A Clear Sign To Follow

The path that we are called to walk,
Though it’s been well defined,
Is not that clearly marked in life,
Or that easy to find.
 
He laid a path with His own life,
You’d think I could follow.
Yet, here I am, out in the world,
Wondering where to go.
 
I understand that every road
Will have its own travails,
But I keep hoping I might find
Some clearly defined trails.
 
The only clear marking I find
Is when I stop and pray.
It’s easiest, when I’m silent,
To hear what He will say.
 
It’s as if the advice offered
So many years ago
Might still be relevant today.
Hard to believe, I know.
 
I’m stepping out to walk in faith
Along the unmarked way.
I’ll listen, learn, and obey Him
As I walk through each day.
 
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.”

Something New Under the Son

The smoke stirred in the morning light
And shifted the world’s view.
What should have been a golden light,
Was now a darker hue.
Yet, it was still the rising sun,
Despite what was askew,
For there is nothing new in life
That is not born in You.
 
That’s why I called upon Your name
When I longed to be free
Of all the sin and broken truths
That had imprisoned me.
I knew what this world called brand new
Was merely fantasy,
And that the same old me I’d been
Was who I still would be.
 
I called out to You in my pain,
My shame and my great fear.
I didn’t know if You would care
Or even pause to hear,
But I knew no one else could help,
That much was all too clear.
I called out to You and You came
For You still hold me dear.
 
And now there’s something new indeed
Under that same old sun,
That old, unchanging me is gone
And that old life is done.
For I have been redeemed, restored,
And a new life’s begun.
Lord, I rejoice I'm something new
Living under Your Son.
 
Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

Still Waters and Green Pastures

There is that one day, now and then,
When peace is on my mind
And, with a Shepherd who loves me,
That peace is what I find.
 
The world has me running too fast,
And peace is often rare,
But when I follow close to Him
I find peace always there.
 
He seems to know what I need most,
A quiet place to rest,
And time to restore my own peace
Before life’s next big test.
 
The still waters, the green pastures,
My Shepherd, always near;
There is no greater peace to find,
Nor one I hold more dear.
 
Psalm 23:2-3
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

Food For The Soul

I always thought that daily bread
Meant food to keep me whole,
But I have learned it truly means
Food for a hungry soul.
 
It matters not if I am full,
If my soul shrinks from lack.
For that’s the food that, once it’s lost,
My soul may not get back.
 
I hunger for Your Word each day,
I listen, unashamed.
I find my hunger satisfied
In Your gospel proclaimed.  
 
Oh Lord, I pray give me each day
The daily bread I crave,
That I might feast upon Your word
And not be hunger’s slave.
 
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread

Unchanging Love

I know that I have many faults,
Like all my fellow man,
But I strive, always, to improve.
A bold, but faulty plan.
 
For man is not unwavering
In anything we do.
We do not have the constancy
That we can find in You.
 
Your promise stands ever unchanged
Today and every day.
From rising sun to moon’s descent,
Your Word won’t fade away.
 
The sun may drift behind the clouds,
But it will rise and set.
I don’t have to see it to know,
For You do not forget.
 
Since You first called us to be Yours
Your promise is the same.
You have not changed or withdrawn it.
Your grace is ours to claim.
 
Lord, help me make one lasting change,
That of my faulty heart.
Reflecting Your unchanging love
Is a good place to start.
 
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Like Good Fruit

They seem so simple on the vine,
From bloom, to bud, to fruit.
Yet they have much more to teach us
Than just bud, vine, and root.
 
They speak of purpose and design,
A plan, complex and sweet,
That their creator set in place
And called them to complete.
 
They do not question when to grow,
To bloom and then to rest.
They simply follow His design,
Trusting He knows what’s best.
 
The path for us is more complex,
And yet, it is the same.
Walk forward in His perfect plan,
And do so in His name.
 
We cannot know tomorrow’s fruit
Until harvest is shared,
But we can trust the Creator
And the plan He’s prepared.
 
The fruit that grows within His light
Will reflect His design,
While fruit that grows outside His plan
Will wither on the vine.
 
Turn, then, your face toward His light
And, in His Word, take root,
That, when the harvest comes at last,
You will be His good fruit.
 
Matthew 7:18
A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

Who Do I Reflect

I need to stop, now and again,
And look at who I see.
Am I living within this world,
Or is this world in me?
 
We walk within a darkened land,
But we live in His Light,
And we are called to reflect Him,
However fierce the fight.
 
Sometimes I don’t see Him in me,
And that tears me apart.
For He gave everything to me,
He purified my heart.
 
Yet when I walk within the world,
I find I lose my way.
That’s when I need to ask myself
Who I reflect, today.
 
For when I see myself, I hope
To see His Light in me,
However dim the reflection,
It’s Him I want to see.
 
Proverbs 27:19
As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.

Ponder Your Path

The world will tell us, “Follow me”,
But that is not the way,
For that path leads to destruction,
Broken hearts and decay.
 
It’s not a question unanswered,
For history is there
To show us, again and again,
That path leads to despair.
 
Each time we stand up in the lie,
Which this world claims is true,
We find ourselves lost in darkness
That we must then fight through.
 
There is no goodness born of man,
Though goodness still prevails,
For He who calls us, laid the path,
His good works form the trails.
 
To each the question one day falls,
“Whose voice do I follow?”
The voice that calls out from darkness,
Or His, whose light I know?
 
Ponder the path that you will take
Before you’re called to choose,
Keep your feet on the path He walked,
Or trust this world, and lose.
 
Proverbs 4:26-27
Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

This wonderful photo is a blessing from AC taken on her trip to Africa. 

Blessings and Rocky Paths

I love You, Lord, that’s all tonight.
We talked throughout the day
As I ran circles pointlessly
And got in my own way.
 
Somedays just seem to go like that,
But blessings tuned up, too.
I am inclined to give credit
For all of those to You.
 
I’m good at letting stress pile up,
But You always step in
And give me a good reason to
Slow down and start again.

You let me see the blessings there,
Along the rocky trail.
They were a sweet reminder that,
Through You, blessings prevail.
 
That’s why, tonight, all I can say
Is Lord, I love you so,
And thank You for the rocky paths
Where love and joy still grow.
 
Psalm 144:15
Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Your Steadfast Love

So many have said it before
With finer turn of phrase,
But I want to lift up to You
My own small words of praise.
 
You gave me life, then redeemed me,
And, with Your empty grave,
You paid the price to set me free.
I’m no longer death’s slave.
 
I don’t deserve to know such love,
In fact, none of us do.
Yet that is exactly the love
We each receive from You.
 
I thank You, Lord, for loving us!
How wondrous are Your ways
That gave us life eternally.
To You, I lift my praise.
 
Psalm 107:8
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!

Crazy Day and Blessings

Today was crazy all day through,
But You were always there.
Your words of comfort and of peace
Reminded me You care.
 
I think I even heard You laugh
More than a time or two,
But that’s okay because, frankly,
I laughed at myself, too.
 
I don’t have some fine turns of phrase
To lift to You tonight,
But, Lord, thank you for being there
And for holding me tight.
 
You took me out, You brought me home,
Then let me rest a while.
As I count up all these blessings,
I cannot help but smile!
 
Job 8:21
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.

Let My Faith Flow

From mountain peak to the salt sea,
The river winds on through.
It never pauses to question
If that’s what it should do.
 
For it heard Your voice from the dark
Call out, “Let there be light!”
And that was all the proof needed
To establish Your might.
 
From that point on, the river flowed,
Obeying Your command,
From mountain peak to ocean shore
To its Creator’s hand.
 
This is the faith I need to live,
Listen, trust and obey,
Until I find myself at rest
In Your presence one day.
 
Lord, let me flow like that river,
And trust Your unseen plan.
Let all my faith rest in You, Lord,
Not in the plans of man.
 
John 7:38
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

A Blessed Mess

Each day she comes to stay with me,
A blessing, that is true,
But each night, when she goes back home,
There’s clean up work to do.
 
The toys are piled up everywhere,
Debris covers the floor,
And there are giant nose prints on
Every window and door.
 
I laughed each day at all the mess,
Until I thought it through.
I came to realize, just now,
That this might reflect You.
 
Each day I go to bed and sleep,
Leaving behind the mess
That I created all day long.
Yet, You love me no less.
 
You love me, You watch over me
With care and tenderness,
And You suffered so much that day
To clean up all my mess.
 
I cannot help but think that You
Must shake Your head some days
And wonder why You put up with
All of my messy ways.
 
But You loved me enough to die
That I might live with You.
That’s far beyond comparison
To what she puts me through.
 
Lord, I do love that messy child,
She’s perfect as can be,
But I love You, Lord, even more
For putting up with me.
 
1 Peter 4:9-10
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:

Blessings To Share

Lord, I can count all day, each day
And never count them all;
Those blessings You’ve poured out on me,
Both the grand and the small,
Out number all the troubles and
The tears that I’ve let fall.
 
Oh Lord, Your blessings are so great,
They’re everywhere to see.
You’ve poured them out into my life
And asked just this of me,
That I would share them every day
And do so joyously!!
 
2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Rest Beneath Your Wing

Lord, let me rest beneath Your wing
For just a little while.
Then I’ll start, once more, tomorrow
With a praise and a smile.
 
There are no special burdens, Lord,
That weigh upon my heart.
I just need time to rest in You,
Then I’ll make a fresh start.
 
The world grows heavier each day,
But that’s as it should be,
And I know, when I need to rest,
You’re always there for me.
 
Tonight, I lift a weary heart,
But one still filled with praise,
And thank You for Your loving peace
Through all my toughest days.
 
Psalm 119:76
May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

Holding On To You

The seasons pass, the years fly by,
And youth is quickly gone,
But wisdom and understanding
Will help us carry on.
 
Understanding is not my strength,
Nor wisdom my strong suit.
I’m not sure why all my long years
Seem to have born poor fruit.
 
The one thing I can state as fact,
Is, despite my crop fail,
I’ve held on to You, root and branch,
Throughout my life’s travail.
 
I will not let go of You, Lord,
For You’ve held tight to me.
I may not be Your perfect fruit,
But I’m still on Your tree.
 
John 15:4
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
 
Job 12:12
Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?

Sing Aloud To The Lord

Life has its struggles and its joys,
It’s not a simple thing.
Somedays the best that I can do
Is hold on tight and sing.
 
I sing the old songs of my youth,
The songs of better days,
But I find my peace resting in
Those good old songs of praise.
 
Some touch my heart with sorrow, Lord,
Others can heal the pain,
But each of them brings me closer
To You, with each refrain.
 
I lift up my voice in delight,
But also in sorrow,
For both bring me closer to You.
That’s where I want to go.
 
Psalm 95:1
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

A Prayer For Loved Ones

Oh Lord, I lift a prayer to You,
For You know every name
Of those I carry in my heart
And for whom I make claim.
 
I pray for healing for the sick,
Comfort for those who weep,
And strength to stand against the dark
When fears pile up too deep.
 
I pray for peace amidst the storm
And faith to see them through,
But most of all, I pray, Oh Lord,
That each draws close to You.
 
I pray that they turn eyes and hearts
Toward Your Light each day,
And that they walk close by Your side,
Each step along the way.
 
Oh Lord, I lift each one to You,
You know each need and name.
I thank You for the boundless grace,
The love that’s ours to claim.
 
Psalm 66:19- 20
but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

Whole and Holy

He did not ponder if He should,
When it came to His sheep.
He simply bought us back from sin,
For we are His to keep.
 
To those who called to Him in faith,
He poured out endless grace,
And that grace still flows ceaselessly
For all the human race.
 
Yet, it was not just mortal pain
That He came here to heal,
But, also, the pain in our souls,
Unending and more real.
 
The sufferings born of this world,
Will pass away with death,
But those born out of sin filled lives
Have an eternal breath.
 
It wasn’t about healing ills,
His was a greater plan.
For He came not to make us whole,
But holy once again.
 
Matthew: 8:2-3 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

Rest, Listen, Rejoice

I love the peace of quiet days
When I have nothing planned
And I can simply rest knowing
I’m safe within Your hand.
 
I’ve lived long enough in the world,
To feel it weigh on me.
That’s why I treasure days of peace,
Though they’re rare as can be.
 
Those days that I can spend with You
Listening to Your voice,
Remembering Your loving grace,
Letting my heart rejoice.
 
I know that this time, too, will pass,
Life’s chaos will return,
But until then I’ll rest in You,
Be still, listen and learn.
 
Psalm 119:64
The earth is filled with your love, Lord; teach me your decrees.

Sometimes It's A Sword

Lord, this world seems so far astray,
But You’re still in control
And I will trust Your greater plan
For every living soul.
 
I know that we are called to peace,
But, also, to the sword,
For we must stand against the dark
With those who love the Lord.
 
Please help me know, Lord, when to love
And when to stand and fight,
But mostly, Lord, help me to keep
My eyes fixed on Your light.
 
Don’t let me add to this world’s rage,
That only makes things worse.
Help me, instead, to bring with me
A blessing, not a curse.
 
This world’s in chaos, once again,
As it has always been,
But lately it seems further washed
In evil hearts and sin.
 
I want to walk through what’s to come
So as to please You, Lord.
Please, help know when to bring grace,
And when to draw my sword.
 
Matthew 10:34
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Comfort One Another

We all view life from where we live,
With our own point of view,
But that does not mean we can’t bear
With other viewpoints, too.
 
We have been called to offer grace,
The same grace we receive,
That we might lift up those in need
Of comfort or reprieve.
 
We do not have to understand
Life in the way they do,
But we do have to share His grace
As we have been called to.
 
We should not live by this world’s creeds,
Don’t misunderstand me,
But we can still bear with patience
Those who can’t fully see.
 
We need to lift them up in love,
Comfort them in their need,
Speak to them of His loving grace,
Or just help plant that seed.
 
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Your Enduring Love

I often hear Your still, small voice
As clearly as a song.
That little whisper of Your love
Comes through so loud and strong.
 
A sense of peace, a random smile
When I most want to cry,
Is just enough to remind me
That You are right nearby.
 
The moon peaking out through the clouds
Or soft rain in the trees,
Brings comfort to my worried mind
And puts my heart at ease.
 
These simple gifts come straight from You,
Of that, no doubt can be,
Because they clearly come from One
Who well knows and loves me.
 
You loved me while I walked in sin,
You love me even still.
Lord, I thank You with all my heart,
My mind, body and will.
 
1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  

Don't Let Me Stray

We always say, “Lord, walk with me”,
When what we ought to do
Is ask, instead, to help us try
To walk closer to You.
 
We might not end up on dark roads,
Or lost, tangled in fear,
If we chose to follow Your lead,
Not duck and dodge and veer.
 
There’s always something to distract
The soul who wants to roam,
But there’s joy in abundance for
Those who follow You home.
 
You are the path I want to walk,
You are the only way.
Lord, please keep me close by Your side,
So I don’t go astray!!  
 
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Grace Beyond Understanding

There are no words of praise that are
Sufficient to Your grace,
For You stepped down from heaven’s throne
To redeem our disgrace.
 
You were king of all creation,
Yet You took mortal frame,
To step up to the cross for us
And heal us of our shame.
 
My mind cannot fathom such grace
The depth of sacrifice,
And yet I see it every day,
Your love, clear and precise.
 
I truly cannot comprehend
How great Your love must be,
But I will claim it, nonetheless,
And do so joyously.
 
Ephesians 1:7-8
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding