What do the shadows say?

What do the shadows say?

So still
quietness before
the storm erupts

and then it begins
movement
ever so slightly
becomes louder and louder still

If you don't hear
is there no sound?

Sounds of silence
break
at early light
havoc breaks free
the end coming
the sun shines
slightly

The son watches
God His Father
searches
Will He save the many
for just one
Is there one
Will the Holy Spirit
be heard above the noise

What do the shadows say?

The sun
settles upon the darkness
Only His Light
can remove
the blackness of your soul

Satan grips tighter
Destruction his perfect plan
Death his ultimate goal
There is no tomorrow in hell
Only one torment after another.

Come into My Light and Live
I AM
The Way, The Truth, The Life
There is no other.

Through Me
is
Salvation
Hope
Love
Joy
Peace
Life Evermore

What do the shadows say?
is the noise booming louder
or do you hear the still
small voice of God
....whispering

Ar you one with Him  --
the called, the chosen, the faithful

or
are you among those
who make war
with the Lamb

Do not be deceived.
The shadows play games with your mind,

but the Lamb,
the Lamb who was slain
for every sin
past present and future,
is the Lord of lords
and King of kings
He - the Lamb of God -
Jesus Christ
is the overcomer
and He WILL
overcome them.

(c) July 10, 2016

Cathy Orrick Luders

"These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."  _ Revelation 17:14

Do you need reprogramming?

Do you need reprogramming?

No! - you're not a robot, you say

But actions deceive
over and over
responses
consistently the same

The Lord

Our Father in heaven,
who created you

His Son Jesus Christ,
who died for you

His Spirit,
who lives within you

tells us to
STOP! 

Stop listening to the noise of the world and
to your own negative thinking

Hear Me! 

Hear My voice
speaking softly to you

Ask Me
My Spirit
to quiet your mind
remove the deafening sounds
that explode within you

Come to Me
Do not fear

I will give you what you need

"Do not be conformed (or molded) to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." _ Romans 12:2

Answers ...

Answers

We always wait
and God reveals --
sometimes all at once
but mostly bits and pieces
in His good time.

We think we understand
His word to us
but then we doubt
whether we heard it at all.

Answers

Sometimes yes
Sometimes no
but mostly just plain wait

Wait

and continue to go
continue to do

The end will be greater
than the beginning

and what does that mean?!

wherever He leads
whenever the time

His answer
will come to us all
For it is His answer
that matters most --
more than any other.

Continue to go
Continue to do
Be My Light
to those who reside in the darkness
who have lost their way
who fail to see all they have and/or could have.

Answers.

1 "Hear my prayer, O Lord, Give ear to my supplications! In your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. 7 Answer me speedily, O Lord; My spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit. 8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. 9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies, In You I take shelter. 10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness."  -- Psalm 143 

Hope

"For I know the plans I have for you, plans of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11) 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Why?
For what reason
would

you hurt
worthless
let me be

But they did not

Choices
made
all hurt

Jesus
loves 
you

He
died
for you

Will you
not live
for Him? 

No one
not one
is less than
another
All precious
to God

Perspectives
flawed
thinking
disconnected,
distorted

Think about Jesus
Think about His love for you
Think about His plans for your future

You fall
the pit deeper
Endless misery
when to end

But hope whispers
picked up
brushed off
taken in
embraced

Disappointed
God is
bad choices
swallow you

But hope whispers
Do not be afraid
His hand extended
Another chance
perhaps? 

You accept His hand
cling to life

Will you accept His love
freely given?

Will you accept His guidance
to direct your steps?

Will you accept Him as your Lord, your Savior?

Will you become a new man, discarding the old? 

(c) April 20, 2016

Rise Above

We share
We help
another
We feel
downtrodden
We see
looks of disdain
We are
disheartened,
hurt
Smiles
hide
ourselves
Quietness
closes in.

God says
Rise Above.

Needless,
unnecessary
words
do not
build up
only say
how far
another
has to go
Looking down
as if to pass
judgment

Are we so good?
Our thinking,
perceptions
remove us
from reality.

God says
Rise Above.
It is
My Way
My Truth
My Life

When
you
fall down,
Rise Up,
Rise Above
the circumstances
of every moment
locked behind
invisible walls
in darkened minds.

Rise Up
Rive Above
Come,
into My Presence
Daily seek
and Follow Me
bring your awareness
of your need
to Me
Be thankful
for I give you
Peace.

(c) April 18, 2016

He promises, He knows, He says, He Is

He promises
to meet all our needs.

He knows
exactly what our needs are.

 He says
PEACE
is our deepest need.

 He says
trials
bring about peace
through trusting in Him
in the midst of every trouble.

 He says
Focusing on Him
instead of the stones and weeds
that take up residence in our hearts
will bring us Peace.

 He says
PEACE
will flourish
 when pride
and
worry
and
anger
and
swearing
and
lying
and
cheating
and
envy
and
jealousy
and more
are kicked out.

 He says
I DIED FOR YOU
 not for the world
not for the things of the world
but FOR YOU.

 He says
I LOVE YOU.
You are Mine.
I can do all things.
I AM all things.

 He says
Believing in Me
is good,
but even the demons
believe.

 I want a relationship with you.

 He says
I want a future for you,
a hope growing within you

 He says
PEACE in Me
I give you.

 In the world
there is only one struggle on top of another.
It is unending.

 He says
COME.
Come into My Presence
and listen
and hear
and do.

 Be Still.

He says
I AM ALIVE!
I arose from the grave!
Satan has not won
I am not defeated.

 He says
defeat does not live
in your heart.
I moved in
when you accepted Me
as your personal Lord and Savior.

 I AM THEVICTOR.

I offer abundant life.

 Come.

 Walk with Me

 and live life abundantly,

 in Victory.

(c) April 2, 2016

John 16:33 ~ “…In Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Jeremiah 29:11 ~ “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil,  to give you a future and a hope.”

Philippians 4:19 ~ “Any my God shall supply all you need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

James 2:19 ~ “You believe that there is one God, you do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble!”

Who do we please?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”
~ Proverbs 3:5-7

Should we do that
Should we do this
Should we please you
… individually
or as a group
Should we please ourselves

Someone
wants this done
Another
wants something else

And then there is the Lord
He too we hear
His word is different
than all the others
To please Him
we simply must be
in His Presence.
Meeting with Him daily
Listening to His counsel
Following His advice

We are bombarded

The Lord says to go
So we go
He says to stay
So we stay
Sometimes too He says to stop
Stop and wait
So we stop… and we wait

But some do not like
where we go
nor
where we stay
and stopping and waiting
is just not reasonable thinking

The Lord says
+ to keep our focus on Him
+ to seek His kingdom, His righteousness
+ to follow His leading
+ to look at every circumstance for His provisions
+ to live our lives with His light
shining in us
shining upon us
shining through us

+ to share His love with everyone
+ to be still and know Him.

It is not the world
and not our Christian brothers and sisters
to whom we owe allegiance,
but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself!

To Him
we must look first
for every answer, every need, every desire

Is not our faith in Him?
We trusted Him to save us … do we not trust Him with our day-to-day living?

 How can we say we trust the Lord,
but do not obey His commands, do not follow His  leading ?

 How can we pray for guidance and then  decide it is not enough?
 We need more.
We know what we need.
God doesn’t have a clue.

Are we sure our faith is in Him …
Are we sure we trust the Lord to guide us down the right path …
Are we sure He knows the way?

 No, we are not sure.

 We proclaim to be born-again Christians
and yet we live as though we control the universe.  

and we do not. 

(c) March 31, 2016

The best gift of all

Christ is me
The best gift of all
For without Him
all of me
all of life
is filled with distractions

It is not
what He does
nor
what He gives
but
who He is

And
who He is in me

I only walk
through the motions
of the day-to-day grind
in the workplace
in home life
even in leisure time

Our bodies fail
and wither away

Our minds nod off
into dull senseless thought

 We are … nothing.

But we can be transformed.

Christ
born for us
lived for us
died for us
and three days later,
He arose
for us!

Christ is alive!
I too am alive
Reformed
Reborn
Renewed

I must Be still
I must
come into His Presence…
I must
listen
be alert
obey
His every call
upon me

I must!

For if I am only
what is
and nothing more

God’s light in me
will never shine.

(c) March 27, 2016

Showered with blessings

The Lord says to me, I shower blessings on you daily, but sometimes you do not notice them. When your mind is stuck on a negative focus, you see neither Me nor My gifts.

The showers (of blessings) fall upon you

 Are you so unaware when things go contrary to the way you think is right
that you can not give another the benefit of the doubt?

Is the other always wrong?

Do you ever consider your perceptions might be faulty?

Do you go to your Father in heaven?

Do you ask for a better vision  of how you see things?

Do you seek the light of God whose presence defeats the very darkness that overwhelms and steals all that is good from you?

Do you knock daily, seeking a presence with His almighty Presence?

He lives in your heart.

He is with you always.

or

 Do you believe the day you accepted Him as your Savior was enough?

Do you wonder  … What more could there be? 

                                                                                                      (c) March 21, 2016

Shadow of Emptiness

I am like a shadow

Cast upon the earth,

My worthiness being

That of dirt,

In darkness I am not known,

But in light my life is shown,

Nothing to glory in, nothing to own.

This is my destination,

For eternal condemnation.

But lo, I heard a voice,

God said I have a choice,

"My Son I send to thee

To be your Savior

To set you free.

He'll give you purpose and meaning

He'll give you a life worth living,

Believe in Him my beloved friend

For to His kingdom there is no end." 

(c) Donald Brayton, 1979

God knew ...

He heard the call
You Lord placed on his heart
He heard
and responded
If you please Lord, I will go
And he went
off to school
to learn and be equipped
to follow You wherever sent

Along the way
life crowded in
oh so merry
so very grand
but distractions
overtook and
the path
He was destined to follow
became overgrown
with fear and worry,
anger, lies

The call, still present
He knew it was there
God doesn’t say yes
and mean no

There was another voice
He heard in the darkness
No, you can’t!
You are done for
You’re a failure

You can’t
You can’t

The words echoed
in his mind

Many years
come and gone
He remembered
the call
the words spoken
by many
who could not condone
would not forgive

Awakened
as if in a dream

a phone call comes

God remembered His child
God knew his heart
God sent him
for He knew he would go.

(c) March 20, 2016

And He wept ...

Behold, your King, My Son, is coming.
To you who gather He comes
lowly, as was His birth
astride a donkey … foretold
and regally,
a white horse His steed.

Jesus enters
The city
Your heart

To finish
To return
To restore
To carry you home
To conquer
To complete

Palms strewn at His feet
and hands lifted high in praise
cries of Hosanna! Save Us!
hammer the air

As His disciples proclaim,
“Blessed is He, the King, who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven and glory
in the highest!” (Luke 19:37-38)

But they knew not

Peace
was far from them
Rejoicing was in hope
of a “for the moment” fix
Wisdom and knowledge
hidden
as prophecy long foretold
not remembered.

And He wept.

 (c) March 18, 2016

Parenting and ...

Parenting and …
We know nothing firsthand
Yet we know much
Learned and still learning
when our grandson
and then later his brother
were born

We are not their grandparents
Yet we are

There are no blood ties
Yet heart strings pull hard

We love them so
We – Gramma and Papa

(c) March 7, 2016

Hearing Hearing

Hearing, Hearing
What do you hear
Are there many voices
vying for control
or just one
who bends your ear

Hearing, Hearing
What do you understand
of the words that are said
Do you know what is meant
when The One voice you hear stronger
is not yours alone

Hearing, Hearing
concentration a struggle
discernment more
So many voices
How do I know
one from another

Stay near
Walk close
The Lord Jesus says
Read My Word
Study My  Way
Follow My Life
Know My Truth

Hearing, Hearing
I wander
but the path is not rough
nor overgrown with weeds
Wherever I travel
I know the way
for the voice I need
is here beside me
One voice alone
I know His voice
and He knows mine
I hear
He speaks
I follow
His lead.

(c) March 3, 2016

“He who does not enter the sheep hold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”  ~ John 10:1-5

His Love ...

How wide
How long
How high
How deep

Beyond our comprehension
We can only imagine
A fullness we cannot experience
We must wait
until our time has come
and we see Him
face to face

Then we will not only know
but see and embrace Him –

The Lord Jesus Christ -
and His Love.

For now
there is much darkness
We struggle to focus
on His Light.

When we be still
in His Presence
His Light shines bright
glowing in us, through us, upon us
and the awareness of His Love
is enough
each and every day.

(c) February 24, 2016

He did, He did, He did

He did die
He died for all
He who knew no sin at all
took upon Himself
every one of ours

He did lie
buried
3 days
in a tomb

He did rise
The Son of God
arose
The stone did roll
The angel did say,
“Do not be afraid.
He is not here.
He is risen.
He is risen from the dead.”
(Matthew 28:5-7)

Alleluia! He is risen indeed!
 

He did give
He gave the gift
of eternal salvation
when we do accept
Jesus died for us all
each and every one

When Jesus rose from the dead
We too have risen
… from the deadness
of our sins
to new life

No longer to ourselves
are we to live
but to The One
whose life was given
as an
atonement
for ours.

He did
He did
He did

 He died
He rose
He gave

The death He died
and rose from too
Have you accepted
that gift He gave?

Have you become
a new creation?

Have old things
passed away?

(c) February 17-18, 2016

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” ~ II Corinthians 5:17

The Lord says 'Come'

He says to come.

Come to the Father
bring  your brokenness
find comfort in Me

I will shelter you
I will give you rest
I will renew, revive

You are not alone
I am with you
Do not flounder

Ah, My child,
you belong to Me

I see your pain
your  every struggle
I see your fear growing
I see your tears flow

What another misses,
I do not.

I know the longings of your heart
the misery that has captured you

 I will guide you

 Dwell with Me

Do not succumb to thoughts
that pull you down

 Take My hand
We will walk this path together, My child
I will not leave you
I will not give up on you
I am forever with you

Look unto Me
Do not fall prey to what
is lurking out beyond

I am The Way
Follow Me
through the quiet stillness
and the dark shadows

 I am The Truth
Obey Me
My commands
My instructions

 I am The Life
It is My life within you
that changes you
 You are restored, renewed
Do not look back - Look Ahead
Do not look down - Look Up

(c) February 15, 2016

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” ~ Luke 1:37

“…He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” ~ Ephesians 3:20

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul, He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they cocomfort me.”  ~ Psalm 23: 1-4

That One - Jesus

Being aware
of where we be
needn’t  keep us
immersed
in what may come

Only one and ourselves alone
know where we be

Only one and He, the Lord
know what may  come

We long to be free
of every strike
and blow
every ache settling
in our bones

So aware
of all holding us down
we miss
The One
The Only One
up above
the reaches of our mind
yet so near

wherever you are
wherever you’ve been
wherever you think your going

The focus
belongs on the Lord

 Stay in the midst of
His awesome Presence

 Embraced within the arms of
His Precious Love

 Strengthened by
His Almighty Power

and
wherever you are
whatever may come

will come to pass

The One who knows
your every move and thought

 The One who knows
yesterday
and tomorrow
and every today

 is with us always

His name

 That One

 JESUS

“I commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” ~ Psalm 37:5

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:20

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” ~ John 1:1-2

The light

The day is cold
The sun is bright
above a cloudless sky
oh what a sight
His light shines
our countenance grows
we less weary
by every weighty burden
we carry

But when the sun
hidden
where none can see
storm clouds gather
oh how frightening it be
The dark of day
The dark of night
away we run
looking for that precious light -
hidden.

“If I say, Surely the darkness shall fall on me, Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.”  ~ Psalm 139:11-12

The gift

The gift
given
Jesus
He who died
in your place
took upon Himself
your sins, everyone

What have you done?
Is it all in vain?
Does the gift you received
remain unopened?
Is it likened to an empty box
with colorful paper
and a pretty bow
decorating a corner of your home
as if to say
“See what I have.”

What is it you have?
Have you opened the gift?
Have you shared its contents?

Or does the gift
just sit upon a shelf
gathering dust
with each passing day

Does the gift of Jesus
given and received
warm your heart
fill you with love
and compassion
and obedience

or does your heart
grow cold and numb
filling you with the ways of the world

Do you reflect God’s love
or Satan’s hate
in your life?

(c) February 8, 2016

II Corinthians 5:20-21, 6:1 – “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”

II Corinthians 13:5-8 – “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that you are not disqualified. Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.”

Galatians 5:25 – “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

I John 2:15-16 – “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.”

Read also Romans 1:17-32 and Galatians 5:16-26

Come

Come
enter into My Presence
wherever you are

Seek
find my goodness, my love, my guiding light

Stay
attentive to My every instruction
and the life you desire
with fullness of joy 
will be yours.

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders

February 7, 2016

Come - Seek - Stay

Come 
Seek
Stay 

My Presence
beckons
My Peace 
awaits
My Rest 
restores 

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders

February 6, 2016

Peace

The sunlight of His Presence
floods my soul
Gladness comes to my heart
as the brightness of
His everlasting love
settles over me, within me
My eyes twinkle
My whole face shines
as joy surfaces
Songs of praise come to my lips
My head bows in prayerful worship
Peace.

(c) January 29, 2016

It is what it is

I write 

The words
come
to mind
My pen
moves rapidly
or
with slow deliberation
across the page

I write
The words
come
to me
through the Spirit
of the Holy One
Jesus
My Savior
My Guiding Light

I write
The words
come
It is poetry
flowing
from the heart
feel the rhythm
His Spirit
embracing you

I write
The words
come
bringing
renewed hope
and joy
and strength
into weary lives

I write
The words
God gives me

It is poetry
as are many
of the psalms
penned by
King David
in The Holy Bible
Words
expressing
sorrow
love
forgiveness
encouragement
thanksgiving.

It is
as it is

Poetry
from the heart
be it
in any form …
rhythm
parallelism
symbolism
rhyme
free verse
and more.

 I write
 The words

 The Lord
said to me
to write
He would direct
He would set the tone

 And it is so.

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders

January 18, 2016

The Cradle and The Cross

 by A.S. Reitz

(published in The Speaker's Treasury of 400 Quotable Poems
compiled by Croft M. Pentz, (c) 1963)

When Bethlehem's manger first cradled the King,

And angels glad news to the shepherds did bring,
The blackness of midnight beamed like the sun,
As God gave to mankind His wonderful One. 

But when on the cross, as a sinner, Christ died,
With nail-pierced hands, and with spear-riven side,
The brightness of noonday was turned into night,
And men smote their breasts at the sorrowful sight. 

Yet Bethlehem's cradle and Calvary's hill
were all in the plan of God's infinite will.
The cross and the manger were made for this King
And heaven forever His praises wll sing. 

Today, Christ the light of the world will come in
And cleanse any heart from its midnight of sin.
His presence will banish the darkness of night,
And brighten the soul with His heavenly light.

All hail then to Jesus, our Lord evermore,
As men of all nations the Saviour adore.
To Bethlehem's Infant, to Calvary's King,
Our deepest devotion and homage we bring.

The Way that is His

(Based on readings in Isaiah 50:4-11 and Romans 1:18-22)

The Lord gives
instructions
to live
in the Light
of His Love

Do we hear
and comprehend
Do we speak
with the tongues
of angels
Are we awakened
morning by morning
aware of
His glorious Light
Are we obedient
to His teachings

or
are we rebellious
straying
down alleyways
filled with darkness
our words and actions
portraying anger,
hatred, impatience,
frustration, defiance …
that bring
shame
and remorse
and pain
to ourselves
and those around us?
Are we tormented
with thoughts
striking us down

or
do we trust
in the Lord
to bring us through
every trial

The Lord gives
comfort
to rest in Him
upon His lap,
at His feet
Are we refreshed,
encouraged
by His Life

or
do we grow old
and stale
with no life-giving fruit
of kindness, gentleness,
patience, goodness…
to pass on?

 The Lord gives
so we may know
how to talk and speak
hear and comprehend

 He shows The Way
into the Light
of His everlasting  Love

The way is open
We know the way
but
do we follow the way
Have we entered
into All of Him
or are we still standing
on the outskirts
doing life our own way

We make excuses
for why we do
what we do
but there is no excuse

We know the way of God
yet
we do not glorify Him
we are not thankful
for His provisions
we are not obedient
to His teachings

For all the wisdom
we think we possess
it is our foolish behavior
that shows better
what we deem important. 

(c) December 16-19, 2015

Your wants ... His wants

You wanted to know God
Do you?

You wanted to come to church
Do you?

You wanted to tell others
Do you?

He wants / desires a relationship with you
He wants worship and praise
He wants thankfulness
He wants His Holy Book opened
and His Word read and studied
He wants to give you joy and peace
He wants what is best for you
He wants to teach you life’s lessons
He wants your obedience

He loves you
He wants your love

He wants you
Do you want Him

Do you really want to know
                                       to come
                                       to tell

Or
do excuses become your answer
every time?

 (c) December 1, 2015

I cannot fix it

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." ~ Psalm 32:8

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothng. ~ John 15:5

"And we know that all things work together  for good to those who love God, to thouse who are the called according to His purpose." ~ Romans 8:28

I cannot fix things
I want to
I have tried to
I have made every attempt
to bring opposing views together
to help see the right and wrong
Sometimes I succeed
Most times I fail
I cannot fix people
I cannot fix events
I can only fix me
and that I must say
is a work in progress

It is only when
I seek the Lord’s help
His response to my distress
I want to solve problems
I want kindness and gentleness,
patience, love,
for everybody
Yet I cannot fix
what is not mine to fix

I can pray
I can come before my God
and make petitions
I can consider,
“What would Jesus do?”
at every questioning point
I can ask the Lord for guidance,
for myself, for another,
but no,
I cannot fix what is not my responsibility

My responsibility is to stay focused on Jesus,
to rely on Him
for my everything

My personal connected relationship
with Jesus is what counts above all
When I abide in Him and He abides in me
all things will work together for good.

 (c) November 30, 2015

A Bouquet of Thankful Blessings

God showers His children
with an abundance
of blessings

Throughout our days
we receive,
gathering
a beautiful
bouquet

of His Love
given on the Cross
at Calvary

of His Presence
always with us
in front
behind
beside us, hand in hand

of His Peace
guarding our hearts
calming our fears

of His Patience
to persevere
to keep on keeping on
to not give up
to not worry and fret

of His Strength
to carry us, weak and weary,
through every struggle
to give us encouragement
to defeat our foe

of His Wisdom
to teach us right from wrong,
good and evil,
obedience and trust
understanding

of His Forgiveness
when we sin

of His Guiding Light
by the Holy Spirit
who abides in our hearts
guiding our steps
so we do not falter

of His Gift
Eternal Salvation becomes ours
when through faith we accept the death, burial and resurrection
of The Lord Jesus Christ
and proclaim Him as our personal Lord and Savior.

All this
and more, much more
blessings we receive
Is it honor
and praise
and glory
we give with respect
this Thanksgiving Day
and every day

Are we filled with overflowing joy
to be in the presence of the Almighty God
Singing songs of worship
Surrounded by His love
joined in sweet fellowship.  

(c) November 23-24, 2015

I AM the LORD your God

He, The Lord,
says to me -

My life
within you
changes you

like a baby growing
in your womb

yet I AM not.

like a disease spreading throughout
your body

Yet I AM not.

like a negative thought taking control
of your mind

yet I AM not.

It is Me - Jesus Christ
I AM He
who cleanses you
makes you new,
whole and complete,
radiant as pure light
filling you with the glory
of My love

My life
within you
changes you

I AM the LORD your God
and no foreign god shall be among you
No foreign god shall be worshipped
(Psalm 81:9-10)

like Allah
whose teachings are handed down
from the prophet Muhammad
who is a false god
whose Muslim followers bow to and profess is My Father

I AM not.

 like Buddha
a statue of stone

I AM not.

like the stars
the planets
water or fire
animals
nature

I AM not.

I AM the LORD your God
I AM Creator of the Universe.

“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him,

And without Him nothing was made that was made.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
(John 1:1-5)

I AM the LORD your God
I AM Jesus Christ,
the Son of God
I AM God the Father
I AM the Holy Spirit

When you abide in ME
and I abide in you
My life
within you
is changed.

(c) November 14-15-16, 2015

The Door

You want the door to open
You stand in front of it
tugging, turning the knob
but it does not budge
You think the door is the key
to any and every happiness
Life would be better on the other side
if only we could get there.

But it is not the door
Every door we enter
or attempt to
will only get us so far
The greatness we look to achieve
becomes meaningless
Our desires do not bring us
fulfillment
We go  in and out
over and over again.

No, the door does not hold the answer.

The One who stands at the door -
of your heart - He is the key.

He holds the answer to your every quest.

You seek,
but are uncertain what it is you look for
You find,
yet you are lost
You follow,
but the way is confusing

If you seek the Lord -
the Lord Jesus Christ -
The One
who stands at your heart’s door
and waits
for you to invite Him in
That One
you proclaim you do not need,
do not want, have no use for,

Him -  Jesus Christ
If you seek Him,
you will find Him.

“If you seek Jesus, the Lord your God,
with all your heart and all your soul,
you will find Him.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

 And when you have found Him,
you will have the key
to eternal life
to blessings
to peace
to strength
to love
to so much and more.

If you are connected
you will want to follow
If your communication
is two-way between yourself
and The Lord
for every thing
every time
every situation
be it good or bad
happy or sad
healthy or ill
frustrating or peaceful

If you tear down the barriers
If you don’t build walls
If you stay connected,
focused on and trusting in the Lord
Jesus Christ,
He will open the door for you.
He will show you the way
You won’t be lost
or confused
You won’t travel the wrong path
when you travel with Jesus.

“I  am the way, the truth, and the life.”  (John 14:6)

“With God, all things are possible.”  (Matthew 19:26)

 Without God, without Jesus,
you will not find the Way
you will not know the Truth
you will not live a meaningful Life.

(c) November 5, 2015

IF

If you have accepted
Jesus Christ
as your personal
Lord and Savior
You are
a Believer

If you are a Believer
and have died to sin
and rose to new life
You are
a Follower
of Christ

If you are a Follower
of His Way
His Truth
His Life
You are
An Obedient Servant

If you are Obedient
to His commandments
to love God and your neighbor
You are
Blessed
A Child of the King

But….

If you do not follow
are not obedient
Do not believe
or seek His Way,
His Truth
His Life
for yourself

Have you really accepted
the Lord Christ Jesus
as your Lord
your Savior

Is it all a pretense
Where are you
What do you have to show for yourself
What are you doing for the one
who matters most
the one who died for you

Do you have a heart of stone
or a heart of love

(c) November 2, 2015

Do you?

Do you hear
Are you quiet and still
or always in turmoil

Are you thankful
for His blessings
or is good news
an accomplishment of your own

Do you seek His guidance
listening carefully
following His principles
or is your way the only way

Do you look for the best
or expect the worst
and respond to your expectations

Do you teach your children
about God’s love
and grace and mercy
and forgiveness
or do they learn
your authority rules higher
than God

Do you hear His whisper
Are you listening to His voice
Are you obedient to His instructions
Do you follow His way
or do you stop up your ears
look to the world
follow the drumbeat of your own desires

Lost ….
Found…
a wayward child

(c) October 30, 2015

Like the leaves of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, He Is

Come
To Me
Come
into My Presence
Sit
awhile
Rest
Think only of Me

The leaves
like you
robed in splendor
My glory

In the Spring
budding
like newborn babes in Christ

In the Summer
green
and growing strong
in the knowledge,
heart and mind
of
My Son

In the Fall

arrayed in golds and reds
burnt orange
like mature believers
guiding others
to My Peace
My Protection
My Everlasting Love

In the Winter

a present
wrapping the whole earth
as a cover
to be covered
from the bitter cold
with  pure white snow,
like Jesus, My Son,
who, without blemish,
knew no sin,
came
covering the whole earth
with His love
offering Himself in the place
of every human being
a Perfect Gift
Eternal Salvation

Come
To Me
Come into
My Presence
Sit awhile
and rest
Think only of Me.

(c) October 27/29, 2015 

Gathering Together

Some go
Some stay
Some
claim busyness
Some
say it is futile, boring, tiring,
unnecessary

It is not for us
individually
to make determinations
reasoning to ourselves
For God has commanded
We unite

Do you not remember
what God’s holy word says --
“Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another.” (Hebrews 10:25)

To gather together
To Commune with our maker
To Worship with our Lord and Savior
To Glorify God our Father in heaven
To Come into the Presence of the Most Holy One
and give Him our undivided attention

Come, He tells us
into My Presence
enter into fellowship sweet
with fellow believers
be open
share the joy and love
He bestows upon us

Whether you go
Whether you stay
Where two or more are gathered
in His name, there He will be
among you
but not to do what pleases you
but to come into His Presence
to study and discuss His word
to give thanksgiving and praises
to proclaim
to worship
to glorify
The Living God.

(c) October 19, 2015

Where is your focus?

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, Because he trusts in You.” ~ Isaiah 26:3

Focus
Set your mind on things above
and the Lord Jesus
and all that is in the world - where you live –
will be revealed to you

Each step taken in trust
will guide you
steadfast and sure

Obstacles
that may block your route
such as large boulders of hatred
and wrath and murder
and small stones of complaining
and arguing and irritation
and tiny pebbles of pettiness
get you off course


 But for every situation that comes up,
no matter how miniscule or gigantic the stone,
IF you seek the advice of your heavenly Father
and abide by His command
every perceived roadblock
will vanish

 We see the world,
aware of what comes and goes
We cannot see God, but our awareness
of Him is far greater
than the world
when our attention is centered on Him.

(c) October 18, 2015

 

Does His Light shine in and through you?

Does the Light fade, grow dim
Does the darkness
reach past our bodies cold
and intrude upon our minds
into every corner
Does what we believe we have
no longer exist
Have we allowed our thoughts
of despair and sorrow,
of pain and anger,
of irritation and frustration
to become our reality
Do we listen to the worldview
of right and wrong
and abide accordingly
Have we missed The Truth
and The Way
Do we fail to follow
The Life that is His?

Is the Light in our hearts hidden
or does it shine before all

How can the Light of Jesus
shine in us
If His goodness
is not ours
If His Truth
we do not believe
If His Way
we do not proclaim
If His Life
we do not practice

His Light overcame
the darkness of Sin

With His Light in us,
His Strength upon us
and our Focus on Him,
we too can overcome
the darkness
that seeks to destroy.

(c) October 6-8, 2015

"You are the light of the world ... let your lights so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." ~ Matthew 5:14, 16

"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotton Son of God and this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." ~ John 3: 18-21

"I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." ~ John 8:12

I do ...

A special day
shared
begun

I will
I do
on this day
forward
to love
and
to honor
in sickness
and
in health
till
death
do
us
part

Together
two souls
united
as one

Golden rays
of Light
as God encircles us
with His love

And then
the rains
come
clouds of doubt
silence
before the storm
erupts
thunder
booms
Lightening
sharp
across the night sky

Where have you gone
God asks
Here I AM
with you

You had but to call
to whisper My name
to reach for My hand
through every storm
every silence
every heartache

I AM with you

Why do you fear
You are not alone
I see your pain
I hear your agony
I love you still

I know the wait is long
I know your every desire,
and what you need, as well
I know your struggles

Lean on Me
Look toward Me
Listen to Me
Love Me

The answer you seek
will come
It will be as
you desire
I will show you the way
Do not look to another
for affirmation
only onto Me
Follow after Me

The road followed in days past
saturated in mud
Seek Me
in the midst
of the
downpour
and the calm

I AM
a special day
shared
begun

I will
I do

Will you be
and do
and go
and stay
Will you
be united with Me
surrounded by My undying love for you?

(c) September 29, 2015

Come. Hear. Respond.

"The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned,  that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.  He awakens me morning by morning.  He awakens my ear to hear as the learned.  The Lord God has opened my ear;  and I was not rebellious,  nor did I turn away." ~ Isaiah 50:4-5

Come
Awaken
Hear

Respond
to
His
voice
Learn
Understand
His
wisdom

Stay
near
Rebel
not

Come
morning
and
evening
throughout

The
spirit
beckons

Come
to
Him
ready
willing
Sit
at
the
feet
of
Jesus
Commune
with
Him
in
the
stillness.

(c) September 26, 2015

Stay Connected. Trust Him.

"The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe." ~ Proverbs 29:25

Stay
connected.
Trust
Him
Every
step.

Commit
daily
your
life
seeking
Him
Above
All
pleasing.

Fear
judgments
condemnation
uncertainty
gone

Focus
the
path
ahead
The
One
Jesus
beside
you

your
protector
comforter
strength
healer
teacher
your
Everything

(c) September 25, 2015

Follow Jesus. Experience Life.

"I have set the Lord always before me; 

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." ~ Psalm 16:8

"You will show me the path of life." ~ Psalm 16:11a

First
Second                
Last

Always
Live
Stay
Aware

Him
His
Presence

Peace
envelopes

Love
Encouragement
given

Active
in
Removed
from
world

Follow
Jesus'
path

Experience
abundant
life

(c) September 24, 2015