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.
A day of blessings and of grace,
A night of joyful cheer,
And with each step along the path
I felt You always near.
With neighbors to cherish.
Even in the smallest of things,
Granting the unasked wish.
And for the eyes to see
All of the blessings and the joy
That You’ve poured out on me.
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
He stood there trying to decide
On which side he should stand.
One side offered risk, adventure,
The other safe, well planned.
Might, at first, seem like fun,
But there’s more to making this choice
When all is said and done.
Are all the dangers that
Lie waiting for a victim in
That rattler habitat.
Just weigh them thoughtfully.
Take stock of what matters the most,
Then you can choose wisely.
A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a
fool's heart to the left.
This delightful photo of a heron looking over the rattlesnake habitat toward the beach is from ATF! Such fun!
Great is the peace in my heart, Lord,
For I walk in Your grace.
When pain and torment punish me,
I turn to seek Your face.
The sunrise on the sea.
You are the whisper of new light
That brings comfort to me.
Peace rises with the dawn.
I turn my eyes toward Your light
And my despair is gone.
I know that sorrow may linger,
But joy has a place, too.
There is a healing sense of peace
When my sight’s fixed on You.
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.
These two lovely photos of sunrise over the gulf are a sweet gift from ATF.
The blows keep coming, on and on.
My heart finds no relief,
For each new day seems to lift up
Another cause for grief.
Beneath the weight of tears.
This one was far too young to leave
Too much grief, too few years.
The strength on which we lean
When all the world comes crashing down
And no hope can be seen.
Our tears are all we bring
To offer in exchange for peace
And comfort from our King.
And pour Your peace into
Those who now walk a lonely world.
Our hope, Lord, rests in You.
My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to
your word!
The heavens whisper of His grace,
And burst forth in delight
Reflecting back His pure essence
In its bright, joyous light.
Tossed in the wind’s rough wake,
But it will soon burst forth, as well,
In joy for heaven’s sake.
They answer to His voice.
He is their King, their Creator,
And in Him they rejoice.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let
the sea roar, and all that fills it
This joyful photo of the light bursting across the dark gulf is another sweet gift from ATF!
Stillness and rain, that’s what I need,
And that’s what You gave me.
Not great successes or wonders,
Just one day worry free.
The music of the falling rain
Sings peace in each refrain.
My gift today, born of Your grace,
Was just respite
and rain.
Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
I found myself feeling alone
As I moved through the day.
Worry building from a fear of
What might not come my way.
Stopping to realize
That all these worries mean nothing
Beneath the endless skies.
For all but a few years,
And it will turn even longer
When I’m forgotten tears.
By the standards of earth,
But beyond rubies, pearls, or gold
Am I, by heaven’s worth.
That I hold no value,
When He, who formed the universe,
Has told me that’s not true.
When His grace set me free.
Though we take nothing from this life,
He gives eternity.
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of
vanities! All is vanity.
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is
what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
The night whispers to me of peace,
The stillness of a soul
That rests, despite this world’s chaos,
Because it’s been made whole.
That only those can hear
Who have first heard the Shepherd’s voice
Calling them soft, but clear.
Before I called His name,
But now His loving peace is mine,
His mercies I can claim.
Nor could I ever be,
But He took all my fears away
And shares His peace with me.
Its songs of loving praise
For they are the songs of my heart
And will be all my days.
And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the
result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
I’ve heard You called by many names,
And each name befits You.
I am in awe of all You are,
And all I’ve seen You do.
Resting within Your peace
And knowing that, beyond belief,
Your love for me won’t cease.
And I matter to You?!
There is nothing to balance that,
That I can ever do.
And Prince of Peace to all,
But, more than that, You are the One
Who answers when I call,
Holds me close in my fear,
And each time that I lose my way,
You whisper, “I’m right here.”
To cover all Your grace,
But You love me and call me Yours...
That I’ll gladly embrace.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the
government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
There is a path I walk each day
Around a quiet lake.
It reminds me of His blessings
With every step I take.
A concrete overflow.
It isn’t part of the walkway,
But that’s the way I go.
The gully lets me climb,
Yet, therein lies a parable
That I will make a rhyme.
I see the path clearly,
And when I head off of the path,
I’m not where I’m to be.
Snakes being one of them.
A reminder of mankind’s fate,
That lesson, harsh and grim.
It’s where I want to be.
Walking the path He marked on earth,
Following faithfully.
Along life’s winding trail,
And set me back upon Your path,
If I’m about to fail.
As You’ve called me to do,
That, when I come to the trail’s end,
I’m standing next to You.
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.
There is a purpose in all things
That we are called to do.
Some are matters of great moment,
But small things matter too.
Born of His loving grace,
Moments spent in the peaceful joy
Outside of life’s fast pace.
With commitments galore.
Each time I finish one or two
I end up with three more.
To feel I’m still of use,
But there are days when I head home
Early, with no excuse!
And for those who need me,
But I am also grateful for
The peace He gives to me.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Even when Christ walked on the earth
His own disciples failed
To listen and to understand,
Until He was unveiled.
From failure to listen.
We often seek our own guidance
As to what’s best for men.
And nothing’s changed today.
We tend to offer up our plans
And not His, when we pray.
Into words we prefer
Without stopping to realize
The sin that we incur.
To the words that He spoke.
We need to hold them in our heart,
Not treat them like a joke.
He knows we do our best
To listen and to understand,
Then trust Him with the rest.
Then that’s what I will do.
I may not understand it all,
But He will help me through.
He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Within the dark half of the year
Time weighs down on my mind.
The light of summer, springs bright joy,
Both seem so hard to find.
Give the dark too much space
Within my thoughts, when I, instead,
Should focus on Your grace.
Light gives way to the night,
Until the seasons turn once more
Back to the summer’s light.
The sun to mark the days,
And I will rest within the truth
That You guide all our ways.
I’ll keep my eyes on You
And let Your light fill me with peace
Enough to see me through.
He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its
time for setting.
This amazing photo of the sun rising beside the setting moon was taken in an airplane this morning, by ATF. What an amazing shot!
It lay there in the grass alone,
Blown down, far from its tree,
And there it will die, all alone.
That old leaf could be me.
Or dying all alone,
For He who made me, loves me still.
That love remains my own.
Still stands as truth today.
He said that He would stay with me
Even when old and gray.
When, like that autumn leaf,
I feel as if I’m all alone
Or withered in my grief.
Old age rouses no fear,
For I will never be alone
While my Savior is near.
even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will
carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.
This brought to mind an old adage
That I’ve heard all my life…
Between a rock and a hard place,
Life’s troubles and its strife.
Dead wood, and piled rock,
Blooming with joy, despite it all.
I paused, and I took stock.
Self pity and despair
Occupying all of my thoughts
When joy, too, should be there?
Any trouble or fear?
While joy and faith are reminders
That You are always near.
Your peace and grace are mine.
That means there’s nothing I will face
Without Your help divine.
Midst that rock and hard place,
But if a flower can do it,
I’ll stand strong in Your grace!
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing
that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and
character produces hope
When we are young we see the world
Through eyes of youthful pride.
Yet, as we age we start to see
Life has another side.
Into a greater truth.
We see the balance, good and bad,
That we missed in our youth.
We held in such value
Mean less than nothing compared to
The blessings found in You.
The truth found in Your Word
Provide us with more real wisdom
Than all else we have heard.
Mark the path we will find
As we grow in understanding
Of the life You’ve designed.
But, also, that we grow
Into the wisdom and the grace
That each old soul should know.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice and
equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge
will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding
will guard you
I wonder how some days can fly
So quickly on their course
Despite being the same measure
Of time from the same source.
Tends to speed up the pace,
But even on the lazy days
Each week seems like a race.
One that made perfect sense.
However long or short the days,
My nights are not intense.
Resting safe in Your grace.
For I have come to understand
There is no safer place.
And sleep in perfect peace
Beneath the shelter of Your love
Where fear and worry cease.
I rise up once again
And step out into each new day,
Rejoicing in Your plan.
My nights pass rapidly,
For I have learned to trust that You
Will keep watch over me.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O
Lord, make me dwell in safety.
It’s never easy in this life
To walk the path we face,
But They can walk it knowing that
They’ll do so by Your grace.
That You might save the lost.
Now those who seek to follow You
Will also pay a cost.
Is narrow, hard, and steep
And few there are who will walk it.
Only Your faithful sheep.
Have heard Your voice and know
The path You walked will be theirs too.
Still, they’ll rise and follow.
Yet they will follow You
Until they reach the narrow gate.
They’re faithful, though they’re few.
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to
life, and those who find it are few.
Tonight, I lift up a few prayers
For those along my way,
The family and friends I love
And folks I met today.
Who guard us near and far,
Please keep them safe and bring them home
From wherever they are.
Through this world, by Your Word.
Please keep them faithful to Your truth,
Protect them and their herd.
The heavy laden, too.
I lift them each into Your care.
Oh Lord, we all need You.
And offer my heart’s prayer
For healing, grace, and comfort for
Your children everywhere.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and
delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and
saves the crushed in spirit.
The sun slowly begins to set
Beneath the horizon.
My daily chores complete at last,
And the clean up is done.
I praise the King of Kings
For His blessings throughout this week
And the peace sabbath brings.
Time to recognize
That He who formed the sun and stars
Sees our souls as His prize.
Then rise up once again
To clearly show that He values
Our place within His plan.
I’ll give voice to the praise
That fills my heart, my mind, my soul,
And will through all my days!
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
I needed something all day long,
But what, I couldn’t tell.
I felt it weighing down on me.
The day did not go well.
And helped out here and there,
But I was walking on the edge
Of personal despair.
And lift a prayer or two
I realized what I’d needed
Was just some time with You.
The things I do each day,
That I often forget to just
Be still, listen and pray.
To help, to work, to love,
But I clearly need to make time
Outside life’s push and shove.
And rest within Your grace,
To let Your light wash out the noise
And Your peace take its place.
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
This was a day that made me glad
I live beneath Your wing.
Too many times I felt tears rise
From all this life can bring.
When things almost went wrong,
But I stayed safe, shielded by grace.
I faltered, You were strong.
But not so much today.
I focused on this world’s chaos
And almost went astray.
With some tears lingering,
But You still have your eye on me.
I’m safe beneath Your wing.
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings
you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
My ducks are nowhere near a row.
In fact, they’re running loose,
And there is a very good chance
That one might be a goose.
Then knot the knots, also.
Even my best plans fly away.
That’s just the way ducks go.
I know Your plan’s in place,
So, while all my ducks run amok
I’ll hold on to Your grace.
But Your plans are more vast.
I pray that both my ducks and I
Line up with You, at last.
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes
his steps.
Take a moment to stop and count
Your blessings once each day.
Not just those you’ve already seen,
But those still on the way.
The gifts and not the woes,
You’ll be surprised at just how fast
That list of blessings grows.
So, look for your blessings
And take the time to count them all,
The gifts that His grace brings.
Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
This photo is another blessing from KK and his recent trip to Jamaica!
I found myself, again today,
Hiding my face in shame
For sins long past, that I’ve confessed,
Yet, for which I feel blame.
Washed my sins in Your blood,
But I still feel those sins, some days,
Sweep me up in their flood.
Has cast them far from me.
Why then do I still cling to them
When You have set me free.
He recalled Calvary?
Did Paul feel grief when he recalled
The man he used to be?
As far away from me
As the heavens are from the earth.
Too far for me to see.
That I recall my sin,
Then lift my voice in prayer that I
Won’t be that me again.
To let go what You’ve cast
As far away as east from west,
Let go of what is past
And hold instead to what is mine,
Your love true and steadfast!
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great
is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the
west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
This beautiful photo of heaven and earth is a gift from KK, from his recent trip to Jamaica
Sometimes it’s hard to see You, Lord,
When this world closes in.
It’s hard to focus on Your grace,
When all I see’s my sin.
You have been all along,
But I let sin obscure my view
When my faith wasn’t strong.
But life obstructs my view
Of who You know that I will be
When I walk close to You.
There have been days when I doubted
I’d ever get it right,
Until the fog of sin broke lose
Beneath Your perfect Light.
May change my point of view,
To focus less on all my sins
And keep my eyes on You.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.