Follow Me

 

I never heard the angels sing,
Nor followed a bright star,
But I too found Emmanuel
Without travelling far.
 
I wasn’t out watching my sheep,
But I still heard His call.
His quiet voice said “follow me”,
And so I did. That’s all.
 
There was no fanfare, no rich gifts.
All that He asked of me
Was that I follow where He leads,
And that’s where I will be.
 
Just as those who were called before,
I don’t know what I’ll face,
But I know who I’m following
Into the Lord’s embrace.
 
John 12:26
If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Life's Maelstroms

 

When we stand in the maelstrom
We often curse and cry.
Instead of asking for Your help
We blame You and ask why.  
 
When times are good we sail on by,
Thinking we’re in control.
It’s almost as if we can’t see
The picture, clear and whole.
 
It may be that times of distress
Are meant to teach us to
Stop thinking about “poor old me”
And turn our thoughts to You.
 
Acknowledge we aren’t in control
Of most that this life brings,
That we need You to guide us through
This life’s arrows and slings.
 
If we reach out to You in faith
Instead of rage or pride,
We find that we can withstand life
With You there by our side.
 
The tempest eases, the path clears,
And we find our way through.
Maybe the storms are meant to teach
Us how much we need You.
 
To show us that we’re not the one
Who’s in control each day,
But, He who is, stands close enough
To help us find the way.
 
There will be maelstroms, now and then,
That pop up in this life,
But You will always be the peace
We need to brave such strife.
 
Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Lead Me To The Rock

Wherever I may find myself,
I call out to the Lord.
For He it is who redeemed me
And all my hope restored.
 
When life is easy, I rejoice
And celebrate His name,
But when troubles rise around me,
It’s His refuge I claim.
 
I turn my back upon my fears
And turn my eyes to Him.
I follow Him as He leads me
Along the rock’s high rim.
 
He’s my fortress, my high tower,
My refuge in despair.
In Him I find respite and peace,
For His love’s always there.
 
Lead me, Oh Lord. I’ll follow You,
Though my heart’s faint within.
For my faith rests within the grace
That healed me of my sin.
 
Psalm 61:2-3
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, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

Hold On In Faith

 

I try to share with all I meet
The grace I live each day,
And demonstrate the truth I’ve learned
To others on my way.
 
I do these things to live my life
As You’ve called me to do.
Yet, even more than all of these,
I hold in faith to You.
 
I cannot claim healing from sin,
Other than through Your grace.
All my good works won’t be enough,
Your mercy, to replace.
 
That’s why I strive to live Your Word
And hold in faith to You,
Believing in the promise that
You hold onto me, too!
 
Romans 3:28
For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

A Light To My Path

 

However dark the world may seem,
However deep the night,
I’ll find the path I need to take
When I follow Your Light.
 
I know that I will walk dark roads,
And climb steep, rocky trails,
But I will keep my eye on You
Throughout this life’s travails.
 
Then, when I have reached this trail’s end,
I’ll praise You with delight,
For You kept me upon the path
And lead me by Your Light.
 
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

This sweet photo of the sun lighting a dark path is a blessing from DE

The Three Are One

What seems coincidence to man,
Has always been His plan.
For He has seen both start and end,
As only the Lord can.
 
The three of them were nestled there,
Awaiting winter’s frost.
The branches upon which they hung
Shaped much like my sin’s cost.
 
All three were there and bound as one
Upon the cold fir bough.
The image, vivid in my mind.
I see it even now.
 
The presence of the Trinity
Reflected on that limb
Which bore the shape of that old cross.
Father, Spirit and Him.
 
It’s not a miracle to find
Pinecones upon a tree.
The blessing comes in knowing that
He set them there for me,
In just that place, at just that time,
Where He knew I would be.
 
John 10:30
I and the Father are one.”
 
John 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Advent Week 2 2025 - Peace

 

We speak of peace when all is still,
The peace that’s of this world.
Far greater still it is to live
His perfect peace unfurled.
 
The peace of earth’s a fleeting thing,
And often hard to find,
But that born of the Father’s grace
Is the eternal kind.
 
That peace is granted by the Lord
To those who walk His path,
It holds them even when they stand
Within this cold world’s wrath.
 
It fills your heart and mind and soul,
Despite what you walk through,
And keeps you focused on His Word.
His peace will not leave you.
 
For it is not a passing peace,
Fickle and petulant.
It is the peace poured out from Christ.
Indeed, it’s heaven sent.
 
Philippians 4:9
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

To Finish The Week

I’ll finish on a note of hope
With a bright splash of joy.
Meet life’s challenges with all of
The faith you can employ,
And let your heart be not troubled
By what each day may bring.
Stand in the hope He’s in control,
And you have cause to sing.
 
For you are His. Despite your fears,
He will not let you go.
Keep your hope fixed upon that truth
And just let your joy grow.
 
John 14:1
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Ever New

 

The stillness of a winter’s eve,
The snow brushing the bough,
And quiet time to spend with You,
If just for here and now.
 
There are so many disruptions
That slip in every day
To distract me from time with You,
All to my great dismay.
 
So, I am making it a point,
In this season of noise,
To make time to spend in the peace
Which my soul so enjoys.
 
That peace I find only when I
Open my heart to You.
While this world’s distractions grow old,
Your peace is ever new.
 
2 Peter 1:2
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Reaching For His Light

 

I saw it reaching for the light,
As I have often done.
It was reaching toward the moon,
While I reach for the Son.
 
We’re each seeking heavenly light,
But, of the two choices,
Only one shines within the praise
Of heavenly voices.
 
One casts its light across the night,
And one lights creation.
He healed what we had torn apart,
And then He said, “It’s done”.
 
His is the Light that does not fail,
However dark the night,
And I will never stop reaching
For Him with all my might.
 
John 8:12
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.”

Life On The Run

 

Another day spent at full speed,
And still my work’s not done.
There isn’t much time to be still
On days spent on the run.
 
Yet, even with that pace in life,
I feel Your grace wash through
And, even though I’m running fast,
I’m running next to You.
 
You guard me in my going out
And bring me home safely.
With all the crazy in my days,
I know You’re watching me.
 
The days will come when I can’t run
And I’ll have to sit still.
Yet, old and slow, You’ll stay with me.
Always have, always will.
 
I tend to whine about the pace,
Whether it’s fast or slow,
But, if the truth were to be told.
I’m just grateful to know
That You are watching over me
Whether I stay or go.
 
Psalm 121:8
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

To Which I Cling

 

The answered prayer, unending grace,
A hope made manifest,
And now a precious little life
Rests on her mother’s breast.
 
There is no fear You cannot calm,
If I give it to You.
I need to learn to just be still
And trust You’ll lead me through.
 
Your mercy is my hope, Oh Lord,
Your grace is mine always.
The strong refuge in which I rest,
Even on fear filled days.
 
You are always right here with me,
I need but call Your name
To feel Your presence strong and clear.
Your help is mine to claim.
 
Your grace and peace, my hope and faith
All cause my heart to sing,
But it is Your enduring love
To which my soul will cling.
 
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Be Not Far

 

My heart cries out within me, Lord,
In my worry and fear.
I lift up to You those I love.
I pray, Lord, that You hear.
 
Please guard them in their times of pain,
And heal each wound they bear.
Let them not walk the dark valleys
Without knowing You’re there.
 
Stay close to them in times of grief,
In loss or deep sorrow.
Give them the comfort of Your peace
Wherever they must go.
 
In hope, I give You those I love,
As You gave them to me.
Please keep them close beneath Your wing
Where they are meant to be.
 
My heart cries out to You, Oh Lord,
My soul sings songs of praise
In thanks to You for guiding them
And guarding them always.
 
Psalm 38:21
Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me!

Advent Week 1 2025 - Hope

 

Let the world disdain my hope,
But it rests in Him, still,
For there is nothing accomplished
That is outside His will.
 
I work within the world’s domain,
To do all that I can,
Then I give the rest up to Him.
My hope lives in His plan.
 
There is no reason I would rise
Within a new day’s light,
If I did not know He was there.
I hope in His delight.
 
In all things I will trust in Him,
And praise Him as I wait.
He is the hope in which I rest,
His grace is never late.
 
Psalm 62:5
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

A Christmas Tree Topper - A Silly Tale of Joy

The evergreen stood in the yard
Forlorn and without joy,
For all the trees in all the homes
Were decked out to enjoy.
 
While it stood there, rooted outside,
Decorated with rain,
And no hope of bright sparkly lights
To ease its Christmas pain.
 
Yet, as the sun began to rise
The raindrops flashed with light
And somehow that tree’s Christmas dreams
Sparkled in the sunlight.
 
Suddenly, out of the blue sky
A tree topper dropped down
And rested on the topmost bows,
A heron Christmas crown.
 
That evergreen beamed with delight,
It’s Christmas wish granted.
He no longer stood without hope,
But with bright joy instead.
 
Now, maybe it’s a fairy tale,
But maybe you should try
To just roll with the joyfulness
Of blessings from the sky.
For much like angels on Christmas,
Herons can also fly!

Flowing Grace

 

A simple praise of thanks tonight.
Today was such a gift,
But it also seemed to fly by.
Time’s passage is so swift.
 
I just want to say thank You, Lord,
For Your patience today,
And for the people who were there
To help along the way.
 
Thank You for sunshine through the day
And for the rains to come.
I know I love the sunshine, but,
That rain… we sure need some.
 
Thank You, Lord, for the wind that sings
In the rafters at night,
And for the warmth upon my face
From the sun’s joyful light.
 
Thank You for peace for those in grief,
Hope for those in despair,
And strength for those facing the dark.
For always being there
 
A simple praise of thanks tonight
For Your enduring love,
And for the grace beyond belief
You pour down from above.
 
Revelation 22:1
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

Thanks And Praise

 

I praise You in the morning light
And as the night begins,
For You have given more than life,
You’ve freed me from my sins.
 
I praise You with a joyous heart,
And call You Lord and King,
For I have nothing without You,
But with You, everything!
 
I praise You, Lord, and give You thanks,
Your wonders never cease!
I rise up in the morning’s light,
And rest in evening’s peace.
 
Psalm 9:1
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Another photo and blessing from DE near the sea. 

What I Can't Do, You Can

Where do I start my praise tonight,
With anger or with grace.
Neither will do me any good,
My wishes have no place.
 
I can’t control what has happened,
Nor can I make it right.
The only good that I can do
Is trust You and Your might.
 
Therefore, let me lift up those hurt,
The frightened and the lost.
Then place the wicked in Your hands
And let You set the cost.
 
I cannot fix what has been done,
That’s outside my command,
But all that I can’t do, You can.
I place it in Your hand.
 
Psalm 105:7
He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 

A Joyful Parable

 

The sky wept through the cold dark night,
Its tears, they did persist,
But as the night gave way to dawn
Its tears gave way to mist.
 
A mist reflecting the cold heart
That greeted the new day.
The tears had past, yet lingered still
Across the misty bay.
 
Then, as the sun rose in the sky,
The mist warmed in the light
And all across the water’s face
It shimmered with delight.
 
I may have been that rainy night
Described to you above,
But I am surely the dawn’s joy
Reflecting back God’s love.
 
For all of this life’s tears and pain,
I still live in His grace.
Though weeping endures for a night,
Joy quickly takes its place.
 
Psalm 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Let The Earth Rejoice

 

All of the earth is rejoicing,
Each in its unique way.
From snow washed mountains, standing tall,  
To blooms in bright array!
 
They turn their faces to heaven,
Their delight on display,
For they know the blessings of grace
They live in every day.
 
The simple joy of creation
Is hard to understand
Unless you, also, recognize
You live within His hand.
 
The sunrise sings in perfect joy
And I join in that song.
I turn my eyes toward the Lord,
Rejoice and sing along.
 
I pray that you, too, come to know
The blessing and delight
That comes from living in His hand,
Rejoicing in His light.
 
1 Chronicles 16:31
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

Forgive From Your Heart

 

He died to wash my sins from me,
Each transgression is gone.
Now it falls upon me to take
His grace and pass it on.
 
If I accept His forgiveness,
Then I must offer mine
To those who have sinned against me,
All those who’ve crossed the line.
 
Some people make that difficult.
That much I know is true,
But we must forgive, let it go,
As He’s called us to do.
 
The weight of bitterness and wrath
Will tear a heart apart,
But letting it go, forgiving,
Gives that heart a new start.
 
No matter what someone might do,
To me through lies or strife,
It’s small when compared to the sins
He bore to cleanse my life.
 
We have to live fully in Him
Letting bygones be gone.
You have not received heaven’s grace
If you can’t pass it on.
 
Matthew 18:35
So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.

You, The Moon, And Me

 

The day was filled with so much grace,
So many chores got done
Before I just sat down to rest
And watch the setting sun.
 
I watched it wash the world in light
Before it slipped away,
But it was not until moonrise
That peace agreed to stay.
 
It settled just above the crown
Of a bare, winter tree,
And simply rested there a while
To keep me company.
 
There were some great gifts all day long
But none compared, clearly,
To sitting there, the three of us,
Just You, the moon, and me.
 
Thank You for helping me to do
More than I thought I could,
But mostly for the time with You.
It did my soul such good.
 
Psalm 116:7
Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

Working Joyfully Always

 

It’s true life has its ups and downs,
Maybe even dismay,
But you are working for the Lord,
So be glad every day.
 
He’s given you a task to do
Because He knows you can.
Though you may doubt you have the skills,
Rejoice! This is His plan.
 
Don’t let this topsy turvy world
Leave you doubting your worth,
For He knew all you would achieve
Even before your birth.
 
Despite the ups and upside downs
That this life holds for you,
Work joyfully, as for the Lord,
In everything you do.
 
Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Thankful Praise

 

Each day Your blessings overflow,
Each night I sleep in peace.
My worries scatter like the mist,
I feel them fade, then cease.
 
I don’t know what each dawn may bring,
But what I do not doubt
Is that You know, and I have faith
That You’ll guide me throughout.
 
Each day may bring trouble my way,
But it will also hold
Too many blessings to number,
And I’ll watch them unfold.
 
Each evening as the sun settles
Beneath the star filled sky,
I find Your peace nesting in me,
For You’re always nearby.
 
Lord, I praise You with joy filled heart,
My soul wrapped in delight,
For all the blessings each day brings
And for Your peace each night.
 
Psalm 92:1-2
It’s good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High: to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,

The beautiful photo of the sunrise is another blessing from DE. 

The Sojourner

The world keeps rushing in at me
Like waves upon the shore.
Yet I do not fear its swift tides,
For I’ve seen them before.
 
I used to live within the world.
It called me and I came,
But I no longer hear it now
When it calls out my name.
 
For I have found the path I sought,
The voice I will follow,
And neither was born of this world.
That’s all I need to know.
 
The soul that this world used to own,
Was purchased at a price
Far greater than it warranted.
My soul, His sacrifice.
 
He calls me to walk through this world,
Keeping my eyes on Him,
That I will not be swept away
When life once more turns grim.
 
Yes, I still walk this storm swept world,
As He’s called me to do,
But only as sojourner.
I’m following Him through.
 
I do not fear what I can’t hear,
The call of temptation.
The only voice I listen to,
Is that of Heaven’s Son.
 
1 Peter 2:11
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 

Another amazing photo from ATF and the beach! 

Lessons Learned

 

It lay there on the beach today,
Washed in upon the tide.
As it waited for the next wave,
It drew me to its side.
 
I knew that it would not survive
If that wave never came,
But it lay there in perfect peace
And praised God’s holy name.
 
It bore the mark upon its back
Of Christ on Calvary.
It reflected back heaven’s light
And not earth’s misery.
 
I thought I heard a voice whisper
A verse I knew by heart,
“Be still and know that I am God”.
It surely fit the part.
 
It lay there not knowing its fate,
Wearing its faith out loud.
Just being still, trusting in Him,
Humble in awe, not proud.
 
The waves were rolling in closer,
So I went on my way,
But I won’t forget the lessons
Learned on the beach today.
 
I’m still not sure which one it was
That I was there to see;
Being still in His glory or
Faith in adversity.
 
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

This amazing photo of a jellyfish on the beach is another blessing from ATF! 

In Your Right Hand

 

This world can lead us far away
From our own native land,
But we can’t travel far enough
To slip out of Your hand.
 
Though we sail through the ocean’s tides
Or ride the wind swept sky,
We cannot travel out of sight
Of Your adoring eye.
 
You hold us close, yet let us soar,
The world is ours to see.
Though, when the stormy winds rise up,
We know where You will be.
 
We cannot lose all hope in You
When You hold us so tight.
You are the wind that fills our sails
And You’re our guiding light.
 
Lord, I may seek some distant land,
Or settle by the sea,
But either way, I’m in Your hand.
Right where I want to be.
 
Psalm 139:9-10
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 

Another sweet beach photo from ATF! What a beautiful photo.