Is life ...?

Is life ... vanity ... is it grasping for the wind ... or is it more? 

A child is born 

A child dies 

To all there is 

in everything, 

there is a season

a time 

appointed by God 

to take that first breath of air 

to have 

to hold 

to rejoice 

to dance 

to laugh

to encourage 

to build up 

to keep 

to speak 

to comfort 

to learn 

to work and labor 

to embrace 

to find fulfillment 

but too, 

appointed by God

that last gasp of air

to mourn 

and grieve

to break down 

to cry 

to discard 

to kill 

to labor and labor and

constantly toil 

to discourage

to tear down

and destroy 

to keep silent

and in between,

precious moments

that last however long

God has given us. 

All of time 

belongs to God

is appointed by Him

We cannot,

should not approach life

like it belongs solely 

to us,

think whatever 

we do 

can enable 

whatsoever we desire. 

God gave us life 

each and everyone 

of us 

Individually

it is our 

earthly mothers and father

but beyond, 

it is our 

heavenly Father 

and in everything

there is a season, 

a time 

appointed by Him 

The Lord Almighty

A time to love .... 

and to hate 

A time of war ...

and of peace.

In all of life 

there is love 

and hope 

and faith

but the greatest 

of all 

is love 

Love takes you 

to and through 

places 

unknown to you

Without love 

in every aspect of our life

we are not,

have not, 

do not 

and sometimes, too, 

with love, 

we find ourselves 

lacking, 

sorrowful 

deep within

for all 

we are not, 

all we have not

all we do not.

"Seek those things 

which are above -- 

where Christ is. 

Set your mind on things 

above,

not on things 

on the earth." 

(Colossians 3:1-2)

Love

The Love God bestows 

bears all things 

believes all things 

hopes all things 

endures all things.

Without failing, 

feelings of failure,

of fear, 

of worry

Memories 

of precious moments 

hold together 

our love 

for another 

who has passed from us. 

Pursue life 

given us by God

Pursue love 

given us through Christ 

Pursue God

our creator, our sustainer, our everything

stay one with Him,

walking with Him, 

and even in the midst 

of much trial and suffering,

we will be at peace. 

(c) November 24/28, 2011

(Thoughts taken from Scripture found in Ecclesiastes 1-3 and I Corinthians 13:7, 13)

Are you sure Lord?

Are you sure Lord I am okay?
I am where I am to be for this moment?
Probably not.
Always seeming to be unsure.
Always it seems
I look to what others see in me
and wonder if what they see is real
is what you Lord desire them to see
I fear I am not.
Not even among friends
or those I think are friends
do I feel secure in that friendship
Fearful
I should not care
I imagine
I should just move on.
Rely totally on you.
Perhaps I am not
I never feel good enough
I'm not good enough
I will never be good enough
But friendship is important is it not?

Tell me Lord what I should do.
I feel sometimes no matter what I do, it's not right.

How should I
How do I
rise above
all that I feel
all the remorse
and sadness I feel

It isn't where I want
to be.

How Lord
How

I don't know how.

.... I can choose
to dwell
on negative thoughts
or I can choose to dwell
on Godly thoughts.

The choice is always
ours alone to make.

I am because of God
because of who God is
and what He is

No matter how strong
another thinks he is
God is stronger
God is more powerful.
God is mightier
God is.

And because of God
I am

Not because of me
But because of Him
who is greater
than I will ever be.

That doesn't make me a failure
God doesn't make failures.
Only in our own minds,
when we dwell there
and become distraught,
disillusioned within
we think we are a failure
But not to God
To Him we are a work in progress.

Today's devotional
Flawed and Frail
reminds me
The Lord is not
looking for super heroes
but rather those who are
frail and flawed.
That I am.
Through our frailness
and our flawedness
The Lord brings about strength and grace

Be willing
Be available
God will work in you
Through you
To reach another.

(c) November 8, 2008

Me oh My

My legs itch.
My selfishness gets the best of me at times
My plans go awry
Me
Me
Me
My feelings
My loss
My dreams
My everything

What does God think of me?
Where am I

Is He happy with me?

Can He see my love for Him?

Is He ashamed of me

Does He consider me an evil doer
a foolish woman
a prayer warrior?

Is God pleased with my attempts to honor Him?

Does God consider me
His daughter?
Or am I alone

Should I withdraw into myself
Should I hide
Should I withdraw from activities

No one sees
No one responds

My fears
My concerns
My desires

What does God see in me?
Where am I

Am I sunshine
or clouds of gray
Am I caring
Or do I care less

Do you Lord see my love for others
Or have I betrayed you

What does God think of me
Am I growing
or am I stagnant

Is this all selfishness
to write so much
about nothing
Am I nothing


Who am I Lord
Where am I

Am I in the midst
of others with greater

I know where you are Lord
I talk to you daily
I read your holy Word
I think about what you
have to say to me
You are here, right here,
in my heart.
But where am I Lord?
Who will answer?
Ed Ames once sang a song,
"Who will answer?"
Who am I Lord
Where am I

Am I where you want me to be
Are you pleased with me

Do I bring you any joy
or only anguish

It's not all about me.
But always there is a me.
The body of me make up mankind.

Woe is me

(c) November 3, 2008

I AM with you

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10

It happened
The unimaginable
A child dies
A job is lost
Health deteriorates

Our concern
gives way to anguish
as we pursue
over and over
and over again
in our minds
the possible reasons

But the source
of all that is
The One
who knows
the whys
and wherefores
stays silent

Where do we go
What is the next step
How do we move on
past this point
of deep despair?

He tells us
to stay focused
not on the what if's and buts
not on the what once was
and is now gone
not on what we wish could return
No,
He tells us
to remember Him
to "Fear not,
for I am with you;
Be not dismayed,
for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes,
I will help you.
I will uphold you
with my righteous right hand."
(Isaiah 41:10)

We see,
but do we see Him?!
Does the brokenness of our hearts
cause us to dwell
more on our pain
than on the Lord
who can heal us?

Jesus,
our beloved Savior and Lord,
shows us
the way to peace.
Through Him
we find comfort and consolation,
we find beauty and love,
we find hope.

We must be in His Word,
study His Word,
talk with Him,
listen to Him.

We must not settle
our selves on events
in and of the world
that will cause us to stray
from
The One
who gives us life,
who is our life.

(c) November 18/19, 2011

Guilt

Guilt.
Amazing how another can make you feel
Not build you up
Not encourage you
Not say I'm praying for you
Not asking how a loved one is doing
   or how you yourself are doing ...

simply amazing.

You receive what you think
is an act of kindness
but find it is not.
Given under false pretense,
wrong motive

Guilt.
Feeling you need to apologize
for the situation you're in
Feeling you need to explain
why laundry and dishes
and grocery shopping
and preparing meals
don't get done
in a timely fashion.
Feeling you need to come to your own defense.
Of course I know how to cook.
I know how to do laundry
and wash dishes
and buy groceries
and pay bills.
Knowing how is not the issue.

Guilt.
Feeling the need to rest,
to relax,
to put your feet up
and do nothing for an hour or two
is wrong.

I am guilty before God,
but He does not condemn me.
He forgives me for all of my shortcomings.
He forgave me at the cross.
He forgave me when I asked Him into my heart.

(c) November 16, 2011

Near or far, He is there

Far far away
He is
but NOT.
We don't seek Him
We don't care.
We live,
thrive
on day-to-day pleasures
disinterested in our personal
eternal security.
We endure
the pain
and weariness
for what!?
What do we gain --
Our strength is weak
Our despair overwhelming
We collapse under our load
of guilt and remorse and
yes, frustration too.
We miss His nearness
yet, He is near.
He is always near
It is us, you and me
who has moved.
He seeks
always searching
We not necessarily so.
He is near
He is beside you
He is within you
He gives your life purpose
He is your purpose
He is forever faithful.
Our faith,
ever so small,
we think futile,
but not so.
With God
nothing is impossible
He is our hope
In Him,
we find comfort
forevermore.

(c) November 13, 2011

Help me Lord

Help me continue to move forward
Not go backward.
Bring me relief
from pain
and weariness
Let me feel your loving arms around me
Bring me encouragement
as I encourage my Jimmy
Give me time
Help me know
what is important
day by day
minute by minute
what your preference is
for the needs
and must do's
You are my comforter
yet I of late feel so
disjointed.
So much to do
So little time
Still,
I continue to find time for You.
Without You I am nothing,
nowhere
Yet,
sometimes,
I feel so alone.
But I'm not.
But the aloneness comes
and I feel helpless in it
feel I'm being
swallowed up
and the devil laughs.
I will not surrender.
Help me Lord
I pray
Help me
to continue to move
forward
one step at a time.
Amen.

(c) November 10, 2011

Help me to wait, to not be hurried

What is, was
What will be, has
Round and round
The lives of all revolve
Struggle to maintain balance
sanity
clearness of mind and thought
Fearful of the unknown
So much there
God said He would be with us
All
Nothing
is so perfect we can move without thinking
We cannot be in a hurry
But hurried we are
Harried too
Must rest
Must pray
Must stay rooted
Must seek His guidance
Must
Must
Must
So hard
Help me Lord
Help us all
Keep us mindful of all You are
Help us to not be in a hurry over anything and everything
Nothing is trivial
Everything we go through You are aware of it
Help me, help us to wait
Help me to be confident
in You, to trust in You,
Your answers, Your timetable.
I pray in your name.

(c) November 11, 2011