1/10/21 Through 1/16/21

 1/10/21 Through 1/16/21

Sunday

What more could He, in loving do,

Then send His only Son to you?

One humble, poor, and with disdain

For human pride or earthly gain.

He showed how many ways we could

Obey the Father as we should,

And love our brothers here below

To show, the Father's will, we know.

The wicked too, deserve our love

For that's a telltale signing of

What God has done for sinful man 

And how to live within His plan.

Monday

For generations long of old

In partial ways, the prophets told

Of how Messiah's reign would come,

But now, to us, speaks through His Son.

No more in veiled, fragmented ways,

But clearly in these latter days,

We've seen and heard from His own Son,

The meek, and humble, chosen One.

The Lord of all the universe

Direct to all, will now converse.

The One who on the cross that wins

Salvation from our many sins.

The One that feeds our hungry souls

His flesh and blood, now all controls.

For love has conquered over sin,

Let all creation worship Him.

Tuesday

They taught but lacked authority,

The teachers of that day.

For then the vast majority 

Would do not as they say.

But then He came in truth and love,

A harbinger of fame.

A man without the presence of

An evil to His name.

For none before ere spoke as He,

Our God, in flesh, concealed.

Obedient the spirits be

When Truth Itself revealed.

The demons too, have faith you see,

But any love, they lack.

In Jesus, truth and love are free

And nothing is held back.

Wednesday

A priest like us in every way

Except the stain of sin.

That He might be like those of clay

And their salvation win.

For us He freely bore the cross

To show His boundless love.

Of everything He suffered loss,

To bring us home above.

Thursday

If You wish, You can make me clean.

The power of Your word I've seen.

So harden not your hearts and see

The many gifts He has for thee.

Healing too, He wants to bring,

He wants to hear the lowly sing.

To bring them to a place where they

Will humble be, and daily pray.

The place of rest prepared for thee

Is only for the truly free

That leave behind the chains of sin

And find that they are welcomed in.

Friday

Twas sin that paralyzed the man,

But faith and trust in Jesus can

Restore the use of withered limbs

And give the soul rejoicing hymns.

No obstacle should be so great,

No time of life should be too late,

For one entrapped to be set free

By turning back, and unto Thee.

The wicked look at those as weak

Who simply true repentance seek.

Yet they're the ones who cannot move,

Locked firm within their sinful groove.

Saturday

How rude I've been for many years

Your words of love upon deaf ears

The Christmas season come and gone,

Unopened gifts left frowned upon.

A man like me He came to show

Repentance as the way to go,

But I just see where others fall

And fail to hear, for me, the call.

This year be different than the rest

No packages, unopened, left.

Each gift received, and acted on,

Then closer to my Savior drawn.

Then seeing clear, these faults of mine,

I beg your mercy to incline,

And snatch me from the prideful maze

To turn my heart to humble ways.

1/3/21 Through 1/9/21

 1/3/21 Through 1/9/21

Sunday

Lord, every nation shall adore

Both near and far, Your love implore.

Light has shone, the dark dispelling,

Poor and weak, the Good News telling.

Wicked seek to quell your rise,

Yet dawn has broken on the skies.

Men of wisdom from of old

Come with incense, myrrh, and gold.

Receive a gift from me this day

To follow in Your loving way.

To make as newborn babe anew

My love of brother and of You.

Monday

What pleases Him we do each day,

And so, He listens when we pray.

The world though will never hear,

And so refuses to draw near.

The Spirit that He gives to you 

Will guide you in the things you do.

But that which guides the other way

Is only flesh and worth no pay.

The world with its thin delights

So superficially excites, 

But never finds the peaceful core

And always has them grasping more.

Give of self and love the other.

Trust each one as precious brother.

Acknowledge Jesus as the Christ,

And find your deepest soul enticed.

For those that hear and then obey

He answers every time we pray.

But those refusing truth to hear

Are those of darkness, doom, and fear.

Tuesday

A hunger deep inside of me

A longing to be truly free

On earth, cannot be slaked by things,

But only what our Savior brings.

A love so pure and undefiled

That came to earth as little child,

That calmed the sea of Galilee,

And died upon that rugged tree.

The Bread of Heaven, true is He

His flesh and blood He offers me.

True food and drink to satisfy,

My heart and soul to occupy.

Wednesday

Depart, for I must go to pray.

He told the crowd that special day.

For after feeding them with bread,

Our Lord, to private prayer, was led.

To contemplate His role below

And clearly, Father's will to know.

For flesh could not such wonders do,

But in the Father's will could you.

He promised such, I heard Him say

That greater works we'd do someday.

By unity within His will

Our work be even greater still.

To calm the seas and raise the dead,

Or on one loaf, have all be fed.

For love transcends what flesh can do

And love, the Father has for you.

Thursday

Lord, help me look beyond today,

And hear the words Your scriptures say.

Help me to love those lost in sin,

And let Your reign on earth begin.

For only when I love like You,

 Will honesty and faith accrue

And sinners lost, will then be found,

With songs of praise the common sound.

Friday

The Spirit be our witness now

That God, as man, has come somehow.

Born of a virgin, humbly grown,

Most of His life remains unknown.

But that we plainly see today

Is that which shows His Godly way.

The love He shows for those in need,

The lepers cleansed, and captives freed.

For you, it's written that you know

Eternal life is what you owe

To Him who died for love of you,

And Him who makes the leper new.

Saturday

Eternal life is this I know

It came so many years ago

In flesh and blood upon the earth

A babe of holy Virgin birth.

This truth must grow within the soul

To make the saint and sinner whole.

The Groom will come to meet His bride

And in their love be unified.

True, He is great, and we are small

Yet if we answer well His call

Begotten, each of us shall be,

For life with Him eternally.

12/27/20 Through 1/2/21

 12/27/20 Through 1/2/21

Sunday

She pondered on the things she heard

And sifted well each sacred word

She learned to recognize His voice

That guided her in every choice.

And Joseph too, alert was he,

Attentive to each word from Thee.

These two examples show us well

How we, as parents could excel.

By taking time each day to hear

Where God is calling, "Come more near."

And acting on His loving call

Until we find we've given all.

Monday

Still to this day, has evil gripped

The minds of sinful men,

And little ones, so ill-equipped

Here suffer once again.

Torn away from mother's womb,

A lie that rules the day.

The force of evil, dark, and doom,

Has gotten now its way.

At least it seems as though it's so,

For slaughtered every day,

Are thousands more, of which we know

Who never get to play.

Will ever be a day that comes,

When men will see beyond,

The temporal world that often numbs,

To life within that's dawned?

Tuesday

The Cross is what it means to love,

That gift of self from God above.

This love we're called to imitate

And so, with Him, participate.

His mother pierced by seven swords

By her example, leads us towards

The union we are called to know

With Love's example here below.

To love our brother means the night

Has passed away, and all is light.

For love illumines how we see

Each soul a precious gift from Thee.

Wednesday

The world with its enticements

So soon will pass away.

No more, with its excitements,

The weakest ones to sway.

For soon the world of darkness,

No longer will it hide,

Its treasure trove of emptiness,

Of wickedness, and pride.

But prayer and fasting fill the good

Who wait in patient hope,

With wisdom, that alone has stood

When others cannot cope.

Whose eyes beyond the child see

A promise now fulfilled.

A Savior of the world is He,

Whose kingdom now we build.

Detaching from the lower things,

To reach for those above.

To welcome now the King of kings,

Whose way is simple love.

Thursday

Not because you're ignorant,

But just because you're not.

No one should be indifferent

To what, in faith, you've got.

For God has given all to you.

No more a man could ask.

The question now is what you do,

And will you meet the task?

For Light has come where darkness reigned.

No more the eyes be dim.

A life for you, His death has gained,

So set your eyes on Him.

Friday

Rejoicing that the shepherds heard,

Reflecting on their every word,

In cold and humble stable there

Where warmth and love had come to bear.

With mercy blest by God our Lord,

The way of love, to man, restored.

A Savior in the manger lay,

A brightness for the coming day.

No longer slaves, adopted sons.

Heirs as now God's chosen ones.

The captive now has found release

For here has come, the Prince of Peace.

Saturday

A voice cries in wilderness,

"Prepare Messiah's way."

For soon will be made manifest

The errors of our day.

Repent of all your wickedness,

Be fervent, just, and true.

So many sins we must confess,

And give our God His due.

No matter what the tally be,

We cannot, wrong make right.

We must look to our God and see,

The truth in clearest light.

The Cross, that brutal sign of shame.

Conviction of our wrong.

The only source from which to gain

The lyrics of our song.

So make of me a melody,

A catchy little tune,

To help the poor and blind to see,

Our God is coming soon.

12/20/20 Through 12/26/20

 12/20/20 Through 12/26/20

Sunday

His way so far above our own,

He uses man to make it known.

The weak and frail, the humble poor,

The ones you'd think would fail for sure.

But victor is the shepherd boy,

And virgin would the snake destroy.

We too could win in every way,

If we just listen and obey.

Monday

A love the mind cannot conceive

Is given those who will receive

His word and treasure deeply there

This love that's far beyond compare.

Patience we must have to see

The glory of the Trinity

And those in faithful service learn

That giving all will give return.

Tuesday

Lord, I offer here this day

All that I have in every way.

Take what You will, but leave me this,

Your love alone, do not dismiss.

For all I have has come from You

And all I have is but Your due.

For You have given all to me,

And all I have is naught but Thee.

May this soul exalt Your name

Be ever here and ever same

The always loving, always good,

Who gave Himself upon the wood.

Wednesday

Just how does the prophet see?

What gift from above has he?

Even when in the womb, the gift comes to bloom,

And heralds One coming to thee.

Would that I be such as he,

So attentive, and clearly to see

In the course of each day, how He shows me the way,

And act on the gifts given me.

Each man is unique, that is clear.

And all have been called to draw near.

In their various ways, a symphony plays

When allowing the leader to steer.

So worry not what you should do

Just be ready in any way to

Play your note there in time, and don't worry of rhyme,

The Conductor knows far more than you.

Thursday

A house of proper form and place

Exceeds what simple minds embrace

For how could He who made the skies

Be held in such a dim disguise?

Instead, a house He builds for thee

That down along your family tree

Shall come the morning dawn of grace

When God Himself inhabits space.

Far greater than a house of gold

That man can actually behold

The God of all in time and space

Who makes our hearts His dwelling place.

But in the town called "House of Bread"

Laid in a trough where cattle fed

There lies the Bread of Life Divine

That comes to feed this heart of mine.

Lord grant my house would ever be

A house of love to welcome Thee

That down through ages yet to pass

A house of gold, my house surpass.

Friday

A Savior still, we need this day

So many here have lost their way. 

They cling to sin, although it's fake

And wrong to right, they try to make.

They look upon a manger scene

Yet fail to its importance glean

That God Himself, as babe was born

Of spotless Virgin on this morn.

Break through this year, the bonds of sin.

Let men now welcome Jesus in

That those we see but twice a year

Be closer drawn, and to Thee near.

Friday Evening Adoration

A little bit of bread we see

But far more is that bit for me.

A path of holiness to tread

When feasting on that sacred Bread.

Each morn I rise to take it in

To wash away my venial sin

That I might start the day anew

And see it from the Father's view.

Saturday

He that endures will be saved,

With blood, the martyr's way paved.

St. Stephen the proto, showed how we should all go.

In peace and love, he behaved.

May our lives be models of his

Giving answers whenever they quiz.

Showing love as we go, so the pagan will know,

Our God is this Jesus who lives.

12/13/20 Through 12/19/20

 12/13/20 Through 12/19/20

Sunday

In joyful praise give thanks to God,

Be steadfast all your days.

To whom you pray is not some fraud,

But One the wise obeys.

Each one a purpose, clear, distinct,

No other can fulfill.

To many others, each is linked

Within His holy will.

So be a means of grace to those

You meet throughout the day.

Show others, how in joy you chose

To thank Him as you pray.

We may not see or ever know

How God has used our day,

But patient love and kindness show,

He answers when we pray.

Not always though, as we would like,

But always for our good.

Our role is to be childlike,

And trust Him as we should.

Monday

Connecting dots, quite clear I see 

That Balaam was a bit like me.

Both knowing God and knowing not,

The awesome gift that he had got.

So too, the Pharisee did know,

John's teaching was the way to go.

In pride, refusing to repent

Those hypocrites away were sent.

For action is required where

The truth is known, and come to bear.

Conviction in our ways of sin

So growth at last, could then begin.

Tuesday

My every word received from You

The source of good in all I do.

Alone, one worthy of no praise.

His grace, the blessing of my days.

One poor, without an offering,

Yet all my sins,  to Him I bring,

And beg for Mercy's healing grace

That in His blood, my sins erase.

I often try, but cannot hide,

The depth of selfishness inside

That often leads my heart astray,

Instead of leading to obey.

But with Your grace, I'll change the mind

Then meek and humble often find

Your way, it is that brings the joy,

If I would just Your grace employ.

Wednesday

No longer wonder who is He,

Who makes lame walk and blind men see.

The leper's cleansed, the deaf man hears

The dead are raised, and poor He cheers.

No other One who forms the light

Created darkness for the night,

Makes good health and brings the woe,

He is the One that all should know.

Like gentle rain, let justice fall.

Let earth be open to His call.

From time's beginning, none but He,

And all the earth should plainly see.

All knees shall bend, all tongues confess,

The humble soul, His words shall bless.

And vindication just shall see.

For wicked, flames eternally.

Thursday

In family lies a history,

A story that is His.

Of faith, and those who fall away,

Of every kind that is.

We look and see a varied group

Of saints and sinners too.

Each one a flavor in the soup

That brings us down to you.

We see when looking back on those

How God has used each one.

Even shameful, as the keys

To whom you've now become.

But now the choice is up to you

To pass the faith along.

To be a saint in all you do,

Or one to do the wrong.

What ere the past, it's up to you.

To set the future course

So think of this in all you do,

Make love your driving force.

A savory spice, or bitter herb

The choice is up to you.

No matter which, you will disturb

The flavor of the stew.

Friday

A man of gracious, humble heart

Refused to let her suffer shame.

Decided quietly to part,

Till in a dream, the angel came.

And said, "Don't worry, true is she

He's chosen in virginity."

To bear the Son of God and be

The One to set the captives free.

Saturday

The gift of life, so great a gift

No other can compare.

It passes by so very swift

Oft times we're unaware.

Of all that He has done for us

In oh, so many ways.

So take a moment and discuss

How He is due our praise.

Each time we see an infant there

Newborn of love's embrace.

It takes us to the Godhead where

We see Him face to face.

Each face a mirror of His love,

Each one afresh and new.

Each turns our thoughts to Him above

Who sends the morning dew.

12/6/20 Through 12/12/20

 12/6/20 Through 12/12/20

Sunday

With Your Spirit, Lord descend,

Grant the grace to make amends.

Give the courage, each to change.

Priorities to rearrange.

For only by Your gift can we

A kind and patient people be.

Self must die and You must live,

So we can learn to freely give.

Our simple minds constrained in time,

To greater height would quickly climb

If we accepted, offered grace,

And made our hearts Your dwelling place.

So come to each that we might grow.

Our need for change, now clearly show.

And courage give to every soul

To take the steps to be made whole.

Monday

Abundant flowers blooming here

As that blessed day draws near.

The splendor of our God is shown

To those that love, and make Him known.

Knees made strong and hands restored.

Our God alone, be then adored.

The tongue will sing exultant praise,

And joy shall reign for endless days.

There shall eyes be clear to see

What sin has lost eternally.

And there the Son shall free at last

Those paralyzed by sinful past.

Tuesday

I heard You in the Garden,

But was naked and afraid.

What was pure began to harden,

And my innocence to fade.

The tree looked so enticing,

And its fruit so good and sweet.

I never stopped for pricing

What it cost for me to eat.

The woman and the serpent both

Agreed that I should take,

Ignoring now Your solemn oath,

That sin would trouble make.

But in Your kindness, Thou hast made

Another, Full of Grace.

Pure tabernacle that obeyed,

Perfection of our race.

Through her words, "Thy will be done."

The evil overturned.

The Virgin bore Thine only Son,

And righteousness returned.

Forgiveness for the wayward one,

The Garden now restored.

Our eyes beset upon Your Son,

And evil thoughts ignored.

Wednesday

Put your head up into heaven,

Not the other way around.

Let your life become a leaven,

To lift up the one that's down.

Know ye not who is the Lord,

He that made the skies above?

Never faint, never weary,

He alone, our God of love.

Thursday

Gracious and merciful, bountiful Lord,

On parched land, and desert, and wasteland outpoured.

The worm and the maggot You grasp by the hand

Saying, Fear not, salvation for you I have planned.

The poor and the needy seek water in vain.

Parched with thirst are the tongues of those lacking in rain.

You will answer them Lord, and forget not their pain,

As rivers and fountains break forth on the plain.

Now the trees and the plants of their various kinds,

Throughout all the wasteland, the humble now finds.

The faithful may know, and the lowly ones see,

That our God be the One that is caring for thee.

Friday

If only you would hear and learn

From wickedness and evil turn,

And then be like the planted tree

By running streams, with yield for thee.

A river, Your prosperity,

And vindication, waves of sea.

Your stock, the grains upon the shore.

Cut off from God be nevermore.

But all His efforts cast aside,

Unrepenting of their pride.

A fool, the Christian in their eyes,

But time reveals the truly wise.

Saturday

Patron of our blessed land,

You fulfilled what God had planned.

Hearts were changed and garments rent

When to the people, you were sent.

Ungodly ways abandoned when

The true and lasting Great Amen,

Conceived within your blessed womb

Was recognized, a Godly bloom.

Again reveal your blessed Son.

Make known to all, there's Only One

That we must quickly, now repent,

To gain our rightful president.

11/29/20 Through 12/5/20

 11/29/20  Through 12/5/20

Sunday

Would that You would rend the skies,

And there before believing eyes

Have come and found us doing good,

As every Christian person should.

But withered leaves, polluted rags,

We offer You in filthy bags.

Not one among us pure and clean

Our every sinful act You've seen.

So  mold us at Your Potter's wheel,

Make our repentance firm and real.

Grant us along this Advent way

The grace to serve You well today.

Monday

An empty net beside the sea,

A voice that echoed, "Follow Me."

St. Andrew recognized the King,

And many others would he bring.

Lord, help me follow well his lead,

And grant me all the grace I need,

To many others, show the way,

And faithful servant be, I pray.

Anxious to more souls convince,

When faced with pain, he did not wince.

He counted all his gain as loss,

And joyfully embraced the cross.

Grant me a measure of such grace

To honor You in every place,

And join my suffering to You

That You should bless the things I do.

Tuesday

So drastically, He turns around

The way the things on earth are found.

The child leads the wild beast

On grass the lamb and lion feast.

Let such a change be done in me

That those I know could plainly see

This change the Lord has brought about,

To make of me a soul devout.

It's real, and not some fantasy.

With open eyes, I now can see.

How foolish is the world's way

And gifts abundant when I pray.

Wednesday

Juicy rich food, and pure choice wine,

A promise His, and hope of mine.

A broken web, the veil removed,

Now powerless, has death been proved.

Tears be gone, the face be cleaned,

The Lord of all has intervened.

Rejoice, be glad, His hand is shown.

His favor rests on all His own.

Thursday

To hear and act upon His word

Is not to act in ways absurd,

But building a foundation strong

To stand for right and face the wrong.

The proud be trampled in the dust,

But welcomed in the ones who trust.

And those who hear, but won't obey

Are far along destruction's way.

Friday

My light and my salvation Lord,

One thing I ask of Thee.

Have pity on Your helpless ward.

For Lord, I want to see.

For faith, You granted eyes could see,

And sent us on our way.

How could such thing, a secret be,

That brightened every day?

No more a secret, all should know,

Our Savior, Thou art He.

To only One the poor should go,

For there salvation be.

Lord open other eyes like mine

That all the world could see

You are the loving, fruitful Vine,

No other is like Thee.

Saturday

Oh Lord, what brings that blessed day

When all is right in every way?

Where tears are gone and bread is found,

And running streams are all around.

Where meadows broad, and lush with green

And fattened sheep are often seen,

Where clear Your voice is recognized

And truth is never compromised?

Blest are those that wait for You

That praise Your name, and what You do.

For great the wisdom You supply,

And always true, Your quick reply. 

No longer sheep with shepherd gone,

But to the Shepherd, all are drawn,

And sent to gather others in

To peace and love, where strife had been.

11/22/20 Through11/28/20

 11/22/20 Through11/28/20

Sunday 

When Christ shall come, the morn shall rise

And dark be overcome.

The veil be lifted, clear the skies,

And loudly sound the drum.

The scattered sheep be gathered in,

And rescued be the stray,

For now, is judgment of the sin,

That fearful, final day.

When now be known our every sin,

Or kindness left undone.

Our hope is but that Mercy win,

And each be named a son.

But unrepentant goats will be

Cast out to lands below,

And humble servants then shall see 

Their God they long to know.

Monday

She offered all she had to give,

All that on which she had to live.

And trusting in the Master's care

She hesitated not to share.

For love outweighs the riches here.

No wealth of earth be held so dear

As that which lies beyond the grave,

And that which holds the pow'r to save.

Tuesday

Chastised a little, greatly blest

The faithful servant passed the test.

That fateful day was thus endured,

And life eternal, thus secured.

In days of ease and times of wealth,

In youthful vigor, and good health,

We seldom think of how we'll be

When facing our eternity.

But age creeps in by subtle ways,

Then aches and pains soon fill our days,

And then through cloudy eyes we see,

We're unprepared eternally.

So we must learn before too late

To suffer well and compensate

For all the many failings when

The easy way we chose again.

Give grace to those though old and gray

Who want to find the narrow way,

To raise their daily cross and find

Acceptance and some peace of mind.

A martyr great, they may not be,

But one like holy ones, we see

Embracing all the Lord allows,

And using grace that He endows.

Wednesday

Worthy of some persecution,

Maybe even execution.

Such is what we're called to be

If truly we belong to Thee.

Chastised yes, but unrepentant,

To the clueless and the stray sent

To reveal the truth and see

How much this Jesus means to thee.

No worries then how to defend,

Upon the Spirit, you'll depend.

He will grant a wisdom then

To marvel kings, and baffle men.

Thursday

The final days, a dreaded thought,

No more is ease or plenty bought.

The wealth that hid our sinful ways

Is of no use those final days.

The lies now caged, then truth be known,

With lust and greed then overthrown,

No more shall evil ways pollute,

But freed, the poor and destitute.

The wedding invitations sent

To those, in sorrow, who repent.

Who come once stained, but washed in blood,

Who weathered every storm and flood.

For some be terror, fear, and fright,

For those who made their wrong seem right.,

But for the meek and humble poor,

Now endless peace and love secure.

Friday

The end be drawing nearer still

The signs are all about.

Yet wise and learned often will

Have chose another route.

To where it leads, the truth be known,

The sane would never go.

For there, are seeds of hatred grown,

And everyone's a foe.

Be not a fool, but read the signs

That call us to repent.

Be sure your way, with His aligns,

And be your time well spent.

Saturday

That day will come for every man,

Be vigilant and pray.

Not one escaped since time began,

The faithful and the stray.

So gird your loins, take courage now,

Be faithful, and be true.

May God, with you, the strength endow

To stand, and love pursue.

11/15/20 Through 11/21/20

 11/15/20 Through 11/21/20

Sunday

I pray that I may someday see

That God has worked quite well through me,

That light has shown in what I say

To lead folks on the narrow way.

For though the way be hard and long,

He grants us joy to be our song.

In spite of trials daily faced,

We find our lives are richly graced.

Monday

The babe, in peace, upon the breast

So sweet a place to find their rest.

Creator of the sea and sky,

In Mary's tender arms did lie.

Oh Mother Mary, comfort me,

In spite of blindness, let me see

How Love was humbled there to be

The Savior of humanity.

By faith, the eye be opened wide

To see our Savior, King, and guide,

To call the sinner to repent,

And then for others, to be sent.

Tuesday

We sicken Him who made us all

By failing to receive His call.

Yet still, He wishes to recline,

And with repentant sinners, dine.

Not turned away when we repent,

But filled with grace and onward sent,

To show that life can be made new

If we just hear, and follow You.

The hour and the day be known

To only God and God alone.

So ready make your soul to hear

That final call both loud and clear.

Wednesday

What glory and eternal praise

The saints and angels then shall raise.

The host in heaven bows and prays

In worship for unending days.

So see beyond the world of pride,

And glimpse upon the other side.

Reliance on the self will show

How little all the prideful know.

To serve, the greatest call for men,

An honor and a privilege when

We bow before the throne in praise,

With hearts and holy hands we raise.

Thursday

If only we knew what makes for peace

All greed and selfishness would cease.

The Lamb once slain, we'd see as King, 

And seek to all our family bring

The peace that God alone can give

And teach them how on earth to live.

The Cross a horrid sign of love,

Yet chosen by our God above

To far transcend the mortal mind,

So peace we could, in trial, find,

And know in confidence and grace,

He leads us to His dwelling place.

So gird your loins, strap on a belt.

Where grief and sorrow great are felt,

Where darkness seems to rule the day,

And obstacles are in the way,

Be comforted amid your loss,

And gaze upon that loving Cross.

Friday

Lord, cleanse this temple, drive away

All thoughts of greed or lust today.

May here be found, no trace of sin,

And welcome be, Your Spirit in.

How sweet the taste of love can be,

But sour when You call on me

Tp speak Your word amid the crowd,

And make my faith be known out loud.

For persecution surely comes

To all of Your most favored ones.

Chastising them a little now,

To give eternal life somehow.

Your words are true, and ways are sure

For those who will, their cross endure,

Will find that on the other side

Their mortal flesh is glorified.

Saturday

The Mother's beauty, always there.

Her eyes aglow and face so fair.

Her voice a sweetness to the ear

Dispelling doubt, and useless fear.

The Chosen One, unstained, conceived.

With all her heart and soul believed

The Father's will far greater still,

And offered all, to that fulfill.

No treasure man has ere conceived

Transcends the grace that she received.

The Ark that carried One Divine,

Our God Himself, our Fruitful Vine.

11/8/20 Through 11/14/20

 11/8/20 Through 11/14/20

Sunday

Let wisdom come at last to me,

Through all the clouds and darkness see.

To press the oil drop by drop,

Wisdom's search must never stop.

Complacency along the way

Can find excuses every day

For why the Lord should wait a while,

And prayer is never quite their style.

Collect each drop, let none go by.

For greater wisdom always try.

This gift He grants to all who seek,

But passers-by will find it bleak.

For when the final day arrives,

And all we have are sinful lives,

The time for gathering is past,

And little oil will not last.

For wisdom grows the flask to fit

Each drop that's added bit by bit.

But with no flask, the oil's lost.

The unrepented sin has cost!

Monday

Be done to me Your holy will.

My heart, with love, Your Spirit fill.

Cleanse Your temple here below,

But show me love and mercy though.

Make fresh the salted sea in me.

Your waters quench this arid tree,

That fruit be borne each month for food,

And healing from the leaves be brewed.

Your house be built within my soul.

A fitful dwelling place, my goal.

Set firm within Thy Cornerstone,

Be Christ my God and God alone.

Tuesday 

Real men the key to turning round

The world in all its ways.

If they be steadfast, firmly bound,

To Christ for all their days.

Real men must lead in self-control,

In temperance, and love.

By doing so will they enroll

Their families above.

Not looking for the accolades

As if entitled to,

But seeing how our work persuades

As simple servants do.

So, humble, in your service be,

Your teaching and your talk.

Let others see integrity

In every place you walk.

Wednesday

How easily we walk away

From miracles each day.

We beg and plead, and then receive,

But fail to stop and pray.

We trust Him as a tire spare,

And show no other care.

No thanks expressed, or sins confessed,

Ungrateful, unaware.

Lord grant me eyes of clarity,

Remove the scales to see.

Let truth be known, and honor shown,

To Him who healeth me.

Thursday

Lord light the sky that I may see

How wondrous life in You will be,

Where brothers learn to love and live

In peace, and surplus, freely give.

Not forc-ed generosity,

But honest love for all, in Thee.

With slaves unfettered, captives freed,

And love the source of every deed.

The unity will long prevail,

And love of neighbor, never fail.

Where Christ the loving Master be,

The slave be satisfied and free.

Friday

Lord let me be alive and well .

No more of failures need I tell.

For when I daily sit with Thee,

So many failings, clear I see.

The vultures pick upon the flesh,

So make my soul alive and fresh.

May innocence in me abound,

And there, a selfless love be found.

My ways be turned around for good.

No looking back upon what should

Bring shame and sorrow for such sin,

But laser-focused eyes on Him.

Saturday

My prayer be not for justice Lord,

For justice, I cannot afford.

But mercy is my firm desire,

Escaping that eternal fire.

If justice were to come my way,

I fear my sin would far outweigh

What little good I've done for Thee,

And find You've done away with me.

But Thou art Mercy undefiled.

You rescue every wayward child

Who sees Your Son upon the wood,

And recognizes purest good.

Within such light, no man can stand.

No other love has ever spanned

The chasm of our deadly sin

With mercy where revenge had been.

But Yours a river deep and wide

To wash away my sinful pride,

And make of me an heir of grace,

In Your eternal dwelling place.