Thanksgiving Blessing

Thanksgiving Blessing

Thanksgiving we pause to reflect for awhile

To see through the fog and see past the trial.

We look beyond troubles that daily we face,

And look to the source of all glory and grace.

Incredible blessings before me this day.

The woman I love in the deepest of ways.

The offspring she bore through her labor and pain.

And offspring of them, exponentially gain.

The family I’ve known throughout all these years,

Supporting each other through trial and tears.

The gift of this family by blood or in-lawed

The greatest of gifts from my King and my God.

One more blessing we ask on this food that we share

Prepared with much love, and the greatest of care.

May all hearts be prepared for the feast up above

Grateful for all, but especially love.

12/15/19 Through 12/21/19

12/15/19 Through 12/21/19

Sunday

The desert exult and steppe shall bloom

Prepare the way and make some room.

The Savior of the world will come,

But we must recognize the Son.

When deaf can hear and blind can see

Much nearer One has drawn to thee.

The lame that walk and lepers clean,

Can testify, Messiah seen.

So trouble not when trials faced

Your mourning heart shall be replaced

With joy, and recompense that's due,

With songs of praise from ones like you.

Monday

By what authority are done

These mighty works, oh teaching One?

The scheme devised is thwarted when

He asks one simple thing of them.

To hear the lonely cry of John 

And know that nearer draws the dawn.

The day of vindication when

We recognize the great Amen.

But blinded by their sinful pride

They follow not, this holy guide.

Rejecting truth, they live the lie,

But truth will live, and pride will die.

Tuesday

The line come down to Jesus' day

Meanders wide along the way,

With murderers and prostitutes

Among His famous family roots.

The line shows well His human side

With saint and sinner well supplied.

A way to show He came for all,

To rectify the sinner's fall.

Wednesday

The dream of Joseph long ago

Was proof enough for him to know

That God had kept his young betrothed

In purity and graces clothed.

No spot or wrinkle on her soul

No part that's not in God's control.

A virgin docile, true, and wise

Redemption, on her, "Yes" relies.

Thursday

You are my strength from mother's womb

To make what's barren in me bloom.

To take away my guilt and shame

And let me bear the Savior's name.

In silence where You speak to me

What's foggy once, I clearly see.

And there Your grace I somehow find

To make my will with Yours inclined.

Friday

What does it mean to say yes to God, 

And risk being known as a fool or a fraud?

How can I be as the one Full of Grace,

And carry His light into every dark place?

Three simple letters, one powerful word,

But paused were the heavens until it was heard.

Most powerful word from a virgin so pure,

That forever in time, will that moment endure.

Give me grace to behold in my own little way

The wonders of God, when in trust, I will say,

Be it done unto me in accord with Your will.

And the love of the Lord, in my heart now instill.

Saturday

With joy and jubilance we greet

On every mountain, lovely feet

Proclaiming news of happiness

To all the poor, and in distress.

A year of favor from the Lord

The Spirit now on man outpoured.

Though Winter's long it now has passed,

The flowers bloom, in green at last.

A maiden bearing Christ the King

To all the earth salvation bring.

One filled with grace to care for Him

Who came to save us from our sin.

12/8/19 Through 12/14/19

12/8/19 Through 12/14/19

Sunday

When calf and lion share a bed,

When child can pet the adder's head,

The Sun of Justice then shall rise,

And put an end to hateful lies.

He'll clear the threshing floor of waste

And then the humble wheat shall taste

The joy of being gathered in

To life eternally with Him.

Monday

Spotless virgin, willing heart,

Never from my soul depart.

Graces gain to win the fight,

Stay my soul through darkest night.

Make of me a servant true

To answer yes, to God, like you.

To let Him have His way with me,

That His glory, I may see.

Help me ponder well His word

And understand all that I've heard

Then humbly pass it on to all 

That none may turn away and fall.

Tuesday

Grass will wither and flower fall.

A time of judgement comes for all.

The rugged path will be made smooth

Wounds of slavery He will soothe.

A voice cries out, Prepare the way!

For coming soon, our final day.

Be ready when the Lord appears.

For just, He wipes away the tears.

The humble stray, He carries back.

Repentant souls will never lack.

Don't miss the call that fateful day,

But be the found and joyful stray.

Wednesday

Come you weak and weary ones,

From Me the living water runs.

All burdens I've borne patiently

Redeeming all who follow Me.

For meek and humble, though I be

Your rest is found in only Me.

My easy yoke and burden light

Will bring you joy and shear delight.

Thursday

The woman clothed in glory now

That bore the Son of God somehow,

Has brought from brink of hell this land

And blessed our every grain of sand.

Your aid we need here once again

To change the hearts of sinful men.

To turn them to the one true God

And show their sordid ways as flawed.

You changed the hearts of millions then,

I pray you do so once again.

And make our land a holy place

With love and peace on every face.

Friday

If you would only listen well

To all the laws and ways I tell,

Prosperity would be for you

A river flowing deep and true.

The horse and rider lost at sea.

No force on earth compares to Me.

So follow in the ways I lead,

And watch Me meet your every need.

Saturday

Elijah, man of God alone, 

The desert as your humble home.

The word of God your day's command

You did what only He had planned.

You words a furnace flaming hot

Commanded skies to water not

And fire from the heavens brought

To show that Baal, a God, was not.

And when your time on earth was spent

A chariot of flame was sent

To carry you to heaven's door

To meet true love whom you adore.

12/1/19 Through 12/7/19

12/1/19 Through 12/7/19

Sunday

Eating and drinking as nothing is wrong

Lost are the foolish and pitiful throng.

Here while there's time to repent and obey

They ignore when He calls, and just go on their way.

With signs all around of His glory and grace

They act as if they had created this place.

If they had control over seasons and times,

And if they would be judge of the sins and the crimes.

How foolish to live full of pride in this way

While the evil one lurks for these souls as his prey.

It's simple and easy to just turn around,

And then in an instant, the lost will be found.

His mercy an ocean of self-giving love,

His Father enthroned in the heavens above.

He waits with great patience for man to amend,

But the fact is quite clear, there is coming an end!

Monday

If You would only say the word

A sacrifice will be preferred

Above indulgence once again

And discipline would teach me then.

But this burden now is mine

To appetites and will refine,

To choose the better o're the good

And act the way I know I should.

But I am weak and Thou art strong

I need Your grace to carry on

Without You I go wandering

And find I have no offering.

Tuesday

The childlike I wish to be

That hidden things I'd clearly see

For You, oh Lord did firmly hide

Your gifts from those with sinful pride.

I pray Your mercy on my soul

And beg that You would make it full

That humble I would learn to be

And hidden things I'd clearly see.

Wednesday

This rich and juicy, tasty food

Unseen in spite of what they viewed.

The crippled blind and mute were seen

Restored, and even lepers clean.

But, somehow we miss the boat

And turn from what the prophets wrote

And fail to recognize in bread

The rich and juicy food we're fed.

Thursday

The sands of pride and idleness

Support this house of man.

The walls of our self-righteousness

Collapse amid His plan.

The simple way to build a place

Both strong and flood secure

Is act upon His daily grace

To live both right and pure.

To hear, but never yet to mend

The breach within the soul

Is like a house, by flood condemned,

Upon a sandy shoal.

Friday

I do believe the cure will come

When focused on the Lord.

Not just a simple passing crumb,

But grace in mass out-poured.

The kind to make the desert green

And water arid lands.

The kind to make the leper clean,

And stretch out withered hands.

The Maker wishes all to be

Conformed within His will.

Each one a sign of unity,

And faithful to Him still.

Saturday

The bread I need is given me

Each still and quiet morn,

And if I eat and drink I see

New life in me is born.

I pray He guides my steps each day

And waters well the seed.

That I may learn to love and pray

And find there all I need.

11/24/19 Through 11/30/19

11/24/19 Through 11/30/19

Sunday

King of kings and Lord of lords

Christ, to all, His love affords

Our entry to the heav'nly realm

Where love and peace will overwhelm.

What privilege to be serving One

Who sacrificed His only Son

The One who gave His life for all,

The sinner great, and sinner small.

Monday

To give You all, means everything

To trust when seems disaster brings,

But You receive the widow's mite,

And to the sacred feast invite.

Let me not be trusting of

The temporal things I tend to love,

But place my hope and trust in Thee

Who cares for simple ones like me.

Tuesday

When only one could hear Your word

And all the other minds were blurred

One stood apart, with wisdom blessed,

And boldly now the king addressed.

He showed that man can hear You speak,

If we would take the time to seek,

And listen with intent to learn

Instead of truth and wisdom spurn.

Be not perplexed by what you see

But take the time to come to Me,

And I will show you everything

Then peace and knowledge, to you bring.

Wednesday

The writing on the wall reveals

What lightnings flash and thunder peals

How wanting are the ways of man

Refusing to accept His plan.

Self-giving love, His ordered plan

To fill the life of every man

Not selfishness or lust and greed

But love and trust for all in need.

Thursday

Give glory and eternal praise

In thanks to God, the anthem raise

His gifts abound in every sphere

Our way of knowing God is near.

His blessings now deserve our praise

So we must act in proper ways

To share these gifts with those in need

That soul and body, we may feed.

Give glory and eternal praise

That God in all His varied ways

Would show His love for sinful man

And execute so grand a plan.

Friday

How beastly those who turn from You

Preposterous, the things they do.

No future in the ways of man.

No winner in their sordid plan.

No peace can come from violence

Their wicked ways can make no sense

For greed and lust, breed greed and lust,

No room allowed for holy trust.

But on the clouds, the Son of Man

And thus the final scene began.

Enthroned on high the mighty King,

Where throngs of saints and angels sing.

All tongues proclaim Him as their Lord

Who conquers now, the beastly hoard,

And everlasting peace shall reign

Where He is King, the Lamb once slain.

Saturday

The call will come amid the day

In such an ordinary way

As not to shock, or raise a brow,

But strike a longing, deep somehow.

A ring of truth, a ray of light,

A sound of hope in darkest night.

It comes in many varied ways

And takes its root in one who prays

Lord may I hear and answer well

Then gladly, many others tell

Of You who died, but rose again

To save the lives of sinful men.

11/17/19 Through 11/23/19

11/17/19 Through 11/23/19

Sunday

Perseverance paves the way

For our survival on that day

To trust amid the face of death

Until we draw our final breath.

Without preparing, you will speak

And Spirit then will strengthen weak.

With words of wisdom off the tongue

That speak to old, and speak to young.

Monday

Have we freely blindness chosen,

In our pride and gall been frozen,

Turning from His healing rays,

To follow our own selfish ways?

His law the only source of life

Our strength and courage in the strife

That everyday the faithful see,

As they, determined, follow Thee.

For one day in the Master's court

Would thousands elsewhere ever thwart.

And just one ray of endless light

Will give us courage in the fight.

Tuesday

How far your mercy reaches Lord!

To wicked who by men abhorred,

To all the lost, no matter where

Who wish eternal life to share.

Give me a judgment right and clear

To listen when You speak to hear

The way to go that I should take

And not Your holy will forsake.

Let me not my ear incline

To evil tempting me to dine

But choose to suffer yet obey

And never go, my heart astray.

Wednesday

The gifts we have so many known

Have come from God and God alone.

The Giver is so good to me,

Yet often I have failed to see.

Each coin He gives must give return

And each ungrateful servant learn

To use what He has given well,

And others, of His glory tell.

Thursday

Don't fail to recognize the Lord

Such blindness one cannot afford.

If only all could see what's true,

They'd give to Him, the praises due.

So blinded now and self-absorbed

The Prince of Peace is not adored.

But soon the pride will be destroyed,

With nothing left to fill the void.

Yet if you now, would humble be

And open wide your eyes to see,

You'd find what truly makes for peace

And never let your praises cease.

Friday

Lord, hanging on Your every word

And knowing truth has just been heard,

I ask You in, to cleanse my heart

And offer You my every part.

Saturday

Without a doubt, the day will come

Not just devout, nor just for some,

But all will rise that final day

To hear the Master finally say...

Well done good servant, come and rest,

Your love has passed the final test.

You met me in the poor and weak,

And showed the way to those who seek.

But woe to those who hear that day,

I never knew you, go away.

Eternity, to spend it there

In suffering and great despair!