Sunday, May 28, 2017

6/11/17 Through 6/17/17

6/11/17 Through 6/17/17

Sunday
The Trinity is unity 
Beyond the mind of man
The family is meant to be 
Reflective of His plan

Monday
His mother there beneath Him stood
His nakedness affxied to wood
Dispelling empty platitudes
Encompassing beatitudes

Such mourning as was never known
His poverty of spirit shown
In meekness suffering great pain
That all may have eternal gain

In humble search for righteousness
He suffered in such great distress
Extending mercy to the throng
That perpetrated this high wrong

Tuesday
Can one see my little flame
Would they but recognize my name,
Will they remember me as light
or just another passing night?

Have I produced a lasting heat,
Or just another mindless tweet
Have I become what He had planned
Or have I failed to understand?

What little time is left for me
To fan the flame You gave to me
May I draw closer yet to You
And add some flavor to the stew.

Wednesday
No jot or tittle pass away
Until the earth will go that way
Fulfilled in Christ the greater light
Dispels all hint of fearful night

If glory came from words in stone
Then one could see himself alone
But granted by descending dove
Our glory comes from righteous love

Thursday
Remove the veil that I may see
The splendor of Your gift to me
The freedom that Your love provides
Where service to the poor resides

Friday
Oh Lord, my sufferings of this day
I offer now to You
That You might join them to Your way
And give them value too

Redeem through me some sickly soul
Who's lost along the way
By this poor sacrifice make whole
And bring to light of day

Saturday
When no means no, and yes means yes
We wonder not nor have to guess
No turning back on what we've said
No matter where the path has led.

Sunday, May 21, 2017

6/4/17 Through 6/10/17

6/4/17 Through 6/10/17

Sunday
The air is all around us
And everywhere we go
Unknown to us how precious
That we might live and grow

Like the air, the Spirit dwells
Abundantly on earth
Unknown until another tells
Of how they found new birth

Without either life will end
Extinguishing the flame
But with the spirit we will join
The One from whom life came

Monday
The man who dug the vineyard now
Deserves his share of fruit
But we forget His gifts somehow
In greedy self-pursuit

Amazing we ignore the source
Of all we have that's good
And thwart His efforts to enforce
What's truly for our good

By freely giving God His share
Of all the blessings sent
We skirt around the Devil's snare
And greediness prevent

Tuesday
The coin that circulates around
Is where the ruler's face is found
His seal imprinted thereupon
Reminding whom to it belongs

Like you, once placed upon your head
A seal to save you from the dead
A mark for Christ to call His own
A mark that you might make Him known

And all who bear His mark should give
That others too might learn to live
Then as we circulate around
The face of Christ on us be found.

Wednesday
His good remains at all the times
Including those when heart opines
When darkness seems to fill the air
And all our thoughts lead to despair

As lightning pierces through the sky
The Lord attends His people's cry
And sends His angels to relieve
Sufferings of who believe

By looking back I clearly see 
How steadfast love attended me
Through every trial and despair
I see His gentle loving care

Thursday
True love doesn't take her for pleasure or gain
True love doesn't falter or wither or wane
True love is the measure of manhood aright
True love is one willing to postpone delight

A man will protect her and guard her from harm
A man will defend her and cherish her charm
A man will not prey on desire for love
A man will but pray for his strength from above

Don't fall for imposters who cheat and beguile
Don't fall for the ones who impress with their style
Don't fall for the fleeting and empty romance
Don't fall for some schmuck just because he can dance

Look deeper than what the surface reveals
Look deeper to see what the surface conceals
Look deeper to find if the core is as good
Look deeper to see if he acts as he should

True love is not driven by greed or by lust
True love is but driven by generous trust
True love is the one who will sacrifice much
True love until marriage restraineth his touch.

Friday
When desperation cry is made
And anguished prayer to God is prayed
The humble plea will pierce the clouds
And reach His ear before the crowds

The blindness and the curse removed
His faithfulness has now been proved
The way to great prosperity
Is trust in His divinity

Saturday
Make known His works, proclaim His praise
May God be lauded all the days
Chastised a little, greatly blessed
He answers every fond request

Though often quite misunderstood
He turns each trial for our good
And looking back again we find
In hardship where the gold is mined.

5/28/17 Through 6/3/17

5/28/17 Through 6/3/17

Sunday
Ascended on Your glorious throne
You left the world, but not alone
You promised something greater yet
To send the Holy advocate

You made the duty ours to own
To make Your name, to all men known
To make disciples in all lands
And thus fulfill the Father's plans

Monday
Lord, now we see that You know all
Help us to answer to Your call
Send Your Spirit fresh and new
To help us do the things You do.

Tuesday 
I wish to say with conscience clear
To all of you I hold so dear
That I have shown quite clear the trail
It's up to you to now prevail

At times I've stumbled on the way
With things I do and things I say
But love has been my final goal
To fill your heart and warm your soul

Wednesday
In haste she went to greet the one
Thought barren, now with child
Within her carrying the Son,
Yet pure and undefiled

The Spirit rushed upon the two
When e're they heard the sound
That greeting from the virgin who
Within the Christ was found

The lowly lifted high above
The proud in their conceit
A satisfying gift of love
The hungry now shall eat.

Thurday
Unity a far off thought
So distant and obscure
A thing our blessed Savior taught
And prayed would long endure

But many varied ways have come
And each new one would say
They've found a better way to plumb
The depths of God today

Friday
Peter, do yo love me?
The question haunts us all
Repentant eyes can see 
And answer to His call

Though we have greatly sinned
His call to us remains
His gaze on us undimmed
For His love never wanes

Saturday
He calls on every single soul
In some peculiar way
For each completes the Master's whole
If they go not astray

So what concern is this of yours
What is the other's call
My path of love for you assures
Your rise and not your fall.



Saturday, May 13, 2017

5/21/17 Through 5/27/17

5/21/17 Through 5/27/17

Sunday
Oh Lord annoint afresh Your child
Cleanse me pure and undefiled
fulfill in me my heart's desire
Send on me Your holy fire

Set me free of all my sin
Let Your Spirit dwell within
Make anew the desolate
And send to me the Advocate

Monday
A time will come when you will see 
Great trials for belief in me
I tell you now that you may know
And onward in these trials go

For they that kill don't understand
The humble way My father planned
To bring salvation's grace to bear
On people here and everywhere

Tuesday
The Spirit comes in darkest place
To fill the heart with peace and grace
Amidst the darkness cold and long
His presence fills the soul with song

He shows the world how wrong it was
And offers life to all because
The Lamb was slain that we might live
And learn, each other, to forgive

Wednesday
The gods among this earthly realm
They multiply and overwhelm
The hungry needy dieties
That we create to charm and please

We worship every varied kind
That entertain or catch the mind
A game or sport or special thing
That we believe content will bring

Thinking them to be much bigger
Sapping all our youthful vigor
Never seeing we have sinned
By all our chasing of the wind

The perfect body wilts and wanes
As age brings on new aches and pains
And all we thought would satisfy
Gets rusty and goes passing by

But then among us all the time
Is grace and peace and love sublime
A Savior scorned and crucified
Now raised again and glorified.

Thursday
A little while and grief will come
The dirge be played upon the drum
But little more and joy you'll find
When resurrection light is shined.

Friday
Like a woman in labor
The sorrow will leave
When she sees what He gave her
The gift to believe

Separation causes pain
Just a little while
Leading to a greater gain
Just beyond the trial

Saturday
In Jesus' name I ask you Lord
For more than I could e're afford
The Spirit's presence deep within
And will to separate from sin

I ask to be Your instrument
Of love in every place I'm sent
To bring Your Spirit present where
It's found most difficult to share.


Sunday, May 7, 2017

5/14/17 Through 5/20/17

5/14/17 Through 5/20/17

Sunday
Lord make of us two living stones
To build a holy place
That those we raise within our home
May come to know Your grace

May sacrifice become our way
In all the things we do
To build a house of love each day
Acceptable to You

Monday
The Advocate will teach you more
And teach the soul that loves to soar
For greater things than I have done
Will then attend the holy one

The gift of faith is ours to find
But oh how hard for all the blind
They have a hard time to believe
If they still to possessions cleave

Tuesday
The peace of Christ He offers those
Who follow in His way
Attending one where e're he goes
His joy throughout the day

But dare not think you'll suffer not
For Him along the way
To share His cross disciples ought
Expect to every day

But with a grace beyond the mind
He fills the docile soul
The peace of God, a different kind
To heal and to make whole

Wednesday
Firmly grafted on the vine
It's flow of life can then be mine
Pruned of that which does not suit
To bear a most abundant fruit

The living water from that Vine
Will slake forever thirst of thine
And pruned of unproductive shoots
You'll bear the finest lucious fruits

Thursday
How rightly can a man discern
The ways of God that he should learn
And find the proper words to say
To lead the others on the Way?

First listen to authority
For Christ has said that it will be
The rock that He will build upon
The water to which men are drawn

Then listen close and you will see
The ways with which the Lord agree
And always view the longer term
Then ask the Lord to please confirm.

His word contains a wisdom well
To shine a light and stories tell
Of those who hope and trust and pray
And find the Lord lights up the way

Friday
Love as I have loved you
No greater love than this
Friends will do as I do
And never love dismiss

No longer slaves but friends
If you obey commands
Find love that never ends
And do what love demands

I gave you everything
My Father gave to me
Abundant fruit now bring
Forth from a faithful tree

Saturday
Love so far beyond all telling
Spirit deep within me dwelling
Make me turn from lesser love
And turn to that from One above

A lesser love deceives the soul
And causes true love to grow cold
Love of only earthly things
A satisfaction never brings

But till and water hardened ground
That thereupon Your fruit be found
Possessions vast that I once saw
May I look on now as straw