Should you come to the end of your road
All the while carrying your heavy load
You torment yourself in deep travail
because you've sinned, you've fallen, you've failed
Remember the Lord carried his cross for you
He paid the penalty for which you were due

So when your load becomes too much to bear
Just lay it down and leave it there
The finished work on the cross that Jesus did
Means of your burden of sin you may now be rid

Now the narrow path, though rough it may be
can be traversed because of your burden you're free!
Though the path at times will be quite lonely
Always remember the Lord is with thee...

Pleasures

It's like breakin' in a new bar of soap
Like mountain climbing with a brand new rope
Or like lookin' through a telescope
The pleasures this life can bring
All point us to one thing -
And that's You -
Our indescribably awesome Abba God,
wonderfully loving, Holy Spirit giving,
most High, most amazing Jesus,
our way, our life and our truth!
The simple fact is -
                   and this is beyond measure,
                   You are a God of pleasure!

We don't need the pleasures of the flesh
that in the end result in death,
leaving us filled with emptiness.
No, your pleasure alone will satisfy
our minds, our hearts, our eyes!

A pink and purple tinged sunset
when all the world seems to pause to rest.
The twinkling stars in a clear night sky
that bring joy and wonder to our mind's eye
the cool, refreshing pleasure of jumping in a Florida natural spring,
beats out any man-made thing.
A hug and a kiss from one of my daughters
A well told joke that brings smiles and laughter
A wondrous meal that my tongue likes to dance with
A beautiful woman to share a (lifetime) romance with

Yes the pleasures that God provides
Leave us far more satisfied
than any the god of this world can offer
For the pleasure that sin gives us is finite and carnal
While his pleasures are Holy and eternal...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie
Turkey's in the oven and it smells fine
Mama's corn bread stuffing can't be beat
So many choices for us to eat!
There's buttermilk biscuits
and green bean cassarole
Granny's banana pudding
Hey! Fill my bowl!
There's honey glazed ham
and candied yams
And what did I forget? Let's see.....
Ah yes - that home made gravy!
And pecan and apple pie too,
We really should be thankful, oh God, to you!


I know we have much more to be thankful for than food, but let's face it, that's the one thing everyone has in common on this day. And for those of my readers not from the USA, I hope this poem gives you a glimpse of what Thanksgiving is like for us. It's really all about family. Sometimes this is the only time they all get together all year long. One reason is that it is always a four day holiday. But the other reason is that everyone will travel any distance, for no one dares to miss, granny's cooking. Not to mention mom's. Unless she lives in Hawaii and you happen to live in South Korea. The only thing I didn't add that is an essential part of every Thanksgiving, is the Dallas Cowboys playing football. Go Miami!

The Harvest

"Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields (the nations of the earth); for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto Life Eternal that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true - one soweth and another reapeth"

Every day we pass them by
yet we fail to realize
The people we pass on the street
are ripe for harvesting

A hint of sadness in their eyes
one can almost hear them sigh
You've passed another lost sheep
just waiting to be reaped

It's Harvest time! It's Harvest time!
Time to salvage hearts and minds
Time to rescue aching souls
Time to make them whole

They'll rejoice with us
when they know they must
Recieve the One who loves them so
that to the Cross he dared to go
and give his life that they might live
and every sin he will forgive
If only they'd embrace him
that one day they may face him
and live and not die
then tears of joy they'll cry

It's Harvest time! Time to reap
The souls for whom the Lord weeps
So many abused and hurting
So many bruised and broken
Let the many now be awoken
to the Truth that God loves them so
May they now turn to Jesus and follow
His Holy Spirit all the way home.....

We all start out small!

"Despise not the day of small beginnings"

Be you a king or a prophet

Be you Peter or Paul

One thing is assured -

We all start out small!

So remember this

when you've grown,

when you've arrived,

when you think you know -

Whatever heights of Glory you've reached,

don't get too proud or full of conceit.

Be you a pauper or a prince,

of this be convinced -

Whether you rise or whether you fall -

We all start out small!

We all need someone to care for us

We all need someone to share with us, 

when we're starting out

and truthfully, if you haven't already found out -

after we're grown,

we still can't make it on our own!

Be you a King or a prophet

Sit on a throne or clean bathroom stalls

One thing is true of us all -

We all start out small!

So don't puff that chest out too far in pride

You might be some V.I.P. on earth when you die

You think you're somebody right now   as you stand before men

But the day you stand face to face with God you won't feel quite so big, then

In fact, if I had to guess at all,

I'd say you'll be feeling rather small...

PS. This is why we grow weak when we're old, so we might come to know, oh, how we need Him so!

Dads, in spite of all our efforts, our children are still growing up into the most amazing, beautiful people. They seem to be able to overcome our faults and foibles, somehow. This can only be God's fault, the fact that we've become decent dads, knowing the example our dads set for us, doing the job to the best of our abilities, and when that's not good enough, his abilities take over, thank God.

So I sit and I marvel at the people my children are becoming, indeed are, and I'm in awe of God because He truly is their real Father, after all. He was in the beginning and will be in the end...

The best way to win souls
is to let the Lord win your own
Don't lead me to your church's door
when you don't know the way to His throne
Don't tell me the way you think I should go
when you're not going there yourself
Don't tell me of a God you don't know
just who are you trying to sell?
Don't tell me of the love that Jesus imparts
when you haven't yet let his love take your heart
How can you teach another when you refuse to be taught yourself?
How can you stand and witness to me, pretending all is well?
The drink of water you're offering me
must come from His purity
If His love isn't motivating you when we meet
My brother, kindly get off the street!
P.S.
What I need right now more than your sermonizing
Something you should be realizing
I'm not trying to pull your plug
but what I really need is a good hug!

"If God be for us, who can be against us?"

The reason no one can be against us and the reason God is for us is because WE ARE AGAINST OURSELVES.

We hate the sin lodged deep in our hearts, we hate who we've become. We hate our fallen flesh, nature. We despise ourselves when we give in to sinful urges, to flesh and we long to please Him, to be just like HIM.

This will cause him to run to me each time

being broken over this sinful heart of mine

And no one can be (succeed) against me

when I am against myself

Resisting the call to sin will

keep me far from Hell

But when I'm corrupted by sin's stain

His love for me yet will remain.....

There is a river whose streams make glad both the heart of God and man
It flows from the throne of our great God in the midst of Jerusalem
It refreshes the souls and makes them whole in a dry and thirsty land
For tis the very spirit of God himself that revives and strengthens them

SO FLOW MIGHTY RIVER FLOW NOW IN THE MIDST OF ME!
YES FLOW MIGHTY RIVER FLOW AND SET THY PEOPLE FREE!
QUENCH OUR THIRST AND HEAL OUR HURTS THAT WE MAY NOW SERVE THEE -
MAY THE LOVE YOU SHARE WITH WHICH YOU CARE FLOW FORTH ABUNDANTLY!

All that hinders your flow in me - may it now be removed
My hardened heart - that stubborn rampart, now laid low before You!
That pride of man that seeks to dam all that is holy in me -
Forever crumbled as I am humbled, let nothing more resist Thee!

SO FLOW, MIGHTY RIVER, FLOW NOW IN THE MIDST OF ME!
YES FLOW MIGHTY RIVER FLOW AND SET THE CAPTIVES FREE!
QUENCH MY THIRST AND HEAL MY HURT THAT I MIGHT NOW SERVE THEE!
MAY THE LOVE YOU SHARE TEACH ME TO CARE AND LOVE ABUNDANTLY!

The sound of joy,   the sound of sorrow
For every moment of our tommorrows -

We hear your voice   lifted high in prayer
Telling us how much you care

We hear the angel's voices rise
Sharing our gladness at being alive
Glad to be yours  -  in this we confide
O most gracious Lord,  you provide
The soundtrack of our lives!

Laughter, songs and lullabyes
Through all our days we lift our cries
In celebration of who provides
The soundtrack to our lives...