Blessed Unsparingly

 

A gentle breeze, the rustling grass,
Sunset over the sea,
Even the hummingbird who stopped
By unexpectedly.
So many quiet blessings, Lord,
Each one precious to me.
Yet, the greatest gift of them all
Is having eyes to see
That they are blessings, gifts of love
You gave unsparingly.
 
Psalm 115:13
He will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great.

In You, Everything

 

When this world weighs down on my heart
Until I feel bereft,
I still know I have everything
If You’re all I have left.
 
You help me find the joy in life
When all I see is pain.
You lead me back into Your peace,
Away from stress and strain.
 
You taught me how to be much more
Than I, alone, could be.
Because You’ve healed me, heart and soul,
There’s more of You in me.  
 
When it seems I have nothing left,
I lift my heart and sing
In the sure knowledge that, in You,
I still have everything.
 
Daniel 4:2-3
It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

Learning To Forgive

 

There’s always been sin in this world,
We each have done our part.
Yet, there can be forgiveness, too.
If we give Him our heart.
 
He taught us how to offer grace
By giving it to us.
Our sacrifice won’t be as great,
Though we complain and fuss.
 
Sometimes it’s pride, sometimes it’s pain
That leads us to hold back
From giving the grace we’ve received.
His compassion, we lack.
 
Yet, if we offer up our hearts
To Him whose grace we need,
Then we will find we have enough,
Our own grace, to concede.
 
It still amazes me, at times,
How quickly small seeds grow
If they’re the seeds of forgiveness
That He taught us to sow.
 
Colossians 3:13
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Seek Him And Rejoice

 

We seek the Lord where we believe
We’ll find Him easily.
Though all creation is His home,
We look where we can see.
 
For some He’s waiting in the church,
For some, a wise friend’s side.
For some, it’s in His handiwork
He’s likely to reside.
 
Stop rushing through your every day,
Take time to seek His voice.
Stop calling out in frustration.
Be still, listen, rejoice.
 
For He is always attentive
When we reach out to Him.
Seek Him and He will answer you.
Then raise a joyful hymn!
 
Seek Him where you feel close to Him,
Wherever that may be.
In time you’ll find He’s everywhere,
Listening patiently.
 
Psalm 105:3-4
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Another beautiful photo from the Scottish coast of the North Sea. Thank you, ATF!! 

Darkness Is As Light

 

I’ve walked through troubles, harsh and grim,
Through shame, despair and grief,
But my road’s never been too dark
For Your loving relief.
 
I’ve lost my way along the path
More than a time or two,
But I was never too far gone
For Your love to shine through.
 
Even within my darkest times,
Your love was a clear light
That called me back from the abyss
 Of an unending night.
 
However dark the path I walked
To You it was light still.
You kept me always in Your sight.
I know You always will. 
 
Now, when I walk a darkened path,
I know Your light’s still there,
And with it, too, Your loving grace.
I see it everywhere.
 
Psalm 139:11-12
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

Walking In The Same Way

 

Oh Lord, I used to pray each night
You’d keep me close to You,
Since I know I am prone to stray,
As we all seem to do.
 
I thought, if I could hold Your robe,
To keep close by Your side,
I’d know how to step out with faith,
And not my anxious stride.
 
I knew that You were with me, Lord,
Still, I could barely see
The path that I needed to walk
To be who I should be.
 
Until I realized the truth
That Your teachings evoke.
You set the path and marked our way
With every word You spoke.
 
I don’t need to reach for Your robe,
But for Your words instead,
For I am closest to Your path
Living each word You’ve said.
 
Now, I pray I’ll stay close to You
And not go far astray
By holding on to every word
You spoke to mark the way!
 
1 John 2:5b-6
By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Another thank you to ATF for this photo of an ancient Viking built wall in Scotland.

And Not Be Weary

 

The eagle, in its majesty,
Often receives my praise,
But I have my eyes fixed upon
More humble things these days.
 
I saw them on the beach last week,
Both being who they are,
And it occurred to me that I’d
Overlooked them, so far.
 
The eagle is impressive, still,
But this small sand piper
Reminded me of the calling
To which I should defer.
 
The gull stood watching the piper
Who ran upon the shore.
It never tired or slowed down,
With each wave, it ran more.
 
It went about the task at hand
Unwavering and strong.
The gull stood waiting for handouts
That never came along.
 
It was as if, that sand piper
Worked faithfully to do
What it had been placed on the earth
To do, to see it through.
 
I caught my breath as I heard You
Remind me that I too
Have been given a calling which
You’ve asked me to pursue.
 
It’s not one that will bring great fame,
It’s quite simple, in fact.
To share Your Word, Your love, with those
With whom I interact.
 
I may not fly on eagle’s wings
With all that majesty,
But working for Your glory, Lord,
I will not grow weary.

Isaiah 40:31
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Sabbath - From Rest To Restoration

 

It started as a day of rest
To honor creation,
But it became something greater
When His work here was done.
 
He died to pay the price of sin,
But when He rose once more
He changed what mankind values most…
Who waits at heaven’s door.
 
We went from Sabbath’s day of rest
To resurrection day
All those who call Him Lord honor
The price He had to pay.
 
Though we still rest, it’s in His grace,
And by His blood we’re free.
A gift beyond mere creation,
New souls for you and me.
 
Mark 2:27-28
And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Another blessing of joy from ATF and Scotland. 

The Fullness Thereof

The earth and all within its sphere,
From mountains to the sea,
Were formed by Him, in His delight,
 To share with you and me.
 
He calls us His and yields to us
A creation so vast
That it will still be fresh and new
When mankind is long past.
 
We are but shadows, a soft wind
That ruffles the tall grass,
Yet He deemed us worthy of love
That will not fail or pass.
 
The earth is His, as are we all,
It is as He has planned.
Let every heart and soul rejoice
That we live in His hand.
 
Psalm 24:1-2
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. 

This beautiful photo of the North Sea and its shoreline in Scotland is another precious blessing from ATF. 

Turning Into The Light

 

I turn my face up to the Lord,
The Son who lights my way,
And let the Holy Spirit wash
This week’s worries away.
 
I rejoice in a busy week,
And in a time of rest.
I let His Light lead me through both.
I trust that He knows best.
 
I’ll let the world fade for a while,
His Light upon my face,
And walk into a day of rest
Rejoicing in His grace.
 
John 1:4
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.