Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Morning Prayer

Make me Lord, a sunbeam,
A little ray of light
Doing everything I can,
To make my corner bright

Polish please, the mirror,
That should reflect your face
Making Jesus clearer,
In this, my lowly place

Turn my eyes to Jesus,
Full, enfaced to Him
No one, or thing distracting,
To make the picture dim

Let me die this morning,
That Christ alone might be
Living, shining, serving,
In little sunbeam me!



Thursday, November 23, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving!

The sun that shines upon the earth;
The wonder of a baby’s birth;
The moon that radiates at night;
With stars that shine a brilliant light;

The showers that refresh the land;
The plant and bud on every hand;
The lofty trees with mighty roots;
The shrubs and vines and tiny shoots;

The waving grain and great blue sky;
The harvest time with its supply;
The spring and summer, cold and snow—
Declare a thing, a message show

They speak of a Creator’s love,
And show a Father’s heart above
They tell of He who holds our days,
And guards our very path and ways

The sense of sight, and touch, and smell;
The workings of the human cell;
The steady beating of the heart;
The complexity of every part;

The bounties on our table spread,
Or water with a little bread;
And that which for the soul we gain—
The Bread from Him that will sustain—

The Sabbath with its joyful rest,
Of which we are so richly blessed;
And then the Gift of gifts, the One
Whose glory outshines star and sun;

These things continually retell,
That God above does all things well
They show a love surpassing thought,
In all these gifts displayed and wrought

Continually the evidence,
Of our God’s benevolence, 
Tells His love and sings His praise—
Then why not our thanksgiving raise?

Sunday, November 5, 2017

If you were wearing Solomon's shoes...


If you were wearing Solomon’s shoes
What would you want? What would you choose?
If bright this morning, on your knees,
The Lord has asked you what you please

Would you have asked for wealth or fame? 
Or for a well-respected name?
Would you have asked a pleasant life—
Devoid of challenge, strain, or strife?

Would you have wanted something good
That still was not the best you could?
A life of ease or longer days?
Or human words of love and praise?

Or maybe skill for some nice task—
Would that be what you’d want and ask?
To sing like birds...or speak like gold
Or gain a talent yet untold...

Let not the good supplant the best.
For those who ask will still be blessed
When they delight themselves in Him,
Whose choicest blessings never dim

For God “will give that which is good”
And if this thing we understood,
We’d trust the plan He had in mind
And crave each gift that He designed 

We’d want to want what He would choose,
No matter what we’d gain or lose
For just as Solomon gained more
In seeking wisdom from God’s store

When we will seek Him first and best,
Then can be added all the rest,
For such will have it’s proper place,
When far eclipsed by Jesus’ face!


Sunday, October 15, 2017

Stay Close to the Light


Stay close to the Light,
And follow His lead,
Because in the night,
His guidance we need

Stay close to the Light,
When questions arise,
The way, truth, the right,
May come as surprise

Stay close to the Light,
-Our Savior and Friend-
Or wander we might,
In tide or in trend

Stay close to the Light,
For safe is His way,
His lamp, it is bright,
While near it we stay

Stay close to the Light,
Yet, faith must still grow
In trusting His sight
For what we don't know

Stay close, my dear friend, to the Light!


Sunday, October 8, 2017

Trust


Could we peel away the sky,
Could we answer every "Why",
Could we plumb the waters deep or ocean wide
Could we look into the realm
Of the waves that overwhelm, 
Or explain the ebb and flow of lunar tide

Could we answer every doubt,
And describe our total route,
Could we map our lives from genesis and on
Could we always, fully know,
Would we ever fully grow,
In the faith that sees at night the morning dawn? 

For the faith that has it's sight,
And is strengthened with the night,
When tested, proved, comes forth a brighter gold
Through days of darkness now,
With trusting we can bow,
And with thanks, commit to Him what's yet untold!


Friday, September 29, 2017

The Potter's Plans

I know that there are those anticipating my blogged updates from the other side of the planet and the other hemisphere...but I am still north of the equator, this side of the pond. Nevertheless it is due that this dusty blog come out of the coma it went into when yours truly plunged into the deep end of nursing school.

God does not see as humanity sees. (Amen?!) He doesn't plan like us either. Why would you? If your vision was not limited to time and space, and your plans had creative power, why formulate any idea only within the box of here and now? It wouldn't make sense. After all, what kind of plans would we devise?


What kind of plans would we devise,
Who have but mortal minds and eyes?
Who cannot see the greater scheme,
Nor conjure an immortal dream?

How would we plan from day to day
(When we cannot discern the way
That circumstances often take)
And not be left to our mistake?

Whose thoughts can think beyond this realm?
Whose arm can handle his own helm?
Whose goals are broad enough or high 
As His whose stars still trace the sky?

Could we record the sands of earth?
Or figure out the code of birth?
Could we design our very breath?
Or somehow stop the work of death?

Then how do we suppose we may,
Now orchestrate ourselves our way
And from a human point of view
Contrive a life that's worth debut?

How can we think that if we could,
We'd work things out just as they should,
Preventing all the bumps and rain,
And getting all we reckon gain? 

Do we forget that One whose heart
Has held us from the very start,
Whose fingers fashioned us -the clay,
Is also Potter of each day?


Do we now think that in His hands
Our life's in danger at His plans?
When every turn the Potter makes
Produces what He undertakes?

This is the One who's Authored life,
Who knows the controversies' strife,
Who walked this earth in Heaven's will,
From manger to Golgotha's hill

This is the One whose love would dare,
Almighty bonds to cut and tare,
And God from God Himself to break,
In my behalf, for His love's sake

Then how can we not trust to Him:
The future which we see so dim;
The turns beyond finite repeal;
When they are of the Potter's wheel?

And can we not discern and tell,
That He who "doeth all things well",
Does not forget His chosen clay, 
But purposely leaves it to lay?

That through each change the Potter's hand,
May work out that which He had planned
And one day to His Father bring,
A vessel fit to serve the King.