,
But if I glance aside,
Then suddenly I’m in the weeds,
Stumbling in my stride.
I’m not so arrogant that I
Think I can find my way
Without Your guidance and Your grace
To help me every day.
Please set my feet upon the path
And help me follow through,
Until I find the footprints that
I know were left by You.
1 John 2:5-7
but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
I want to share Your precious gift,
But who would hear me speak?
I’m not the one to whom folk turn,
I’m not the voice they seek.
But I have memories to share,
Of blessings, great and small,
Of lessons learned, and old wounds healed
By Your grace, each and all.
I may not have the profound words
That stir and can amaze,
But even stumbling through my thoughts
My heart can lift its praise.
Oh Lord, give me a voice to speak,
Though no one stops to hear.
For who knows which small word of praise
Might touch a passing ear.
Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Rejoice in Him for He is King,
His Word is our delight.
He brings forth bounty from the earth,
And, from Heaven, His Light.
Rejoice in Him, His name is Lord,
And at His feet we sing.
For, by His Grace, we are redeemed,
Our Lord, Savior, and King.
Psalm 24:1-3
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.
You speak to me of forgiveness,
Of pardon for my sins,
And remind me that it’s in You
That redemption begins.
I turn my eyes away in shame,
For I’m of no value
Compared to those who’ve lived in faith
And never doubted You.
I’ve wandered too long in the dark
For You to know my name,
Or even hold a shred of grace
To which I can lay claim.
Yet, here I stand before You now,
My sins on full display,
And hear You tell me I am Yours,
Though I’ve been long astray.
I cried out for Your forgiveness,
And You called me by name.
Releasing me from all my sins,
Washing me free of shame,
And showing me a depth of grace
I joyfully will claim.
Luke 15: 7
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
This amazing photo is another one of AC's photos from her trip to Africa.
In Your love let me find my home,
In Your peace, let me rest.
In Your mercy give me true strength
When I’m put to the test.
My hope lies in You, Heaven’s King,
You are the only way
That I will find the faith I need
To see me through each day.
I do not know what I will face,
Or what I must walk through,
But I know, when the long road ends,
I’ll be at home, with You.
John 14:2-3
In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Lord, I’m standing at the edge of
What is and what’s to be.
I know I’m walking into change,
And that’s what frightens me.
Tomorrow is approaching fast,
With change I cannot see.
I don’t know which way I should turn,
And that’s what worries me.
I find myself fighting back fear,
And some anxiety.
I don’t know what path I’m to walk,
And that’s what troubles me.
But then I hear You call my name,
Or feel Your peace touch me.
That’s when I know I’m not alone,
And that’s what comforts me.
Psalm 22:11
Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
Today I had so much to do,
But each plan fell away
Until all that I still had left
Was rest in You and pray.
You gave me life with a purpose,
But age begins to show
That I have less strength than I did
In my youth, long ago.
I find I need a day of rest
Before I start anew,
But even more I find I need
My time alone with You.
I hear Your voice in the stillness,
Your peace renews my strength
Until, at last, I’m strong enough
To start again, at length.
I thank You for the Sabbath, Lord,
And for this day to rest.
I pray that with tomorrow’s dawn
I’ll rise and give my best!
Genesis 2:3
So, God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
I found myself lost once again,
No hope for miles around.
I needed to find my way out,
So, I sought higher ground.
I stumbled on my pride and shame,
They both seemed to abound
And made it hard for me to find
My way to higher ground.
I wept from fear I’d not get out,
Then felt that fear compound.
I gave up hoping I could find
A path to higher ground.
But as I wept, I heard You call.
In Your voice, what I found
Was peace and the promise of grace
Despite no higher ground.
Then understanding swept through me,
To comfort and astound,
For I could clearly see, at last,
You are my higher ground!
Psalm 61: 2
from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I
This photo from AC's Trip just makes me laugh, I love it's wonderful perspective!
I’ve walked this world for many years
And will for a few more.
I’ve lived in joy and sometimes fear,
Not knowing what’s in store.
I’ve walked through sorrow and despair,
And rejoiced with delight,
Yet, good or bad, in tears or joy,
I’ve stayed within Your Light.
Sometimes I didn’t notice it,
If I had glanced away,
But with it I could see the path
And not go far astray.
I cannot know what lies ahead,
Tomorrow’s out of sight,
But I will walk on through this world,
Keeping within Your Light.
John 11:9-10
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
Child, Your sins are forgiven,
Go now, and sin no more.
Oh, what wondrous words those are,
What joy they hold in store.
For I was born of this world
And yet carry the stain,
But when I’m home, finally,
There, no stain will still remain.
I can’t wait to see that day,
When I am clean at last
And all the sins I now wear
Are washed away and past!
Psalm 51:2
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
Another of AC's delightful photos from Africa!
The path we walk while in this world
Is not an easy one.
So many loved ones I have lost,
And that sorrow’s not done.
Too many broken hearts I’ve known,
Of lost hopes, there’s no lack.
How many of my dreams have failed?
I’ve long ago lost track.
The only thing that I have left
That I can hold onto
Is love, and grace and boundless joy,
And my faith, Lord, in You.
For every sorrow, You bring joy,
Each tear drop marks the place
Where I will find comfort and peace
By living in Your grace.
This world can seem barren sometimes,
And hard to travel through,
But I have also found I’m blessed,
With my eyes fixed on You.
2 John 1:3
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.
“Good night”, she said to the bright stars
As they went dancing by.
“Good night”, she said to the soft breeze
As it passed with a sigh.
“Good night”, she said to the raindrops,
Singing their lullaby.
“Good night”, she said, “Oh Lord my God,
If I fall, help me fly!”
Just a sweet, funny prayer to go with a sweet, funny photo from AC and her trip to Africa.
However long the path may be,
Lord, I will follow You.
Whatever I have to walk through,
Lord, I will follow You.
Though my strength may not be enough,
Lord, I will follow You.
Where You lead me, there I will go,
Lord, I will follow You.
I am not worthy to be called,
There’s no doubt that is true,
But You have called and I will go.
Lord, I will follow You.
Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
A charming Elephant on the path from AC!
Peace seems to be just out of reach,
But reach for it I do.
For I know that the peace I seek,
I’ll always find in You.
This life is hard and loss is great,
The pain can break a heart.
Yet, in Your peace, I’ve always found
Healing and a new start.
I hunger for Your perfect peace,
I thirst for righteousness,
And in Your loving grace I find
My, longed for, happiness.
That’s why I keep reaching for peace
In everything I do.
For when I'm holding it, at last,
I’m holding on to You.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
More wonderful photos from AC and Africa coming our way!
I thought that I had lost my way
Amid the weeds of life.
I got caught up in my despair
At this world full of strife.
I couldn’t hear Your voice above
All of the worldly din,
So, I sat there in emptiness
As deep sorrow crept in.
Yet, as I sat there, all alone,
I heard You call my name.
I remembered whose child I am,
And whose grace I can claim.
I turned my face toward Your voice
And opened ears and heart
To listen and to find Your peace,
To feel the healing start.
I’m not sure how long I sat there,
Though it seemed quite a while,
And You sat right there with me, Lord,
Til my heart found its smile.
So many speak of right and wrong,
Some claim to speak for You,
But in this world there’s just one voice
That I can trust is true.
Lord, I will stop listening to
The world and all its noise.
I’ll listen only to Your voice,
For it holds all my joys!
Psalm 4:7
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
Lord, in Your stillness I find peace,
In Your creation, joy,
And in the fortress of Your strength
A hope none can destroy.
Yet, it is in Your love, Oh Lord,
That all I need is found,
For all the rest flow from Your love
And, through Your love, abound.
1 John 4:16
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God
has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God
abides in him.
A thought or two before the night
Begins to settle in
And I am off to close my eyes
To seek some rest again.
These days are busy for me, Lord,
And sometimes far too long,
But, by Your grace, I end each day
With evening’s quiet song.
There are so many in this world
Who know so little peace,
That I am humbled by the gift
Of such quiet release.
To sleep in safety, rise in joy,
And go about my day,
Is such a blessing in this world,
Much more than I can say.
So, let me thank you for the days
Crazy though they may be,
And for the evenings filled with peace
That mean so much to me.
I’ve struggled with my thoughts tonight.
They scatter like the breeze
That ruffles through the summer grass
And dances in the trees.
It whispers to me of Your grace
And sings a song of praise,
Reminding me that time will heal
The sorrow of these days.
I place my trust and faith in You,
So, when the worries start,
I remember to let Your peace
Wash through my anxious heart.
You live within me through good times,
And in times of despair.
There’s never been a moment when
I couldn’t feel You there.
Tonight, my thoughts are all adrift
Like the soft summer breeze,
But I abide within Your love
And that sets me at ease.
John 15:9
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in
my love.
Another Wonderful photo from AC's trip to Africa!!