9/9/18 through 9/15/18

9/9/18 through 9/15/18

Sunday

The burning sand becomes a pool

The thirsty ground a spring

The word of God a precious jewel

To barren lands we bring.

My brothers and my sisters know,

The learned ones ignored.

His graces to the lowly flow,

To deaf and mute outpoured.

The poor He chose confounding wise

Good News to those who hear.

The humble given such a prize,

To God Himself endeared.

Monday

What part of me is leavened still? 

In what way must I train my will,

To be a new unleavened bread,

One freed from sin, no longer dead?

What part of me is withered by

My sin of failing to comply

With what I know as good and true,

Each word of life that comes from You?

Make strong the knees that wobble so.

Repair the feet that wayward go.

Stretch out my hand and straighten spine,

Reform this broken will of mine.

Oh give to me true Sabbath rest

And make of me, a cripple blest.

Who now can function as he should

By following the true and good.

Tuesday

He spent the night alone in prayer

And then returned to people where

He chose from many, twelve to be,

The first within the Holy See.

These twelve He taught at greater length,

In clearer ways to gird their strength.

But still within the twelve was found

A traitor that was lurking 'round.

Be not dismayed that still there be,

But sinners in the Holy See.

For Christ will write with crooked lines

Just as His promised word defines.

Wednesday

What's in a name, this holy name,

Of Mary, Queen of Peace,

The fairest one of great acclaim,

Creator's masterpiece?

The purity of love sublime,

Unselfish to the last.

One untouched by sinful grime,

Who did as she was asked.

No hint of once recoiling from

The duties given her.

But always "yes" to then become

The sweetest smelling myrrh.

A "yes" at every turn or twist

That life would bring her way.

A trust that every trial kissed,

With "Be it as You say".

Thursday

Now give to those who can't return

To then a valued lesson learn.

What good is it to give to they

Who pay you back another day?

The sinners do as well you see

So there's no merit there for thee.

But when you give without return,

The greatest blessings, then you earn.

Friday

This cursed sign of guilt and shame

For sinners everywhere became

A blessed sign of victory,

Won by Christ upon the tree.

The Lord most high became a man

To show that common sinners can

Control the passions of the flesh

And with His will, our lives enmesh.

No longer slaves of sordid whim

If we but focus eyes on Him.

The One who from the heavens came

To shoulder all our sins and blame.

He set aside His kingly state

To set His wayward people straight.

And show that in humility,

Is awesome credibility.

No other love like this e're known,

As that upon the cross was shown.

Lift high the cross though shamed I be,

The sign of Love's great victory!

Saturday

The sorrows of that Mother blest

Swords that pierced the Virgin's breast,

Gave to us a love divine

From the spotless soul of thine.

Mother by His cradle knelt

None such sorrows ever felt.

Nursed Him in her quiet ease,

Lifeless Son across her knees.

Bearing every single pain,

For her Son's eternal gain.

Faithful to the last somehow,

Becomes for all, our mother now.

9/2/18 Through 9/8/18

9/2/18 Through 9/8/18

Sunday

The heart must be like water 

In the hand of Him above.

A lump of clay the Potter

Will form in ways of love.

To pass as one with knowledge,

With wisdom from on high

We follow and acknowledge

The laws that we live by.

Monday

The Lord of Lords has come to save

Yet many still prefer the grave.

They quickly turn from love to hate

Although it's Him they long await.

Those too familiar cannot see

That more than carpenter was He,

And though He grew from in their town

This was the man of great renown

Let me not so foolish be

That Him beside, I fail to see.

But look beyond the thin disguise,

To Christ in all, then recognize.

Tuesday

Light of lights within the skies,

Font where all true wisdom lies,

Illuminate the depths within,

Cast out the tendancy to sin.

With great authority You speak.

Once strong, the demon, now so weak.

He flees upon a single word,

When such a mighty voice is heard.  

Wednesday

To every town the word must go,

That every race and people know.

The Christ has come to set them free,

To show His love, and savior be.

To feed with milk the little child,

And cleanse the soul, by sin defiled.

The law of love, to man reveal,

and to a softened heart appeal.

To touch the sick and make them well,

To stories of the Father tell,

To show in every time and place,

Abundance of the Father's grace.

Thursday

Depart from me a sinful man.

For only God, such wonders can,

Call forth by word of His command

To do the work that He has planned.

You show me in so many ways

That You are worthy of all praise.

And yet I often turn away,

And fail to make the time to pray.

I rise each morn this time of day,

That I, might in, the quiet pray.

But still I find so often there

An empty plate and cupboard bare.

But rather than dispelling hope,

For inspiration there, I grope.

Then unexpectedly I find,

So many fish, with nets entwined.

Friday

Though unaware of sinful chains,

Let Christ be judge of what remains.

For though my conscience now be free,

The One who judges is not me.

He knows the heart more than I do,

Each motive in my pot of stew.

So there He passes judgement true,

And gives the righteous ones their due.

But also there He shines the light

Dispelling shadows of the night,

To show how far I still must go,

If I desire Him to know.

Saturday

Beauty far beyond the mind

Winsomeness of sweetest kind,

Purest flesh to ever be,

Mother of both Christ, and me.

8/26/18 Through 9/1/18

8/26/18 Through 9/1/18

Sunday

Decide this day to whom to go,

And whom you will call Lord.

For every man should clearly know

The One to be adored.

Just look and see that only One 

Has cared for all His own.

His works to never be outdone,

None like Him ever known.

He gave His body and His blood

As food and drink for all.

His love a raging torrent flood

In answer to our call.

Unwilling those who walk away,

To trust Him at His word.

To them, become the lump of clay,

And follow what they heard.

With Christ as husband, Church as bride

Submissive to His will, 

The marriage bond exemplifies

When man and wife fulfill.

Monday

I pray that faith would overflow

And many more would come to know

The wonders of our mighty Lord

Who, on the cross, His love outpoured.

How fitting all should model Him

And love escape our stingy brim

To flourish in our suffering

And bring to all this mighty King.

Tuesday

Help me to see the camel plain

And worry less of gnats to strain

Initially to cleanse inside,

And then perhaps, to be a guide.

Wednesday

For this is why the Christian's here 

To blaze the way to new frontier.

To follow in the Master's will,

And patiently be loving still.

To leave behind the prideful self,

And place all comforts on the shelf

Embracing all that He allows

When using us as trusty plows.

Thursday

I have within, a nagging fear

That when, for me, the time draws near,

I turn, attempting flesh to spare,

And find myself in deep despair.

So blest I've been, but weak, I am.

Much favored, but a sinful man.

Unable to, by strength assured,

Console myself, as one matured.

I only pray that You will be

The strength in my futility,

And take me home that final day,

No more to ever sin or stray.

Friday

The wisdom of the Holy ones

Is something that the world shuns,

And fails to fill an extra flask

In preparation for the task.

The virtues that the humble seek,

Unwanted by the Jew or Greek.

A stumbling block of foolishness

To those in rank self-righteousness.

But when that fateful day arrives,

With none to show, but sinful lives,

It's then too late to figure out,

You should have gone a different route.

Saturday

The quiet of the morning dew

Can cause a soul to think of You

For as a new day wakes to dawn

The thoughts of our Creator spawn.

The River Starts Here

The River Starts Here
2018 PCW Banquet

Each river starts with just a drop

Of rain from in the sky.

Then by and by another drop

Starts falling quite nearby.

The thirsty earth consumes it quick,

A parched and barren land.

This dry and dusty lifeless wick,

Is not what God had planned.

But as the droplets coalesce,

And more begin to fall,

The hardened earth will acquiesce,

And yield unto the squall.

Then soon begins a steady rain,

And runlets start to form.

Each one a vibrant vital vein,

Now flowing from the storm.

They gather in the valley known,

For every sordid sin.

And there begin to moisten bone,

And start a change within.

Each valley with its stream of life,

Contributes to the flow.

Each good and holy man and wife,

Who offer up their dough.

With torrents now the surging tide,

Will flood the barren land.

And wash away the sins that hide,

The garden God had planned.

It takes a mighty river strong,

For evil we must stop.

A river wide, and clean, and long,

Which starts with just a drop.

8/19/18 Through 8/25/18

8/19/18 Through 8/25/18

Sunday

So that the simple ones can see

And like the children, come to Me,

I give My flesh that they become

With Me, and all, a body one.

To quench desire for unity

Who eats My flesh, transformed will be.

The simpleton will understand,

The love behind His each command.

And evermore the thirst shall grow

To more and more, the Father know

For in that most intense desire,

The Spirit comes with holy fire.

Monday

Just how stoic would I be

If all misfortune came to me?

Would I be like the rich young man,

Or would I search for God's new plan?

Have all possessions weighed me down

To where His will cannot be found?

Or am I nimble, swift, and free

To listen up and follow Thee?

Somewhere between the two I fall 

As one who listens for Your call,

But one who wants your grand design

To fit within this plan of mine.

There's many in this class like me

Who say they want to know they're free,

But fail to ever take the leap,

And firmly our possessions keep.

Oh Lord it all belongs to You,

And I accept what e're You do,

To bring me to the resting place

Where I may know Your sweet embrace.

Tuesday

To here renounce the things I own

Would show, at last, a seed was sown

In fertile ground within my breast

And true humility expressed.

But is that what I'm called to do?

Is that why I'm so blessed by You?

Maybe not to all deny,

But certainly to simplify.

A fast would help to thus endear

The word I wish to clearly hear.

For in denial self-imposed

I often find You're will exposed.

Wednesday

Woe to the shepherd who cares not for sheep

Whose dark little secrets can no longer keep.

the damage far-reaching, beyond tender soul,

This filthy injustice now staining the whole.

How long before all see the need to repent?

What fruits before God, could they ever present?

This body is hurting, the body's not well,

Till the last of her secrets she quickly expel

Thursday

Are you that guy who's unprepared,

Who lives in selfishness ensnared?

Who wants to join the banquet call,

But cannot from his sin withdraw?

This is truth that you must know.

For sin must dwell in lands below.

The wedding feast is meant for those,

Who, in the blood, have washed their clothes.

Friday

What would Jesus say of me

If me, it was, beneath the tree?

Would I be happy what He knew,

Or quite ashamed that He saw through?

Into the self no other knows,

Instead of what the outside shows?

Into the place where I know well

Without His grace, I'm bound for Hell!

Saturday

A servant I would gladly be

If such an honor came to me

To serve the One enthroned on high

And with His every wish comply

But He has called me to perceive

It's when we give that we receive

And love will serve the least of all

In answer to the Master's call.