The Gift
The presents are all wrapped; the bows are tied tight;
The rest of the family's asleep for the night.
It's my turn to ponder; it's my time to think;
I must wrap my mind around what's on the brink.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, time to reflect,
Not just on presents we've come to expect.
We honor the son of God, wrapped up in skin,
The King of Kings, Lord of Lords, destined to win.
I stop to remember, though, not just a king,
My savior was born in a manger, we sing.
Surrounded by squaller, by animals and hay.
His cradle, a manger, that first Christmas Day.
Perhaps this foreshadowed that he would become
The spotless lamb, born to die, bringing us home.
A sacrifice worthy my sins to atone,
To reunite my heart with God's, never alone.
The blood he shed many years after his birth
Paid for man's sin, giving us hope to find worth.
For there on the cross, Jesus suffered in pain,
Not just a barnyard lamb, a sacrifice slain.
God's Word has the answers for what this all means.
His blood makes me worthy! His blood makes me clean!
His life for mine, how can it be? I'll never know.
This great love, all through time, has never been shown.
My soul sings in wonder, while my dear ones sleep!
I can rest well tonight! My soul He keeps!
He's not just my king, and He's not just the lamb;
This Gift is my closest Friend-the Great I AM!
When I'm hungry He feeds; when frantic He calms;
When I'm buried in grief, His love is my balm.
He cheers me up, dries my tears, then leads me on.
He helps me to know Him more, each passing dawn.
If you, my friend, don't know the joy of this gift,
I'd like to share Him with you, your pain He'll lift.
Although we're all tainted with sin from the fall.
This gift from The Lord above is for us all!
Not just for a chosen few, He wants to give,
His Gift of Grace to you, letting you live!
So trust His sweet Mercy! Have faith in His Plan!
Unwrap the Salvation God planned for all man!
My greatest blessings
Monday, December 23, 2013
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Simple Beauty
Find beauty in the simple things,
The laughter of a child,
The wonder as he spins and sings,
His arms stretched full and wide.
Find beauty in the simple things,
The snowflakes on the trees.
Like tiny birds with dainty wings,
They rest from windy sprees
Find beauty in the simple things,
A twinkling Christmas light,
The simple pleasure each glow brings,
On trees dressed to delight.
Find beauty in the simple things,
A tiny blade of grass.
As boys fly by, he bows to fling
Bright greetings as they pass
Find beauty in the simple things,
The flowers kissed with dew.
They show their faces in the spring,
When God's green earth renews.
Find beauty in the simple things,
For then you too will see,
That joys of life, just as a ring,
Go around endlessly.
It's been a while since the inspiration hit me...life gets so busy sometimes. I have been spoiled by snow days here in the Ozarks, and the down time has spurred my creative juices! I also awakened this morning and looked out my back window to view a beautiful scene of snow-covered trees. I felt as if the day was a gift from The Lord packaged just for me! Snow is my favorite wrapping paper;)
The laughter of a child,
The wonder as he spins and sings,
His arms stretched full and wide.
Find beauty in the simple things,
The snowflakes on the trees.
Like tiny birds with dainty wings,
They rest from windy sprees
Find beauty in the simple things,
A twinkling Christmas light,
The simple pleasure each glow brings,
On trees dressed to delight.
Find beauty in the simple things,
A tiny blade of grass.
As boys fly by, he bows to fling
Bright greetings as they pass
Find beauty in the simple things,
The flowers kissed with dew.
They show their faces in the spring,
When God's green earth renews.
Find beauty in the simple things,
For then you too will see,
That joys of life, just as a ring,
Go around endlessly.
It's been a while since the inspiration hit me...life gets so busy sometimes. I have been spoiled by snow days here in the Ozarks, and the down time has spurred my creative juices! I also awakened this morning and looked out my back window to view a beautiful scene of snow-covered trees. I felt as if the day was a gift from The Lord packaged just for me! Snow is my favorite wrapping paper;)
Monday, February 25, 2013
A paradox
I'm not sure why it is always at the midnight hour that The Lord impresses upon me to write? Perhaps that is the predominant legacy that my mother left to me-a night-owl tendency. My creative juices do not flow well until it gets late...or...um...early! Nonetheless, as I spent some time journaling tonight, which always leads to an outpouring of my heart to my very best friend, not in this world, I was inspired with an amazingly helpful truth. Not inspired in the literal sense of God-breathing, scriptural inspiration, just the bright lightbulb clicking on in my brain that I know came from my time spent with my Savior! I have found that it is only when we empty ourselves of ...self...that we can be spirit led and taught! Well The Lord taught me something tonight, and I can not rest until I have shared it!
To be painfully honest with you, I have been wallowing in a swamp of self-pity over several "losses" that seem to be swallowing me. Some losses seem huge, like the passing of my mother, while some may seem petty, like loved ones moving away. They just seem to keep hitting me by the droves. Could it be that God has a lesson through these for me? As a pastor's wife, no, as a Christian really, one has the responsibility to love others. We invest time in others, we pray for others, we take a chance and let down that defensive wall around our hearts, and we give away pieces of our hearts to those we choose to love. When we face the loss of a loved one, whether it be by death, by a change in location, or even by a betrayal we feel the traumatic pain of loss as that "piece of our heart" is either taken, missing, or thrown away. The pain can vary from the ache of emptiness, to the sorrow of a missing part, to the deep penetrating stab of rejection, but there is always pain associated with loss. I think this loss of the "tiny pieces of our heart" can tempt us to put up a guard, develop a coldness, or even allow the root of bitterness to spring up within us! We can be tempted to say, "That's it! I will not be hurt again! I can not afford to lose any more of my heart or I will have nothing left!" But this is NOT the answer!!! That is what God showed me! The only way to heal the hurts of a "broken heart" is to turn right around and give another piece to someone else! It is what we English teachers like to call a paradox, an apparent contradiction which in fact is truth. Only by giving away another piece of our heart can we find healing to restore the part that is missing or damaged. Lying around drowning in the pit of despair will do nothing to heal us. Putting up a stone wall to keep others out does not heal us. Only investing in the lives of others again will we find that elixir to soothe our splintered heart. God has promised us in Psalm 147:3 that He "healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." And He instructs us in John 13:35 that "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." We are commanded by the Healer of broken hearts to love others because He knows it will bring us healing! The very thing we are hesitant to do is the solution to the problem! We must turn right around, choose to love again, find someone to invest in, and start passing out pieces of our heart.
Thank You, my precious and eternally patient Father, for making this so plain to me! Help me, Lord, to put this lesson to use and climb out of the endless pit of self-pity. Break down the walls around my heart and help me to love freely without fear of rejection and betrayal! Restore the missing pieces of my shattered heart as I seek to give another piece of it away!
To be painfully honest with you, I have been wallowing in a swamp of self-pity over several "losses" that seem to be swallowing me. Some losses seem huge, like the passing of my mother, while some may seem petty, like loved ones moving away. They just seem to keep hitting me by the droves. Could it be that God has a lesson through these for me? As a pastor's wife, no, as a Christian really, one has the responsibility to love others. We invest time in others, we pray for others, we take a chance and let down that defensive wall around our hearts, and we give away pieces of our hearts to those we choose to love. When we face the loss of a loved one, whether it be by death, by a change in location, or even by a betrayal we feel the traumatic pain of loss as that "piece of our heart" is either taken, missing, or thrown away. The pain can vary from the ache of emptiness, to the sorrow of a missing part, to the deep penetrating stab of rejection, but there is always pain associated with loss. I think this loss of the "tiny pieces of our heart" can tempt us to put up a guard, develop a coldness, or even allow the root of bitterness to spring up within us! We can be tempted to say, "That's it! I will not be hurt again! I can not afford to lose any more of my heart or I will have nothing left!" But this is NOT the answer!!! That is what God showed me! The only way to heal the hurts of a "broken heart" is to turn right around and give another piece to someone else! It is what we English teachers like to call a paradox, an apparent contradiction which in fact is truth. Only by giving away another piece of our heart can we find healing to restore the part that is missing or damaged. Lying around drowning in the pit of despair will do nothing to heal us. Putting up a stone wall to keep others out does not heal us. Only investing in the lives of others again will we find that elixir to soothe our splintered heart. God has promised us in Psalm 147:3 that He "healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." And He instructs us in John 13:35 that "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." We are commanded by the Healer of broken hearts to love others because He knows it will bring us healing! The very thing we are hesitant to do is the solution to the problem! We must turn right around, choose to love again, find someone to invest in, and start passing out pieces of our heart.
Thank You, my precious and eternally patient Father, for making this so plain to me! Help me, Lord, to put this lesson to use and climb out of the endless pit of self-pity. Break down the walls around my heart and help me to love freely without fear of rejection and betrayal! Restore the missing pieces of my shattered heart as I seek to give another piece of it away!
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