Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Sing for Joy





Psalm 23
God is always with me
In good times and bad,
And when trouble threatens
To overwhelm me,
I turn around
And find that God is there.
Always, I am safe
And always loved.

Psalm 33:1-3
I sing for joy
Of God, my creator!
My voice is raised
In melody
To tell all the world
Of my God,
Who loves me
And all people!

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

God Is Good



God is good,
All the time!
God is here for us
Every day!
We need not fear
At any time
For all the time,
God is good!


You have given us
Such beauty
That we often
Can not see it all;
And we do not see
Al the good
That is there for us.

We turn away
From all the good
That you put
In our lives.
We often refuse to see
That you mean
Only good for us
And just see the bad
That is there.
We too often
Let fear rule us
And will not see
That your hand
Is there for us.
Help us to see
That the beauty around us
Is a reminder for us
That you are always there.


God is near us, always
Ready to forgive us all
When we turn around again
And take that hand
There for us all.


Go out from here
And show all people
That God is always there
Wanting to love them all.

Go in peace and love
And always remember
That all the time
God is good!



Monday, September 28, 2015

For those who don't know, I am presently in the hospital because my left knee won't support my weight.  Back to posting tomorrow, I hope

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Joirney



On a journey,
Into the unknown,
Not quite sure
Of what’s ahead.
But yet, trust,
For God is there,
Ready to lead us
Where we should go.


Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Hope



Hope is a seed
That needs to be
Planted carefully.

Hope is a plant
To be tended carefully
To help it grow.

Hope can be a flower
Spreading sweet smells
Throughout the world.


Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Greatest



Who is the greatest?
Which one of us
Will be the leader?
We’ve got to know
Before it is too late!

Who is the greatest?
Come, let us talk
And figure this out,
For we need to know
Who will lead.

But God comes along
And turns the question
On its ear for us
And tell us all
To become as a child.

Whoever would be leader
Must become as a child,
For the servant of all

In God’s plan

Praise God



Praise God!
Dance and sing,
Be joyful!
Go among
All the people
And help them
Find the joy

From being with God!

Monday, September 21, 2015

The Call



A call comes to us,
Asking us to go out
Into the unknown.
Shall we follow
And go without doubts
Or any plea
Except to follow?

Listen to the call
And go and do
What is needed.
Trust, and let God lead
Us where we should go.
Come, follow the voice
That calls you.

The Shepherd



There is a Shepherd
That stands so near
And His voice
I long to hear.

Other shepherds try
To lead me astray
But only that voice
Will I obey.

Now my Shepherd
Calls me to come,
Calls me by name
To lead me home.


Saturday, September 19, 2015

Names for God

Please note, I did not write this.  It is something I found in my Aunt Bess' collection of poems.

To the Artist, He is the One Altogether Lovely.
To the Architect, He is the Chief Cornerstone.
To the Astronomer, He is the Sun of Righteousness.
To the Baker, He is the Living Bread.
To the Banker, He is the Hidden Treasure.
To the Biologist, He is the Life.
To the Builder, He is the Sure Foundation.
To the Carpenter, He is the Door.
To the Doctor, He is the Great Physician.
To the Educator, He is the Great Teacher.
To the Engineer, He is the New and Living Way.
To the Farmer, He is the Sower, and the Lord of the Harvest.
To the Florist, He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley.
To the Geologist, He is the Rock of Ages.  (and it is more important to know the Rock of Ages than the ages of rocks)
To the Horticulturist, He is the True Vine.
To the Judge, He is the Righteous Judge and the Judge of all men.
To the Juror, He is the Faithful and True Witness.
To the Jeweler, He is the Pearl of Great Price.
To the Lawyer, He is the Counselor, the Lawgiver, the Advocate.
To the Newspaperman, He is the Good Tidings.
 To the Oculist, He is the Light of the Eyes.
To the Philanthropist, He is the Giver.
To the Preacher, He is the Word of God.
To the Sculptor, He is the Living Stone.
To the Servant, He is the Good Master.
To the Student, He is the Incarnate Truth.
To the Statesman, He is the Desire of all Nations.
To the Theologian, He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith.
To the Toiler, He is the Giver of Rest.
Selected    October 1944


Friday, September 18, 2015

The Cry



Comes the cry,
“God doesn’t love me,
How can that be,
I am too different!”
But comes back
An answer from God,
It does not matter
How different you are,
I love you always.”


Stop



Stop and think
Before you do,
For God has plans
That may not be
What you dream.
For God will always
Do the unexpected
In our lives.
For God has
Greater plans
For our lives
If we will stop
And let God do
What is needed.


Thursday, September 17, 2015

How Many



How many times
Do we turn away
From those
Who are needy?

How many
Do we turn away
Because they are
Too ”different”.

Are we willing
To help those
Who are not
“Like us?”

Are we willing
To go out
And feed

The deeper hunger?

A Prayer



Dear God,
Show me how
To best use
The gifts
That you have
Given me.
Show me the path
That is mine,
That will help me
To do the work
That you have
Set me to do.

AMEN

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Acts 2:1-21



The Holy Spirit came,
And everyone there
Were filled
To overflowing
Till they could do
Nothing else
But spread the news
Of God’s love abroad
To all they met.
Oh dearest God,
Fill us now
So full of your spirit
That all we meet
Will always know
Whose we are.


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Asking Questions



God is always near us,
Will we take the time
To stop and hear?
Will we open our souls
So that God can talk
And we can hear clearly?
Joy in life can be ours,
Can we learn
To let it be in us, always?


Monday, September 14, 2015

Room



There is room
At the table
For all.
Come and sit,
With the family
And be welcome.
For no matter
Who you are,
You are part
Of the family
And at this table
There is always
Room for you.


Psalm 23



There is  shepherd
Who leads me
In the paths of life.
Such care is given
To see that
I am always safe
If I will follow.
But when trouble
Does come to me,
The Shepherd is there
To help and lead.


Sunday, September 13, 2015

Hostile Territory



This is hostile territory
Where I live,
And I do not
Belong here
Because I am different.

But through it all,
God is near me,
Ready to help me
Through all my troubles

Of this life.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

New Day

photo by:  Arthur Clark


Starting a new day,
Looking ahead to see
What there is to do
To make life better
For all people.


Friday, September 11, 2015

Come Together



Come, let us
Stand together
And let no one
Tear us apart.

Come in unity
And as one people
Show the world
What freedom is.


Unity



Sept 11, 2002
One nation,
Many people,
Many ideas,
But one together.

One nation,
Arguing together
But unified
When trouble comes.


Thursday, September 10, 2015

Why Run Away?



Why are you running
Away from God,
My friend?

Where are you going
That you take not
God with you?

What will you do
If you will not
Let God love you?
Come and see:
Do not turn away
For always and ever
God loves you!


Compassion



What is compassion?
What does It feel like?
How do I know
When it is there?

What is compassion?
What does it look like?
How do we know
That it is not pity?

What is compassion?
Turn to God and see
What compassion is

And how strong it can be.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Fear Not



Fear not,
Good news is here!
Fear not,
For God is near!

Fear not,
The gifts of God are ours!
Fear not,

God loves us all!

Accept each Othe

photo by:  Betty Q Smith


Accept each other,
Do not judge others
By the outward appearance.

Accept each other,
Do not exclude others
Just because they are different.

Accept each other,
Just simply because

They are children of God.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Blessings



We have so many blessings
That we take for granted.
For there are so many
Who do not have
As much as we do.
Let us count
All our blessings
And reach out to share
What we have

With all people around.

We Leave It Behind



We leave it all behind,
All the things
That we accumulate.
For God will call us
Onward to our real home
And cannot take
All those things
With us.

We leave it all behind
But in God’s love
We can take
All of those
Who we love
When we move onward
To that better place

Where will meet our God.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Take a Trip



Let’s take a trip,
Let’s go onward,
But I don’t know
Where we are going.

Let’s take a trip,
But there is a guide
To show us
Which way to go.

Let’s take a trip,
For Jesus stands there
Ready to lead us

Where we should go.

Find God



To find God,
Where do we look,
Which way do we go?
Can we find God at all?

To find God,
How do we look,
Where do we go
To see our God?

To find God,
Look deep within;
For inside our souls
Dwells our God.

To find God,
Look up and see
That God has always

Been there for us.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Looking



Looking for Jesus,
Searching for the place
Where He dwells.

Looking for Jesus,
 Asking all around,
Tying to find the path.

Looking for Jesus,
Finding a guide
And following Jesus

Home.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Face of God

Photo by:  Betty Q Smith


I see the face of God
Before me all the day,
Glorious in its beauty
And wrought in humble clay.
For the face of God
Is the face of those I see
All around me every day;

In my neighbors, God I see.

Picnic



Wilderness,
Nothing around
And nowhere
To find any food.

Wilderness,
No resources;
But God is near
With all the food
That we need.

Wilderness,
But yet a feast
Of all the food
Given to all people

In love.

Friday, September 4, 2015

Gifts



Gifts given freely
Without conditions.
All that is good
Can be ours
If we will but ask.

Gifts given freely,
The basic needs
Of our lives
Are ours always
When we will ask.

Gifts given freely,
There for all people.
No one can take
That gift of love

Away from us all.

Here Am I




Here am I,
What do you want,
Where do I go
In this world?

Here am I,
What is my talent,
How do I use it
In this time?

Here am I,
Which people do I touch,
Who do I talk to
To show your love to all?