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.
Show me the path that I am to walk,
Teach me what I should know.
Then help me find the faith I’ll need
To rise and swiftly go.
I do so joyously,
And pray that I will stay on course
To be who I should be.
That I may follow through
And run the race with all my heart
Until I’m home with You.
I will run in the way of your commandments when you
enlarge my heart!
We watch the stars move through the night,
The storms across the sea.
Even the mountains rising up
Are wondrous sights to see.
Those really catch the eye,
But it is the simple wonders
That we often pass by.
The spider’s web in dew,
Both miracles of creation
And both a gift from You.
And each formed by Your hand.
Yet we pass them with just a glance
And fail to understand
They’re miracles no less.
Those little gifts of loving joy,
The small love notes that bless.
Of not noticing, too,
But when I saw this sweet love note
I knew it came from You.
For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are
God.
This spider's web covered in dew was taken long ago on my back deck railing, yet it is still remarkable and breathtaking.
I praise You in the morning, Lord,
For the new light I see
And for the day that lies ahead,
That You have set for me.
And as I work each day.
I pray that each step that I take
Will keep me on Your way.
I pray that I keep my eyes on
The light that’s born in You
And that I reflect back that light
In everything I do.
Lord, when the sun begins to set
And my steps homeward turn,
I praise You that Your light still shines,
And, for that light, I yearn.
I pray we don’t forget
To praise You at the rising sun
And when the sun has set.
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of
the Lord is to be praised!
Both photos of the sun rising and setting on Galveston Beach are blessings from ATF. Thank you, again, A!
Loud is the song of the wild wind,
The waves roar harmony.
I could get lost within the song,
Its crushing symphony.
And shared with us His Word.
Though all the world shrieked in its rage,
He still stood undeterred.
And I still hear its song,
But I won’t let it distract me.
In His Word, I am strong.
I have given them your word, and the world has hated them
because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
I hunger for Your Word, Oh Lord.
In all the world, I cling
To the wisdom and instruction
Your Word alone can bring.
And burdened with great care.
It is the fount from which love flows,
It’s hope, amidst despair.
The water of life’s flow.
Please help me live within Your Word
And help my faith to grow.
Upon Your Word each day
And hold it closely in my heart
That I may never stray.
And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed
you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he
might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by
every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
I felt like I was all alone,
My heart filled up with tears.
I wept for the lost days ahead
And the unending years.
From my self pitying,
But when I heard my name whispered
My heart began to sing.
Just my name, soft and clear,
As if the One who’d called to me
Had truly held me dear.
Of forgetting Your grace,
Your loving presence, always near,
The warmth of Your embrace.
And I never will be,
For there is no place I can go
That You are not with me.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Let me hide within Your silence,
Resting in your perfect peace.
Lord, I look to You for solace
For my soul’s reprieve, release.
I have found no hope or ease.
In You, Lord, I find my respite,
Soft as summer’s gentle breeze.
I can feel my own peace grow.
Understanding what You told me,
Being still in You, I know.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted
among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
The worries of the everyday
Were heavy on my mind.
Anxiety and a cold fear,
In my thoughts, were entwined.
And I gave them to You.
I went to sleep and woke in peace,
Because You led me through.
To give You all I fear,
And trust that You will keep me safe,
That You are ever near.
But I know where they cease.
Oh Lord, I rest in You alone,
You’re my safety and peace.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O
Lord, make me dwell in safety.
I lift a winter song of joy.
Though snow and wind sweep through,
The earth and heavens still rejoice,
Oh Lord, in praise of You.
While wilds birds dance the wind,
But in the cold of winter’s arms
My joyful praise won’t end.
They come and then they go,
We play in summer’s warmth and light,
But rest in winter’s snow.
From hearts filled with Your praise.
You set the patterns of the world
And rule over its days.
Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have
established the heavenly lights and the sun. You have fixed all the boundaries
of the earth; you have made summer and winter.
The lovely photo of snow on the beach in Galveston is a gift and blessing from ATF.
Where do I turn in my despair,
To whom do I cry out?
Who can restore my hope in life,
And remove all my doubt?
One comfort I can find.
When I am struggling in life
You are my peace of mind.
And call each star by name,
But it is mankind’s broken soul
That You came here to claim.
And cling to Your true grace.
When I turn my eyes to heaven
I see Your holy face.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help
come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
We walk within this world of man,
But still we stand apart.
We live within the world, and yet
The Word lives in our heart.
With all the world between.
Yet if the Light lives in us, too,
It will be felt and seen.
And your steps fixed upon
The path that leads you close to it.
Have faith and just walk on.
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.”
Humbly, Lord, we turn to You,
In whom all our hope lies,
And lift up all our needs and fears.
Oh Lord, please hear our cries.
But prayer helps us draw near.
It matters to You that we ask
Trusting that You will hear.
We ask within Your will.
Though we think we know what is best,
Your insight’s greater still.
When we reach out to You,
And for the loving grace You show
In everything You do.
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God.
I give You thanks with every dawn
And all throughout the day.
I count my abundant blessings,
Each time I stop and pray.
Our blessings flow from You.
A thankful heart’s a small return
For everything You do.
And praise Your holy name.
Rejoicing in the loving grace
That I gratefully claim.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with
praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Each day I look to You and pray,
Confessing this day’s sin
And seeking strength to turn away,
To not do that again.
You’d think I could let go,
But habit seems to be my guide,
Contrition, much less so.
And from them anger flows.
If I don’t catch my thoughts quickly,
Then that anger just grows.
Instead of trusting You.
You’ve always kept close watch on me,
Your love’s guided me through.
From habits that that impede
My drawing closer to Your Word.
You are my greatest need.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I sing a song with each new dawn
In praise of Your mercy.
The adoration of my soul
For the grace You’ve shown me.
Rejoicing in each dawn
That I will once more feel Your love
Before the day is gone.
I lift my voice in praise
And adoration for the joy
With which You fill my days.
But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of
your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a
refuge in the day of my distress.
In the silence of winter’s breath,
Where snow and ice hold court,
The hand of God is on display
And man has no retort.
That I now find my path.
I cannot change the winter’s course
Nor divert its cold wrath.
On the design God set,
But such is His great love for man,
His mercy is ours, yet.
My spirit does not flail,
For I am wrapped in His embrace,
A love that will not fail.
I cannot change the winter’s path
Or lessen its wild force,
But He who shaped the winter’s cold
Is also my faith’s source.
From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the
scattering winds. By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are
frozen fast.
We have been called to lend a hand,
To help out those in need.
Today I witnessed, in delight,
That exact sort of deed.
To someone, wheelchair bound,
They helped her get from chair to car
And kept her safe and sound.
But they kindly stepped in
And lifted her into the seat.
They were the kindest men.
And tears spilled from my eyes.
I heard my Savior’s voice saying,
“You go and do likewise.”
He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said
to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
I give this night to You, Oh Lord,
And to the peace You bring.
Though I have worries wide and deep,
In You, my heart will sing.
And for this night to rest.
Help me to rise tomorrow with
The faith to meet the test.
With this world on my mind,
Only to realize, at last,
You’re what I need to find.
Is what I treasure most.
Then I can rise up, rejoicing.
In You, oh Lord, I boast.
1 Corinthians 1:31
so that, as it is written, “Let the one who
boasts, boast in the Lord.
Oh, Lord, I turn my eyes to You,
I seek You in all things.
I find You in the storm’s tempest
Or the peace sunrise brings.
I turn and find You near.
When I call out to You I know
You’re close enough to hear.
And all within me sings,
I praise You for Your boundless love
From which all my hope springs.
and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the
faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
I thank You, Lord, that there’s nowhere
That we can go unseen,
And every path we’ll have to walk
Leads somewhere You have been.
The troubles we must face.
We lift our prayer up, You respond
With love, patience, and grace.
Along a windswept shore,
Despite the troubles we may face,
You know what lies in store.
You’ve gone where we will be,
You watch over our going out
And bring us home safely.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from
this time forth and forevermore.
Another lovely photo, a panorama, from ATF! Thank you for the blessing.
What is that thing you love too much,
Though you know you should not?
Something to eat, to drink, to wear,
All of the wealth you’ve got?
That turn your thoughts away
From following the path He set,
Distractions on the way.
Seeking a soul to claim.
Waiting to catch us in weakness,
In simple greed, or shame.
Is his greatest desire.
Hold fast to the word of the Lord,
Let it be your heart’s fire.
We face that truth each day.
Keep your eyes fixed on God alone,
He holds that cat at bay.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
The amazing photo is a gift from AC and her trip to Africa. Thank you!!
I learned to love with all my heart
By watching how You love.
There is no more perfect display
Than that sent from above.
Is well beyond the share
That I could ever hope to know,
And yet it’s always there.
Of love that I receive,
But I can give You all the love
That my heart can conceive.
With heart and might and soul,
For it is by Your love alone
That I have been made whole.
That You always give me,
And I love You, oh LORD, my God.
To You be all glory!
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You
shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your might.
This photo perfectly captures the love and glory of the Lord, and it was a gift from ATF. Thank you, with love!
He is the Light that gives me hope,
The peace to which I cling.
The joy that blesses every day.
To Him, this praise I sing.
With the blessings they bring,
Can light even the darkest night.
To Him, this praise I sing.
In heaven’s endless spring
Of light and peace, of joy and hope.
To Him, this praise we’ll sing.
because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the
sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
The winter wind howls in the eaves
And stalks the stars at night.
The day is dim, as if the dawn
Forgot to include light.
As it has done before,
And spring will burst across the land
With light and life once more.
And all nature’s on course.
Each season has its role to play,
With its own unique force.
My trust remains in Him.
I know this season will move on
In His perfect rhythm.
That winter’s chorus plays,
And hold in faith that spring will come
With its warm, joyous days.
For everything there is a season, and a time for
every matter under heaven:
We walk this world in troubled times,
Evil strives to prevail,
But there is still light in the world
And His light will not fail.
That it cannot sustain,
Its pretense of self-righteousness
Does not grant it domain.
To false gods of the dark,
But this world still holds to the light,
In each heart burns a spark.
In standing for the light.
My faith does not rest in myself,
But in His truth and might.
It’s done far worse before,
But my heart and my trust remain
In His light, ever more.
He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm,
trusting in the Lord.
The puzzle doesn’t seem to fit
Together well today.
I’ve struggled, but to no avail.
My mind is in my way.
Though each is fixed on You.
I cannot gather them to write
As I would like to do
Can cause my thoughts to fray
Until the best that I can do
Is close my eyes and pray.
To find the words I need
To thank You for this day of grace.
I flail, where You succeed.
To find my words of praise,
But until then, please know that I
Love You, and will always.
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
I’ve walked a broken path through life,
But I rejoice and sing,
For I know, when I reach the end,
What redemption will bring.
And He’s called me by name.
I know His grace and His mercy,
His glory I proclaim.
I hear Him call to me.
I know my Shepherd, and His voice,
For, by His love, I’m free.
While lifting up my praise,
Until my soul is home at last,
With You, for all my days.
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
The sky was shrouded in thick clouds,
The heavens held no light
As the moon drifted on its way
Through the chill of the night.
It warmed the cloudy sky
Until a sliver of its light
Shown down from upon high.
Peeked briefly through the haze,
It touched the misty, dark inlet
And set its face ablaze.
Reflected back such light,
That all the inlet woke to joy,
Forgetting the cold night.
Is what we’re called do.
Lord, let our lives reflect to all
The glory found in You.
Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of
the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the
light of life.”
We turn our faces to the Lord
And lift to Him our praise.
His is the Light upon the path
We follow all our days.
We hold onto His Word
And walk by faith into the storm.
With spirit undeterred.
He knows our hopes and fears,
And He will keep watch over us
Through laughter and through tears.
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves
true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.