New Beginnings

 

The New Year is upon us now,
The old year is behind,
And everyone has a fresh start
Lingering in their mind.
 
Tomorrow is another day,
Each new day holds promise.
Step out, they say, in the new year
And last year’s woes, dismiss.
 
I understand the sentiment,
It means a lot to me,
But my new year, and my fresh start
Began on Calvary.  
 
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Thanks, again, to A & KT for this amazing photo of the mountain shadow cast by Mt Rainier on the clouds over the inlet. 

His Amazing Creation

 

I stand in wonder at Your works,
How vast is the array.
The mountains, oceans, soaring clouds,
Brilliant in their display.
 
We see it every day, all day,
Until it seems mundane,
This majesty that shapes our world.
Some boring old refrain.
 
Yet, when we pause and take the time
To notice what is there,
We catch a glimpse of miracles,
So common, yet so rare.
 
The hand that formed the sturdy trees,
Also sent the soft breeze
That ripples the leaves into songs
Which cannot help but please.
 
The voice that spoke the light to life
And cast it cross the sky
Has colored it with every hue,
Enchanting to the eye.
 
The mountains rise, the ocean roars,
But each holds to its place
As if there is a greater plan,
One born of joyous grace.
 
How wondrous is His creation!
Take time to recognize
The everyday magnificence
That’s right before your eyes!
 
Psalm 96:6
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Not By Works Alone

 

We each have walked a long, dark path,
Done things we wouldn’t share,
Knowing we’ll stand before Your Throne
In our shame and despair.
 
We seek to hide behind our works,
The good we might have done,
But there is only one true hope –
The price paid by Your Son,
 
It matters that we do good works,
To prove our change of heart.
We cannot truly call Him Lord,
Without a brand new start.
 
Yet, there is nothing we can do
From the muck of disgrace
That justifies our redemption.
For that we need His grace.
 
Oh Lord, I tremble in my shame,
My soul is stained and grim,
But I hold in faith to The Word,
For I belong to Him.  
 
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Family Time

 

This day has been a crazy one,
Filled with both joy and noise.
It’s hard to think of a moment
When I felt grace or poise.
 
But then again, what matters most
Was not having control,
But having time with those I love.
It’s good for heart and soul.
 
There’s time enough in every life
For pain and sorrow, too.
We need to treasure the sweet days
When love and joy shine through.
 
Ecclesiastes 9:7
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

His Steadfast Love

 

This world was formed out of His love
And, despite all we do,
It is that same unending love
That keeps on shining through.
 
However dark and grim the night,
The dawn and light draw nigh
To cast the darkness to its knees.
His Light shines from on high.
 
He is eternal, Heaven’s King,
And His love is the same.
Call out to Him and He will hear,
There’s mercy in His name.
 
Take refuge in His loving grace,
Turn your eyes to His light.
For He has called you, you are His,
In you, He takes delight.
 
Psalm 36:7
How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

As He Loves Us - Advent - Love

 

A simple man, his simple wife,
A child born in the night.
Simple enough, until you know
He was heaven’s delight.
 
They walked a path laid long ago,
Following God’s command.
For simple as it may have seemed,
It was what He had planned.
 
They did not question the Lord’s love
For all along their way
They felt it in each step they took,
They lived it every day.
 
That same love that brought Him to earth
Was sent for all mankind,
Live it and give it back to Him
With heart and soul and mind.
 
Matthew 22:37
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

The Height and Depth of Love - Advent - Love

How wide the gorge between each heart
And the joy it once knew
Before this world did all it could
To break each heart in two.
 
Thus has it always been in life,
We struggle and we fail,
For, in the end, we bear the scars
Of all this life’s travail.
 
This world of pain is vast indeed,
But it cannot compare
To all the joy of heaven’s grace
And the love that lives there.
 
For God is not limited by
The heights and depths of earth,
It was His vast, unyielding love
That gave creation birth.
 
For He holds precious each small bird,
More so each broken heart,
And He poured out His love on earth
To give us a new start.
 
The hurt will heal, the scars will fade,
Let His love take their place.
Lift your eyes up to heaven’s heart.
Live in His loving grace!
 
Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

His Light Remains - Advent - Joy

 

The Lord of light for all the earth
Was born when dark held sway.
His birth signaled that a new thing
Had begun on that day.
 
He brought to earth not only light,
But life and joy and peace.
Fulfilling God’s promise to man,
That His grace will not cease.
 
Lift up your hearts, sing out in joy,
And let His praises ring.
For He who came to light the way
Is still heaven’s true king!
 
Psalm 97:11
Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.

Perfect Joy - Advent - Joy

Joy is such a simple thing
When seeing through my eyes,
But, when I stop to think of Him,
That joy is a surprise.
 
It isn’t just about blessings
That matter here on earth,
It’s about the greatest of all,
The blessing of His birth.
 
He gave up godhood to save us,
To give us a new chance.
When I think of what I should face,
My soul can’t help but dance!
 
I’m starting to understand now
What true joy’s meant to be…
The fact that He loved us that much
Is perfect joy to me.
 
Isaiah 24:14
They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west.

Entwined In Troubles - Advent - Joy

 

It’s easy to rejoice and sing
When this world falls in place,
But when we’re entwined in trouble,
Of joy, there is small trace.
 
Yet that is when we need our joy,
To lift our hearts in song.
It may not fix what troubles us,
But joy can make us strong.
 
A heart that finds cause to rejoice
Even when life is rough,
Will see fresh blessings everywhere,
And have more than enough.
 
Be strong and let your voice sing out,
Rejoice and hope in Him.
Let that joy lift you through all things,
Whether hope filled or grim.
 
Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.