Never Without You

 

I felt like I was all alone,
My heart filled up with tears.
I wept for the lost days ahead
And the unending years.
 
I struggled to lift up my eyes
From my self pitying,
But when I heard my name whispered
My heart began to sing.
 
It wasn’t a loud, booming voice,
Just my name, soft and clear,
As if the One who’d called to me
Had truly held me dear.
 
Oh, Lord, I’m sorry for the shame
Of forgetting Your grace,
Your loving presence, always near,
The warmth of Your embrace.
 
I know that I am not alone,
And I never will be,
For there is no place I can go
That You are not with me.
 
Romans 8:38-39
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.

Being Still in You

 

Let me hide within Your silence,
Resting in your perfect peace.
Lord, I look to You for solace
For my soul’s reprieve, release.
 
In the chaos of the world’s pace
I have found no hope or ease.
In You, Lord, I find my respite,
Soft as summer’s gentle breeze.
 
In Your stillness, in Your mercy
I can feel my own peace grow.
Understanding what You told me,
Being still in You, I know.
 
 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!”

Where Worries Cease

The worries of the everyday
Were heavy on my mind.
Anxiety and a cold fear,
In my thoughts, were entwined.
 
Then I recalled what I had read
And I gave them to You.
I went to sleep and woke in peace,
Because You led me through.
 
I thank You for reminding me
To give You all I fear,
And trust that You will keep me safe,
That You are ever near.
 
I don’t know where the worries start,
But I know where they cease.
Oh Lord, I rest in You alone,
You’re my safety and peace.
 
Psalm 4:8
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Snow and Rejoicing

 

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.
 
The sun may warm the summer beach,
While wilds birds dance the wind,
But in the cold of winter’s arms
My joyful praise won’t end.
 
The seasons flow at Your command,
They come and then they go,
We play in summer’s warmth and light,
But rest in winter’s snow.
 
Winter or summer, joy still sings
From hearts filled with Your praise.
You set the patterns of the world
And rule over its days.
 
Psalm 74:16-17
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 My Hope Is

 

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?
 
There’s but one hope to whom I turn,
One comfort I can find.
When I am struggling in life
You are my peace of mind.
 
You formed the heavens and the earth
And call each star by name,
But it is mankind’s broken soul
That You came here to claim.
 
I stand upon Your promised love,
And cling to Your true grace.
When I turn my eyes to heaven
I see Your holy face.
 
Psalm 121:1-2
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.

The Light Obscured

 

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.
 
It can be hard to see the Light
With all the world between.
Yet if the Light lives in us, too,
It will be felt and seen.
 
Keep your eyes then upon the Light,
And your steps fixed upon
The path that leads you close to it.
Have faith and just walk on.
 
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.”

In Humble Supplication - The ACTS of Prayer

 

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.
 
You know our needs before we ask,
But prayer helps us draw near.
It matters to You that we ask
Trusting that You will hear.
 
It matters, too, that when we ask,
We ask within Your will.
Though we think we know what is best,
Your insight’s greater still.
 
I thank You, Lord, for listening
When we reach out to You,
And for the loving grace You show
In everything You do.
 
Philippians 4:6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

A Song of Thanksgiving - The ACTS of Prayer

 

I give You thanks with every dawn
And all throughout the day.
I count my abundant blessings,
Each time I stop and pray.
 
For You are the source of our hope,
Our blessings flow from You.
A thankful heart’s a small return
For everything You do.
 
I lift my thanks to You, Oh Lord,
And praise Your holy name.
Rejoicing in the loving grace
That I gratefully claim.
 
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

A Prayer of Confession - The ACTS of Prayer

 

Each day I look to You and pray,
Confessing this day’s sin
And seeking strength to turn away,
To not do that again.
 
Some sins I know so very well,
You’d think I could let go,
But habit seems to be my guide,
Contrition, much less so.
 
I find my frustrations spill out
And from them anger flows.
If I don’t catch my thoughts quickly,
Then that anger just grows.
 
I worry often what comes next,
Instead of trusting You.
You’ve always kept close watch on me,
Your love’s guided me through.
 
Please help me, Lord, to turn away
From habits that that impede
My drawing closer to Your Word.
You are my greatest need.
 
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

A Song of Adoration - The ACTS of Prayer

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.
 
I sing to You with all my heart
Rejoicing in each dawn
That I will once more feel Your love
Before the day is gone.
 
In the morning, and at night,
I lift my voice in praise
And adoration for the joy
With which You fill my days.
 
Psalm 59:16
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.

The Source

 

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.
 
It is in that cold test of faith
That I now find my path.
I cannot change the winter’s course
Nor divert its cold wrath.
 
Man has no power to intrude
On the design God set,
But such is His great love for man,
His mercy is ours, yet.
 
Despite the cold, my heart is warm,
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.
 
Job 37:9-10
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.

They Did the Word

 

We have been called to lend a hand,
To help out those in need.
Today I witnessed, in delight,
That exact sort of deed.
 
The strangers stopped to lend a hand
To someone, wheelchair bound,
They helped her get from chair to car
And kept her safe and sound.
 
They didn’t have to stop and help,
But they kindly stepped in
And lifted her into the seat.
They were the kindest men.
 
I felt my heart fill up with joy
And tears spilled from my eyes.
I heard my Savior’s voice saying,
“You go and do likewise.”
 
Luke 10:37
He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

In You Alone

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.
 
Thank You for giving me today,
And for this night to rest.
Help me to rise tomorrow with
The faith to meet the test.
 
Too often I go through each day
With this world on my mind,
Only to realize, at last,
You’re what I need to find.
 
This time of stillness, gentle peace,
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.

Turning To Him

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.
 
It doesn’t matter where I am,
I turn and find You near.
When I call out to You I know
You’re close enough to hear.
 
I turn my eyes to You, Oh Lord,
And all within me sings,
I praise You for Your boundless love
From which all my hope springs.
 
1 Timothy 1:14
and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Beside Us and Before Us

 

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.
 
You guard us and You guide us through
The troubles we must face.
We lift our prayer up, You respond
With love, patience, and grace.
 
Through rocky trails, or meadows green,
Along a windswept shore,
Despite the troubles we may face,
You know what lies in store.
 
You walk the path beside us, Lord,
You’ve gone where we will be,
You watch over our going out
And bring us home safely.
 
Psalm 121:8
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. 

The Lion Prowls

 

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?
 
The devil’s in the little things
That turn your thoughts away
From following the path He set,
Distractions on the way.
 
The lion watches, unsleeping,
Seeking a soul to claim.
Waiting to catch us in weakness,
In simple greed, or shame.
 
Be wary, always, for your soul
Is his greatest desire.
Hold fast to the word of the Lord,
Let it be your heart’s fire.
 
The world is broken, sin is real,
We face that truth each day.
Keep your eyes fixed on God alone,
He holds that cat at bay.  
 
1 Peter 5:8-11
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!! 

Love The LORD Your God

 

I learned to love with all my heart
By watching how You love.
There is no more perfect display
Than that sent from above.
 
The love You show me every day
Is well beyond the share
That I could ever hope to know,
And yet it’s always there.
 
I cannot give the same measure
Of love that I receive,
But I can give You all the love
That my heart can conceive.
 
LORD, that I joyously will do
With heart and might and soul,
For it is by Your love alone
That I have been made whole.
 
I thank You for the loving grace
That You always give me,
And I love You, oh LORD, my God.
To You be all glory!
 
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
“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! 

To Him I Sing

 

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.
 
The tender mercies of His grace,
With the blessings they bring,
Can light even the darkest night.
To Him, this praise I sing.
 
Lift up your heart, rejoice with me
In heaven’s endless spring
Of light and peace, of joy and hope.
To Him, this praise we’ll sing.
 
Luke 1:78-80
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.

Trust In His Plan

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.
 
This season will pass by again,
As it has done before,
And spring will burst across the land
With light and life once more.
 
The Lord has set the plan in place
And all nature’s on course.
Each season has its role to play,
With its own unique force.
 
Though I may not see it right now,
My trust remains in Him.
I know this season will move on
In His perfect rhythm.
 
Yet, for right now, I hear the song
That winter’s chorus plays,
And hold in faith that spring will come
With its warm, joyous days.
 
Ecclesiastes 3:1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

Light and Dark

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.
 
The darkness claims authority
That it cannot sustain,
Its pretense of self-righteousness
Does not grant it domain.
 
Loud, the demands that all submit
To false gods of the dark,
But this world still holds to the light,
In each heart burns a spark.
 
Though I am weak, I’m not alone
In standing for the light.
My faith does not rest in myself,
But in His truth and might.
 
The dark may break me, bone by bone,
It’s done far worse before,
But my heart and my trust remain
In His light, ever more.
 
Psalm 112:7
He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

Too Many Thoughts Tonight

 

The puzzle doesn’t seem to fit
Together well today.
I’ve struggled, but to no avail.
My mind is in my way.
 
My thoughts are scattered to the wind,
Though each is fixed on You.
I cannot gather them to write
As I would like to do
 
The turmoil of the day to day
Can cause my thoughts to fray
Until the best that I can do
Is close my eyes and pray.
 
Forgive me for failing tonight
To find the words I need
To thank You for this day of grace.
I flail, where You succeed.
 
Tomorrow I will try again
To find my words of praise,
But until then, please know that I
Love You, and will always.
 
1 Corinthians 14:33
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

From the Broken Path

 

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.
 
For I have called Him Lord and King,
And He’s called me by name.
I know His grace and His mercy,
His glory I proclaim.
 
Yes, even from this broken path,
I hear Him call to me.
I know my Shepherd, and His voice,
For, by His love, I’m free.
 
Lord, I will walk this broken path
While lifting up my praise,
Until my soul is home at last,
With You, for all my days.
 
Psalm 25:1
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Reflecting His Light

 

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.
 
Yet as the sun began to rise
It warmed the cloudy sky
Until a sliver of its light
Shown down from upon high.
 
Then, as that thin sliver of light
Peeked briefly through the haze,
It touched the misty, dark inlet
And set its face ablaze.
 
The colors from the sun above
Reflected back such light,
That all the inlet woke to joy,
Forgetting the cold night.
 
That simple act of reflection
Is what we’re called do.
Lord, let our lives reflect to all
The glory found in You.
 
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.”

His Perfect Way

 

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.  
 
Despite the twists and turns of life,
We hold onto His Word
And walk by faith into the storm.
With spirit undeterred.
 
For He is with us on the way.
He knows our hopes and fears,
And He will keep watch over us
Through laughter and through tears.
 
Psalm 18:30
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.

Reflecting On Love

 

A simple note, a quiet thought,
A prayer of gratitude,
Tonight, that’s what is on my heart,
Please give me latitude.
 
I love the Lord, I think that’s clear,
But He loved me before
I ever stopped my wayward trek.
He held open the door.
 
He knew that I would turn around
And give Him back the love
That He’d given me all along,
Such patience from above.
 
Tonight, I sit within His peace,
I rejoice in His Grace,
For He’s taught me love’s true nature,
And that love I embrace.
 
1 John 4:18-19
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

The Flow of Life

 

This day was filled with sweet blessings,
And lots of pain mixed in.
I struggled to escape the flow,
But that fight I can’t win.
 
The ebb and flow of life is both
Pain filled and a delight.
We must withstand both streams of joy,
And loss we can’t make right.
 
Life flows on by us at its pace,
There’s no dam we can build
That will hold back one drop of it.
We simply aren’t that skilled.
 
Yet we can hold on through it all,
As this life runs its course,
By lifting up our pleas and praise
To Him who is life’s source.
 
Though life’s river flows through this world,
It spills out from the throne
Of Him who gave His life for us
And still calls us His own.  
 
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

Always On Watch

 

He told us to be on the watch
In everything we do,
For we don’t know the day or time
When He’ll return anew.
 
I used to let myself get lost
In this world’s day to day,
Until I recalled His guidance
To keep watch and to pray.
 
It matters that I walk this world
Knowing I’m passing through,
For that allows me to decide
What’s important to do.
 
So, I will keep watching each day
And walk the path He set,
Until I see Him coming back.
I’ll watch and not forget.
 
Matthew 24:36
But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.