Mother's Day, Without Her

I missed you today, more than most.

Though you’ve been gone a while,
I still expect to hear your voice
Or see your cheery smile.
 
Although my heart weeps with your loss
I’ll hope that you don’t see.
You never felt tears helped a thing,
Though mine still flow freely.
 
I know that we must carry on,
And there’s still joy out there.
You left a legacy of love
That we still need to share.
 
So, though I miss you every day
I’ll share your legacy,
And those you left behind you here
Will see your love in me.

Time With You

Today was crazy busy, Lord,

Without a single stop.
Each time I paused to catch my breath
Some new crisis would pop.
 
But now I have time to sit still
And lift a thankful praise,
I don’t know how You get me through
Some of these wilder days.
 
Yet here I sit in the still peace,
As evening settles in,
Enjoying this time spent with You…
Til it all starts again.

Mighty Works

The mountains are His handiwork,

The stars ranged through the sky.
Yet, so is the warm summer breeze
The fragile butterfly.
 
He can control the mighty winds,
Or shield the baby bird.
He is the songs the angels sing,
The silent thought unheard.
 
It isn’t that His works are grand,
Or often very small,
It isn’t the works, in themselves,
It’s that He made them all.
 
He formed them with a single thought,
The mighty and the frail,
And all the great deeds of mankind,
Beside His works, shall pale.
 
Psalm 104:24
How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

Sufficient

I’m not what some would call wealthy,

But I have food to eat.

I have a roof to keep me dry

And, when it’s cold, there’s heat.

I have a job and loving friends

Who help me when in need.

So, though most folk don’t think it’s so,

I think I’m rich, indeed.

My car is old, my house is too,

But then, Lord, so am I.

Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed

All I can do is cry.

But that is when I count them up,

The blessings that are mine,

And I can’t help but realize

That my life is quite fine.

I have not lived perfectly, Lord,

Sometimes my life’s a mess.

And there are many who have more,

But many more have less.

So one more time, Lord, let me say

What I know to be true,

That Your Grace is sufficient, Lord,

And I’ve been Blessed by You.   

2 Corinthians 12:9

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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Thanks to DR for the wonderful photo with which she has blessed this praise! I'm so grateful!

Tonight

Tonight, Lord, I will leave the praise

For someone else to write,
As I am caught up, breathlessly,
In the grace of this night.
 
The first light of the rising moon
Drifting across the bay
Brings easing to this worried mind
At closing of the day.
 
The quiet breeze, scented with spring,
That rustles in the trees,
Whispers of the elusive peace
I find when on my knees.
 
And, as the sunlight fades away,
The stars peek through night’s veil
Offering their light against the dark,
Like Your love, they won’t fail.
 
No, I will leave the praise tonight
For someone else to write,
And I will simply rest a while
In the grace of this night.

Wisdom and Peace

How is it that the smallest bird

Seems much wiser than me?
I don’t like to admit it, but
That how it seems to be.
For it sits there in perfect calm,
Knowing it’s in Gods hand,
While I spent all day worrying,
Failing to understand.
 
And though my faith was just as small
As is that little bird
Still it was big enough to raise
My worries heavenward.
The answer came repeatedly,
But still I worried on,
Until He made His point so clear
That my worries are gone.
 
The problems still lie all about,
But they don’t worry me.
For God’s own peace now fills my heart
As He said it would be.
 

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I Heard You Call

I heard you call to me, my child,

And I answered your cry.
Although you thought you were alone
I was, in fact, nearby.
 
I came to help you when you called,
Though you might not have seen.
For that is how is with me
And how it’s always been.
 
I hear the voices of the lost,
The broken and dismayed,
And I will answer when they call,
However far they’ve strayed.
 
For all my children are beloved,
I forgave them all sin,
And I will not desert them now
If I did not back then.
 
So, though you did not hear my voice
Or know that I was near,
Please trust I heard and came to You,
For you are more than dear.

Psalm 18:6
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

By Faith

I said the words so many times,

But doubted what I know.
It took someone else telling me,
Before I could let go.
 
But truth is sometimes hard to see
When fear gets in the way,
And I was so caught in my fear
I couldn’t turn away.
 
So you sent me another’s voice
To tell me what I knew.
The truth is there’s nothing to face
That I can’t face with You.
 
I now believe life can be rough,
Some days even more so,
But it is in the hardest times
That our faith starts to grow.
 
I know I’ve said it many times,
Now I believe it’s true.
Though things may be hard for me now,
By faith You’ll lead me through.

Choosing Joy

The Grace of God is everywhere,

It is everlasting,
And that alone should be enough
To teach your heart to sing!
 
Don’t be the one who stands aside
When joy is on the wing,
Take every chance life offers you
To lift your voice and sing.
The painful times will come again,
But I promise one thing,
By opening your life to joy,
You’ll find what joy can bring.
 
The Grace of God is everywhere,
It is everlasting,
And that alone should be enough
To teach your heart to sing!
 
Psalm 145:7
They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Brambles

The brambles aren’t that far away

On any given day,
But if we keep our eyes on them
We give them too much say.
For we will walk where our eyes look
And mine are turned away
From all the brambles that grow up
Along my daily way.
That doesn’t mean they are not there
To be dealt with someday,
It just means they won’t change my path,
They can’t turn me astray.
For I keep my eyes fixed on Him
Who answers when I pray.