Prickly Days

There will be days when things go wrong

That you had thought were right
And all that you had well in hand
Is scattered out of sight.
Those days can be more painful than
They’ve any right to be,
But no one said that life was meant
To pass by easily.
 
Lift up your heart, despite it all,
For life can still be sweet,
Even if there’s a bed of thorns
Scattered about your feet.
The painful moments will pass by
And joy will come again.
Therefore keep your thoughts on the joy
And put aside the pain.

Our Children

They are such precious little hearts,

They mean the world to me.
Oh Lord, please keep them safe from harm,
Let them live joyously.
 
Please teach them to be wise and strong,
Then give them wings to fly.
They may not always succeed, Lord,
But let them always try.
 
Please help them grow to be more than
I ever hoped to be,
For they are all I leave behind,
They are the best of me.
 
Please set them high upon Your rock
Shielding them as they grow,
Then give them purpose in Your plan,
And let them boldly go!
 
Psalm 27:5
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.

Move a Mountain

I fear I may have gone astray,

And not for the first time.
The clear path that I’d been walking,
Is now an uphill climb.
 
I know where I am meant to go,
But not how to get there.
I have to find another path
Or give in to despair.
 
But You are calling out to me,
So, my Lord, come what may,
I’ll move this mountain to reach You
And faith will lead the way.
 
Matthew 17:20
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

A Moment's Peace

There is a peace within me now,

Since I spent time with You.
The world is still in chaos, Lord,
But You will us through.
 
I only had a few moments,
But, Lord, it was enough.
For now I have the peace I need
To stand when things get rough.
 
I have the hope I need to last
Beyond the longest night
Until the darkness is broken
By morning’s perfect light.
 
The world is broken, this I know.
There’s nothing I can do,
But, Lord, my soul finds rest and peace,
And hope when I’m with You.
 
Psalm 62:5
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

At The Edge

I’m standing at the edge of choice,

Turn back or wade on in?
I don’t know what might lie ahead,
Behind’s the life that’s been.
 
I’m hesitant to move ahead,
Not knowing what’s in store,
But I don’t think that I’ll have long
To linger on this shore.
 
I’ve walked in faith for all my life,
That walk now nears its end.
I leave behind me all I’ve known,
Both enemy and friend,
 
And turn my face to the promise
That He gave long ago,
Wondering if I’ve done enough
That can freely go.
 
What legacy do I leave here
When I, at last, depart?
How will my life be reflected
When Heaven sees my heart?
 
Proverbs 27:19
As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.

I have so many loved ones recently lost or fighting for their lives right now. When I found this old picture it just made me think of how I might feel when I come to that line...

In Your Light

I wandered so long in the night,

The moon was my best friend,

And I was unaware of what

Might lie at the night’s end.

But when the night grew dark and cold,

I quivered in my fright

And called to You to rescue me,

Renouncing the dark night.

I felt warmth on my face again,

The world quickly grew bright,

And all my fears scattered and fled

In Heaven’s cleansing light. 

Sometimes I think back on the night

And on the life I knew.

It’s in such times that I rejoice

That I now live in You!

Psalm 89:15 

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

Stop Looking Back

It seemed that I always looked back

Recounting my mistakes.
I wasn't inclined to skip one
Or give me any breaks.
 
I’d count them and I’d flail myself
For living with such sin.
I’d ask forgiveness for the wrongs,
Then flail myself again.
 
It didn’t matter that I knew
That I’d been forgiven,
I still carried the memories
Of each and every sin.
 
One night as I lay in despair
And shame at all I’d done
Knowing that forgiveness was mine,
A gift I had not won,
 
I read the words that finally
Broke through the endless blame
And allowed me to let go of
A whole lifetime of shame.
 
The words appeared so mundanely,
But in answer to prayer.
If He has forgotten my sins
Why should I give them care?
 
I understand that, by His death,
He cast them far from me
And I will no longer call back
Sins from which I am free.
 
Psalm 103:12
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Proverbs 4:23

Be sure to guard your heart, He said,

For it’s precious to me,
I placed a love within its walls
Of greatest purity.
 
I made it strong enough to bear
The pain that life may bring
By bracing it with joy enough
That it knows how to sing.
 
With charity and compassion,
Wisdom and a few tears,
I’ve given it the grace it needs
To brighten all your years.
 
Be sure to guard your heart, my child,
From it, all you do, flows.
Be careful what you plant in it,
And from it, what then grows.
 
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Doing

Sometimes you make it very hard,

To do as I should do,
I guess that really is the point
That I need to get to.
 
I read the word, well most of it,
And try to share it, too.
But that, I’ve come to understand,
Is not enough for You.
 
It seems that I am expected
To live the word, as well!
And that’s where things get trickier
For me, as You can tell.
 
I'm pretty good at talking, Lord,
I do it all the time,
In fact I do it well in prose
And even, sometimes, rhyme.
 
But doing, that’s a harder thing,
It seems, for me to do.
Are You certain that doing is
That important to You?
 
Okay, I won’t sit here and sigh.
Doing must be begun,
And, though it may be difficult,
I’ll get that doing done.
 
James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Where I can Hear

I seek You where the world is still 

And I can hear Your voice
Where I can see You most clearly.
I seek You there, by choice.
I know that I can find You on
The crowded noisy street,
But I could not hear what You say
Where man and machine meet.
 
So I will go where I can hear,
Your quiet whispering
And where I know my heart will find
Enough joy left to sing.
I’ll seek You in the quiet world,
Of lakes and mountains grand.
For I hear You most easily
When standing in Your hand.
 
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.”

Another gorgeous photo from my Aunt JSK. Lake Jenny near Jackson Hole, she said. Perfect!!