Not An Easy Path

 
The path through life is not easy,
And we’ve all gone astray.
Either by error or design,
We got lost on the way.
 
This is the way that life has been
Since we left Eden’s gate.
Arrogance led us far from Him
And won for us this fate.
 
The one comfort I take in life,
Is knowing, right or wrong,
The path I take, my Shepherd sees,
And His love remains strong.
 
Those lambs who stay close by His side,
Are blessed beyond all doubt,
But those who choose to wander off
Soon learn what fear’s about.
 
The night grows dark, the wolves close in,
And we see our mistake.
We cry out to Him, He is there.
We’re saved for His love’s sake.
 
For that is why He came to earth,
To save those who are lost.
It mattered so much to Him that
He paid a fearful cost.
 
That’s why when He brings lost lambs home,
Rescued from life’s travails,
All of the heavens sing with joy,
For His grace still prevails!!
 
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
 
Luke 15:7
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Getting Back On Track

 

Sometimes I need to stop and say
What often goes unsaid,
Thank You for that that old two by four
You used upside my head.
 
I wasn’t listening to You
When I went my own way,
But You were watching over me
As I wandered astray.
 
You just kept nudging me to turn,
Get back on the right track,
So, when I didn’t listen, Lord,
You gave my head a smack.
 
Okay, I’m paraphrasing some,
But if You had not done
What it took to get me turned back,
Who knows how far I’d run.
 
I focus my sight on my plans,
But You can see much more.
What I have laid out in my head,
May not be what’s in store.
 
So, once again, I thank You, Lord,
For watching over me,
And making me stop to listen,
Then go where I should be.
 
Psalm 119:132-133
Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
 
Psalm 23:3   
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

This delightful photo is a blessing from AC taken on her trip to Africa a few years back. 

The Warrior Defends

It’s hard, sometimes, to find the words
That my heart and soul seek.
Today it is of sacrifice
And love that I will speak.
 
Christ set for us the example,
He died to set us free.
Now those who live and follow Him
Know how blessed we can be.
 
Yet, even among mortal men
There are those who give all,
So those they love can know freedom
And peace, not live in thrall.
 
I walked the path of Soldier’s child,
And stood among the brave,
But now and then that meant I bowed,
Heart broken, at their grave.
 
So many cannot understand,
And I don’t call that shame,
All that a child grows up with when
“Service Brat” is their claim.
 
There’s strength and honor, pride and fear,
And so much more to life
For those who live with those who serve
To face down war and strife.
 
I’ve seen so many say goodbye,
And some who can’t let go.
While some, like me, were luckier,
My dad watched his kids grow.
 
Yet, through it all one thread remains,
As Christ assured His friends,
They loved us, fought and died for us.
The Warrior defends.
 
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Healed Through Faith, Not Law

 

It was the laws that God gave man,
Which we have each broken,
That set punishment in motion
For each appalling sin.
 
Like you, I was covered in sin
That I could not wash clean,
But He carried them to the cross.
Now they’re no longer seen.
 
Instead, where sins once covered me,
Blessings adorn me now.
I trusted in Him, and that faith,
His healing did allow.  
 
Each sin that marked a life of shame,
I now view with relief,
For He has turned them from disgrace
Into proof of belief.
 
I stand not in pride for those sins,
But for the boundless grace
That healed them and now lets me wear
His blessings in their place.
 
Galatians 2:16
yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

My Favorite Lullaby

 

The day had been long and hurried,
But filled with great delight,
And it was with satisfaction
That I welcomed the night.  
 
I settled in, said my prayers
And tried to get some sleep,
But my thoughts were restless with
Their own timeline to keep.  
 
I almost gave up, but just then
I heard my lullaby.
The one sound that lulls me to sleep,
And I don’t have to try.
 
A gentle rumble, distant, soft,
But drawing slowly near.
A flash of light, the rolling sound
Of thunder, close and clear.
 
I know that most people don’t sleep
With that much noise about,
But for me that song from heaven
Is what sleep’s all about.
 
My weather app had said no rain
Expected for two days,
But God’s thoughts are higher than man’s,
His ways are higher ways.
 
I settled in and said thank You
To Him who sent me this.
I felt like a small child, once more,
Who got a good night kiss.

Isaiah 55:9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
 
Psalm 107:8
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!

In Awe And Wonder

 

He rested there above the pond
With four feet in the air,
Peacefully balancing himself
Without worry or care.
 
He reminded me of the psalms
That call the Lord our rock,
Our refuge in times of worry,
And that made me take stock.
 
Do I see Him as my refuge,
My fortress in each gale?
Do I hold the Lord as my shield
Whose strength will never fail?
 
I pray I don’t just check the box,
Then blah blah blah amen
When talking to, or thinking on
The creator of men.
 
The wondrous King who formed the earth,
And called light from the dark.
He who redeemed His wayward lambs,
Renewed in them His spark.
 
The fortress, the deliverer,
Wondrous beyond all thought!
The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,
Who, all creation, wrought.
 
I know someday I will see Him
In His splendid array,
For now, I’ll hold Him in great awe
When I reach out each day.
 
I may need to remind myself
Of that truth every dawn,
So I can then rest on the Rock
That David rested on.
 
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Even in Brambles, Rejoice

 

It stood alone among the weeds
And bloomed with great delight,
It gave no notice to the rest,
Its joy shown clear and bright.
 
The weeds and brambles, fierce and grim,
Could not deter that joy.
It chose to rejoice despite all
Their efforts to annoy.
 
I stood confused that such delight
Thrived in such disarray,
Until I realized the truth
So clearly on display.
 
It doesn’t matter where we are
Or what we’re walking through,
If our roots run deep in Your Word,
We will rejoice in You.
 
Philippians 4:4-5
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

To Quench My Thirst In You

I have this unquenchable thirst
That’s too common these days.
It is a thirst for time with You,
In Your Word and in praise.
 
I find myself at a fast pace
More often than I’ve planned.
I’m chasing my tail when, instead,
I should rest in Your hand.
 
Oh Lord, I praise You that just now,
In the midst of my day,
I found myself, by grace, no doubt,
With a moment to pray.
 
I lifted up to You my plea
For time to quench my thirst,
And wisdom to put my pace last
That I may put You first.
 
I turned away from this day’s race
To read Your Word and pray.
To quench the thirst that parched my soul
And make this a blessed day.
 
I thank You that You understood
Before I ever knew
That what this world drains out of me
Is always there in You.
 
Matthew 6:31-32
Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 

Give Comfort In Times Of Grief

 

We each have carried the burden
Of grief too great to bear,
And yet we’ve had to find the strength
To live with our despair.
 
Because we understand such grief,
You’d think we’d know the way
To comfort someone who now fights
To keep such grief at bay.
 
Alas, that is not how grief works.
For each, the pain’s our own.
Try though we might we cannot heal
The pains we haven’t known.
 
I cannot heal their broken heart
Or mend the hole it leaves,
Nor can I take away the fears
And pain of one who grieves.
 
I cannot bid them walk my path,
For their healing’s not mine.
What I can do is give their grief
To the healer Divine.
 
For He can heal the broken heart
And make it whole again.
That’s comfort beyond the power
Of any mortal man.
 
I know because He has healed me
From more than one heartbreak,
And I know He will heal them, too.
His comfort’s theirs to take.
 
The greatest comfort I can share
Is God’s love and His grace,
And simply staying close until
God’s healing can take place.
 
2 Corinthians 1:4
who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
 
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

I Will Follow You

 

I thought I heard You call my name,
But it could not be so,
For I’m not worthy to be called,
As You and I both know.
 
I heard You call my name once more,
And felt my soul cry out,
“Oh Lord, You know the life I’ve lived.
Of that I have no doubt.”
 
“How could You call me to Your grace,
Knowing who I have been?
The life I’ve lived has been far from
A life lived without sin.”
 
I heard You call me one more time,
Reminding me that You,
Having full knowledge of my sins,
Have cleansed me of them, too.
 
I realized that You have called
Those worse than I have been,
And taught them how to find the lost,
Become fishers of men.
 
If those who once were lost, then found
Can serve You faithfully,
Then I know You have grace enough
For a lost soul like me.
 
Lord, I have heard You call my name,
And I will follow You.
Please lead me with Your truth, Your light,
That I may serve You, too.
 
Psalm 43:3
Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

This sweet photo is a gift from AC and her trip to Africa a few years back. 

The Path That Leads To You

 

You laid the path before me, Lord,
And I’m called to walk through
The struggles that increase my faith
And draw me close to You.
 
Sometimes the path is clearly marked,
Sometimes it’s hard to see.
There have been days when I broke down
And cried out, “Lord, why me?”
 
Yet, each and every step I take,
I take trusting that You,
Who set this path before my feet,
Will help me walk it through.
 
I know that my strength comes from You
For I’ve none of my own,
And any wisdom I have gleaned
Comes from the seeds You’ve sown.
 
I pray I keep hearing Your voice
With every step I take,
And that I follow where You lead
For my weary soul’s sake.
 
However hard or steep the path,
I know You’re guiding me,
And I’ll find my way home to You,
Where my heart longs to be.
 
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.'”
 
Philippians 4:13
“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

Praise Him And Rejoice

 

Lift up your voices, sing in praise
And glorify the Lord!
Let all His children shout with joy,
For, in Him, you’re restored.
 
Lift up your praises to The Son,
And let your songs be heard.
For He who cleansed you, loves you still!
Proclaim to all, His Word.
 
Rejoice that God’s Spirit still lives
Within the hearts of man.
He will not leave or forsake you!
Rejoice in God’s great plan.
 
Blessed are the children of The Lord,
For you serve Heaven’s King.
Let all your voices praise His name,
Lift up your hearts and sing!!
 
Psalm 92:1-2
It is 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

Get Thee Behind Me

 

Satan’s calling to the world
And many hear his voice.
Thinking they will hold great power,
They make an evil choice
 
I see him upon the pulpit,
He’s smiling as he lies,
Twisting the truths that God gave us,
Working your soul’s demise.
 
I see his demons bow in the streets,
Demanding you do, too,
That their demonic overlord
Might take your soul from you.
 
I seem them screeching, condemning
All that God’s declared good,
Destroying what they do not own
Because they think they should.

 
Serving the darkness in the world,
Turning away the Light,
Will not lead them to earthly wealth,
But to eternal night.
 
So many voices crying out
In pursuit of his plan
Shall find that serving satan’s will
Does not end well for man.
 
For, if you serve him here on earth,
You’ll serve him, too, in hell.
That service is void of all hope.
Turn back, don’t heed his spell.
 
Put him behind you, walk away,
Take hold of God’s promise.
His is the Word, the Light we seek,
All satan’s calls, dismiss.
 
Matthew 4:9-10
And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

Two Are Better Than One

 

They worked in pairs, spreading His Word
As He'd called them to do.
He knew they’d be more confident
If they worked two by two.
 
So is it still, in many things,
Two are stronger than one,
And when we help each other out
We get so much more done.
 
Don’t spend your days asking for help
Reach out and lend a hand.
You’ll find what’s given out of grace,
Returns ever more grand.
 
God’s plan’s not that we walk alone,
But, walking two by two,
We help each other on the way
As He’s called us to do.
 
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

In Him I Am Strong

 

The butterfly spread out its wings,
Perfect in each detail,
Except that it was missing part
Of its bright colored tail.
 
We each have flaws or weaknesses
Born of our own travails,
And we may have faced ridicule,
Mocking those flawed details.
 
Yet, much like that bright butterfly,
Perceptions can mislead,
For He who formed us, loves us still,
And He will meet each need.
 
We live, not by our strength alone,
But by His perfect grace.
The power we lack in ourselves,
We find in His embrace.
 
It may not make each day easy,
But, what it does instead,
Is teach us to trust in Him first,
As Paul notably said.
 
Let us rejoice and carry on
In faith through each travail,
And, by the way, that butterfly
Flew blithely with no tail!
 
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The End Of The Pier

 

For most of us, the end will come
Outside what we can see,
But, for a few, the end’s in view,
As clear as it can be.
 
Whether by illness or design,
We see the end draw nigh,
And that can lead most to despair,
No matter how we try.
 
The storms of life can rise quickly
And fill our hearts with fear,
We see them rise up, sweep across
The far end of life’s pier.
 
I understand the fear some know
At the end of this road,
We count all we’d chose to re-do,
How we could shift the load.
 
We fall upon our knees in grief,
Regrets for what’s undone,
And wish we could have one more chance,
Once more around the sun.
 
Yet, those of us, who know Jesus
And recall Peter’s fate,
Understand, when we start to sink,
His mercy won’t be late.
 
When Peter first started to sink,
Jesus took hold of him
And lifted him back to His side,
Though Peter’s faith was dim.
 
I may not know just how it’s done,
But I harbor no doubt
That, when I step off of life’s pier,
Jesus will pull me out.
 
I’m in no rush to reach pier’s end,
My life’s full to the brim,
But, when I hear Him bid me come…
I’m running right to Him.
 
Matthew 14:29-31
He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

You Do Not Forsake Me

 

The path before me lay obscured
By all the sins I’ve known.
There were so many, vast, varied,
All the bad seeds I’d sown.
 
I had become blind to the way
That would lead me back home.
I was without the hope of peace,
Condemned ever to roam.
 
I called out to You in despair,
Oh Lord, please lead me back
From this dark trail I’ve walked too long.
Get me back on Your track.
 
There in the dark, a soft light shown,
The path began to clear.
Though I could see just the next step,
I felt Your peace draw near.
 
I took that step, holding to faith
That You’d show me one more.
Each step marked my path back to You,
To redeem and restore.   
 
Though I’d let myself go astray,
You did not forsake me.
When I turned back, You heard my cry.
You love me patiently.
 
Isaiah 42:16
And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.

The Unexpected Delights

The party was well underway
When she came on the scene.
She watched from her seat, out of reach,
Hoping to go unseen.
 
Yet, one by one, the party guests
Noticed her arrival
And whispered with a hint or awe.
She held the crowd in thrall.
 
She wasn’t some grand movie star,
Some purveyor of song,
Yet everyone else who was there
Was glad she came along.
 
She didn’t stay for the whole night,
Just long enough to share
The sweet delight her presence brought
To everybody there.
 
I know you’re likely wondering
What praise this tale will raise,
But sometimes it’s not miracles
That delight and amaze.
 
It’s simply the fact that He knows
Just how to make my day
A little more delightful than
Any plan I might lay.
 
Psalm 37:4
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”   

This sweet photo was taken on my phone from across the yard, so it's a bit blurry. I hope it conveys the joy that we all felt when she joined the party for a while. 

My Heart Sings Out

 

I turn my face toward the Lord.
To Him I lift my praise,
For He has blessed my path in life
And will for all my days.
 
Though I may struggle now and then,
I do not fear my fate,
For His is an unyielding love
And it is never late.
 
He knew me before I was born,
He knows me still today,
And He will still call me His child
When this world melts away.
 
I turn my face toward the Lord,
And He keeps watch on me.
My coming in, my going out,
There’s nothing He won’t see.  
 
My heart sings out in praise to Him,
And it will all my days.
Let heaven and earth sing with me
In songs of joyous praise!
 
Psalm 67:1-3
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that our way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!

The Strength Of My Heart

 

Oh Lord, there’s so much I must face
Over the next few days,
But I have fixed my thoughts on You
And not on what dismays.
 
Each day will bring what it will bring,
But this I know is true,
I’ll walk through each day as it comes
Because I walk with You.
 
It sounds so trite to say it, Lord,
Yet You have assured me
That everywhere this life may lead
You will already be.
 
That’s why I can lay down tonight
Not fearing what I’ll face,
For I will rise up in the dawn
And hold fast to Your grace.
 
Psalm 73:25-26
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Not One Of Them Will Fall

 

Oh Lord, You see even small things
That happen every day.
The sparrows in the cedar trees
Sing with joy as they play.
 
As tiny as they are, I know
They rest within Your hand,
And not a feather hits the ground
That isn’t as You’ve planned.
 
So, You have said it is also
With my head’s every hair,
That’s why I sleep in peace each night.
I know that You are there.  
 
No sparrow falls outside Your sight,
And it’s also been said
That You know the number in full
Of each hair on my head.
 
As I’ve grown older I find joy
In knowing, most of all,
That You are watching me all day…
For that’s how fast they fall.
 
Those little sparrows have sweet chicks
And each add to the count,
But, at my age, my hair thins fast,
A swiftly flowing fount.
 
I know I’m being silly, Lord,
As I’m inclined to be,
But I’m grateful Your eye’s on both
Those small sparrows and me.
 
Matthew 10:29-30
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

Renew In Me

 

I’ve walked this earth for many years
And seen all kinds of sin.
There have been far too many, Lord,
That I’ve partaken in.
 
Yet, I have returned to the fold
Of my Shepherd’s mercy,
And I would ask You, by Your grace,
To cleanse my sin from me.
 
Restore in me a loving heart
And a forgiving mind
That I may offer others, Lord,
The same mercies I find.
 
Teach me once more to seek Your will,
Let go my restless soul,
That I may never lose hold of
The peace that makes me whole.
 
Renew me, Lord, and cleanse my heart
Remove from me all stain.
May Your Light reflect from my soul
And no darkness remain.
 
Psalm 51:1-2,10
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Little Chores, Great Blessings

 

You’ve kept me busy through the days
And I’ve slept wearily,
But I count each day to my joy,
Blessings You’ve given me.
 
I know I’m not called to great things,
And that suits me just fine,
Because I love the little chores
That You’ve set to be mine.  
 
The day-to-day labors of love,
All those helped on the way,
Are such great blessings in my life.
They mean more than I say.
 
Thank You for knowing me so well,
And those things I do best.
I may be weary by day’s end,
But grateful to be blessed.  
 
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.