Far From Perfect

 

I may not live a perfect life,
But then, I’m not perfect,
And yet, You’ve called me to be Yours
Despite each clear defect.
 
You washed me in Your perfect grace,
Then set my life on track
To live, to serve, to share Your word
That no soul suffers lack.
 
I still am not always my best,
And that’s where faith comes in.
I don’t give up, sit down and weep.
I rise and try again.
 
For I am walking toward joy
Before Your throne some day.
Not by my works, but by Your grace
That washed my sins away.
 
Neither my life, nor I, myself
Will be perfect on earth,
But You who were and who still are
Restored in me new worth.
 
Philippians 3:12 
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
 
Ecclesiastes 7:20 
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Taking Time To Listen

 

Taking some time to just be still,
That moment in between
The hectic pace of day to day
Which often goes unseen.
 
That one still moment between breaths
When I can hear His voice
And feel His hand upon my head.
I’ll just sit and rejoice.
 
Too often I forget to pause
And listen with my heart,
Not to what the world has to say,
But what He will impart.
 
I know that He is King and Lord,
His wisdom exceeds mine.
Yet, in that stillness I can catch
A word, a hope divine.
 
Tonight, I need to hear His voice,
Tonight I will be still.
Tomorrow I will rise in joy
And work to do His will.
 
Mark 4:39
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
 
Psalm 46:10 
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Hard Times and Dark Valleys

 

However dark the valley is,
He’s walking by our side.
Though we bear grief and sorrow here,
He knows each tear we’ve cried.
 
Why must we face trials and pain
When we belong to Him?
How could He love us and let us
Walk through valleys so grim?
 
When the path lies smooth before us
We tend to go our way,
But when that path gets hard, painful,
We tend to stop and pray.
 
We have to understand this life
Is not an easy thing,
Believing we’re good on our own,
Adds more pain to the sting.
 
Yet, when we walk through, trusting Him
And leaning on His grace,
Then fear and worry start to ease
And peace grows in their place.
 
All that this world may throw at us,
That exceeds our control,
Is still within His sight, His plan,
And He treasures each soul.
 
Don’t fear the valley or the pain,
However harsh and grim.
His plan’s in place, He’s by your side,
Just keep walking with Him.
 
Romans 8:28 
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
 
Proverbs 3:5 
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Share What You Have Received

 

The little moments of sorrow
Mingle with those of joy,
As memories of yesterday
Bubble up and aren’t coy,
 
I saw the roses in the bed,
Planted there years ago,
And still blooming with such delight.
There’s joy watching them grow.
 
My father planted them, and then
My mother kept them strong.
I’ve lost them both to heaven’s realm,
But the rose blooms along.
 
I guess the moral of the tale
Is that, though we are gone,
The blessings that we leave behind
Can thrive and carry on.
 
Take time to offer God’s sweet grace
To those you meet each day.
Those blessings He first gave to you,
Share with those on your way.
 
Hebrews 13:16 
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
 
Proverbs 11:25 
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

Work As For The Lord

 

Be patient and be diligent,
Working within His plan.
Let your work bring honor to Him,
And help your fellow man.
 
It need not be a masterpiece,
For God can take small things
And, from the whisper of a word,
Exquisite beauty springs.  
 
He has not called us to achieve
Perfection on our own,
But to work faithfully knowing
We’re not working alone.
 
The work we do with diligence
And with a joyful heart
Is the beginning, from which He
Creates a work of art.
 
Don’t be ashamed of humble work,
But, keeping Him in mind,
You may well find yourself in awe
At what He has designed.
 
Colossians 3:23 
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
 
Proverbs 16:3 
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Of All The Blessings

 

The blessings just keep piling up,
There’s more to count each day.
Even when I forget to look
They’re right there on display.
 
There, at the bottom of the stack,
The one on which all stand,
Is the redemption found in Christ
That rests within God’s hand.
 
There are no greater blessings in
This world that you can count,
And all that we’ve received since then
Have been on His account.
 
Keep your heart open to His word,
Your ears to hear His call,
And your eyes turned to His blessings
That you may see them all.
 
Most of all, keep your thoughts on Him,
The foundation upon
Which all your blessings have been laid.
He is your redemption.
 
Luke 15:10
Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
 
Psalm 107:2 
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble

Just Needed A Break

 

I stepped away to seek the peace
That I needed to find.
When this world starts moving too fast
That peace gets left behind.
 
It’s not something purposely done,
It just works out that way,
But that leaves me needing to find
Some time to get away.
 
So many things have changed for me
Over the past few years
There’s been some days of boundless joy,
And a few days of tears.
 
A different place, the same joy,
Just in a brand new way.
Still, I find myself looking for
A chance to step away.
 
It’s not the change that weighs on me,
But finding, now and then,
I can’t keep up with all the things
I used to do back when.
 
The peace I find within His grace
Helps me rest and restore,
Then I can get back up again
And carry on, once more!
 
1 Peter 5:7 
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
 
Psalm 119:76 
Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.

Unchanging Love

 

Days move swiftly, years rush by,
The end draws closer now.
Yet, You remain unchanged through all
Of life’s changes, somehow.
 
I went to bed, worries piled high.
It was hours before
Sleep, at last, calmed my thoughts enough
To rest and to restore.
 
I woke up wondering what next,
Forgetting Who prevails.
The day brought a swift reminder
That Your grace never fails.
 
All that worried me through the night,
Lay answered in the dawn.
Even questions I’d not yet asked,
Were settled and are gone.
 
You didn’t scold my lack of faith,
You healed it with Your grace
And reminded me that You have
The pieces well in place.
 
The world still turns and time moves on,
Nothing remains the same
Except for Your unfailing love.
That’s always ours to claim.
 
Colossians 1:17 
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
 
Psalm 143:8 
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Caught Rejoicing

 

In joy, it leapt from the tree branch
And floated through the air,
Intending to rest with its friends.
It never made it there.
 
An unforeseen event occurred,
A silken spider’s strand
Caught it as it was sailing by.
Not quite what it had planned.
 
Now it is hanging in mid air.
Not what it had in mind,
But, somehow, it still seems joyful,
In no rush to unbind.
 
You see, it’s still dancing up there,
In bright colored delight.
It doesn’t seem to mind having
A little longer flight.
 
For there are blessings in all things,
Though sometimes hard to see,
But, when we take time to rejoice
They’re clear as they can be.
 
The Lord has plans that we can’t know
Before we take that leap,
But we can trust, through all that comes,
The promise He will keep.
 
For He has promised us His love,
And, when we’re weak, His strength,
And that He will stay close by us.
Bringing us though, at length.
 
I hope the next snag in my plans
Will cause me to rejoice.
Like that bright leaf, joy in all things
Is a gift and a choice.
 
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
 
Isaiah 40:29 
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Walk In Faith, Hold To Grace

Walking in faith, holding to grace,
That’s the way through this life.
Sadly, I can be a wayward child,
Which often ends in strife.
 
You give me guidance as I walk,
Lead me along the way,
But I keep trying to take charge
And ending up astray.
 
I don’t intend to argue with
The Creator of all,
But now and then I’m distracted
By this world’s siren call.
 
Until I realize, once more,
I’m fighting the wrong fight.
I turn around, get back on track,
Walking the path that’s right.
 
It’s good to know my wayward ways
Can’t keep me from Your grace.
That was a gift given by You,
And faith holds it in place.
 
Please help me keep my feet on track,
Cast distractions aside.
Then walk in faith, and hold to grace,
Staying close by Your side.
 
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.
 
Romans 6:14 
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.