Good Samaritans Still Exist

I wish to send up grateful praises to two Good Samaritans that paused in their day to give individual help to me in this ice-sleet storm we have been having.

The first Good Samaritan: He and his family saw I was unable to get up the hill and out of the Walmart parking lot yesterday. He suggested his wife drive me up to Walgreens, while he would take my car and meet us. It was tougher than even he thought, but he managed. He suggested I not attempt to drive home when he discovered I'd have to go up a couple bigger hills to get home. His wife waited at Walgreens, while he (with his three children in the back seat) drove me home. He had to then return to Walgreens, then drive past our area (the opposite side of town) again to go home.

The second Good Samaritan: I had called the cab company last night to request a pick-up this morning. Asked him to please wait to be sure I'd be able to get into the car. He did me one better. He helped me scrape all window areas. We both were surprised the car started immediately. However, the one side had been plowed in rather thoroughly. He insisted it would be "no bother" to go home, get his shovel, and dig me out ... which he then did. This added another total of about 30 minutes to the "quick fare". (The plow had done a wonderful job, jamming ice chunks under the car as well as halfway up the tires.) When I attempted to give him something extra, he absolutely refused, and told me to "give it to the Food Pantry." He waited to be sure I'd been dug out enough to get out ... and even pushed the car out that last few feet.

Advent

Advent --- Prepare --- He is coming!

Come, magnify God with me!

Exalting His Name,

We’ll worship together,

Preparing the way of the Lord!

Advent --- Prepare --- He is coming!

Angels proclaiming His glory!

In Bethlehem’s scene,

He’s more than the babe.

He shines; He’s the Light of the world!

Advent --- Prepare --- He is coming!

He’s coming on clouds of glory!

Repent of your sins,

He’s coming --- again!

Prepare ye the way of the Lord!

Oh, come, let us worship together.

Come, and exalt Him with me.

He’ll grant us His grace,

‘til we meet face-to-face

And Oh, what a day that will be.

Thankful

So thankful for these precious people in my life!  My mother, and my son, my husband, brother & his wife, my sisters, along with many nieces and nephews, plus countless friends have enriched my life so very much, and I thank God for each and every one of them!

 . 

Are We A Praying Church?

Are we a praying church?

Do we commit to prayers?

Are we actually prepared to pray

Until our answer comes?

Would we recognize the answer?

Do we merely beg You for ourselves?

Do we wring our hands in terror

In this wicked world of ours?

Are we truly Yours, O Lord,

Will we wait, in prayer, for you?

Do we really look to You for help?

Are we a praying church?

Drop Your heavenly fire, O Lord,

On us, that we may serve;

That enemies might learn of You

And thus be friends of Christ.

They may remain unknown to us,

But you know ALL, O God.

How might I serve Your word for peace?

Are we a praying church?

I know there’s more than illness,

More to pray for than just this,

So may our prayers contain our thanks,

May praying serve to pray our praise!

Lord, may THY will be done,

No matter what our thoughts!

May we rejoice in misery

As we think only of You!

May we not think of ourselves,

But live only for the Master.

May we become a praying church;

May prayers become our habit!

A Faith-filled Friend

Thank You, Lord,

For each and every faith-filled friend,

Those who supported and encouraged me

When most I needed it

In my walk towards You.

I was seeking a firmer,

A more steadfast faith;

A further knowledge of You, yes,

But even more

I sought a closer, more intimate love

Of You.

Each friend of faith drew me closer to You,

And closer still.

Now, in my older years,

My stronger-in-my-fragility years,

I find a yearning, Lord.

I want to BE such a companion,

A faith-filled friend;

One who is placed in situations

Where I will be able--

Where I am “allowed:--

To help another in their journey.

May I support and encourage them

As they seek to discover

A further knowledge of You, yes,

But even more,

As they seek to grow in intimate love

Of You.

Awaken

See all the works of the Lord all around us,

Become aware of what is to come.

Ask all your questions, then listen for answers,

Grapple with the mystery of grace.

Don’t let the world lull you to sleep again.

Raise your pulse-beat, return to your vision.

Don’t ever be gutted by your unbelief;

Allow love, and faith, to guide and to guard.

The world’s evil is spinning towards darkness;

Don’t let your soul to slip in the whirlwind.

Don’t sleep-walk through your life, but live it,

Allow God’s light to reveal Whose you are!

If Only

If only I had known,

I would have clothed the homeless,

I would have given food, and drink.

I would have cared, O Lord!

If only I had known,

That it was You before me,

You, who stood so weak, so weary

I would have helped, O Lord!

If only I had known,

What You, O Lord, expected.

If only I had understood,

Then surely I’d obey!

But child, surely you knew,

For it’s written in My Word

That “When you help the least of these,

You’ve done it unto Me.”

Gift of Tears

Lord, I accept Your gift of tears,

For my heart is sorely troubled.

Now she is gone, and grief abounds.

You have told me just enough

That merely glimmers of Your light

Assure me of continued life

As it be lived, in Heaven.

Your gift of tears will wash away

The pain and agony of loss.

Feeling helpless, yet filled with hope,

The essence of my faith, Lord,

Is to recall You’re in control.

Assurance of continued love,

We’ll meet again in Heaven.

Go With Me

When I arise, and leave this space
Where we have been conversing, Lord,
May I not think it "duty done,"
And leave You here, but may I ask--
No, beg of You, to go with me
Through daily tasks 'till day is done.

As dark creeps in at end of day,
May darkness not sweep thoughts away
Of mercy, grace, and love for me.
You've kept me safe throughout the day;
Have proved Your power and Your might
Will now protect me through the night.

Keep Hope

Rays of hope to pierce the dark,
(The hatred of self, the pit of destruction,
The deepest depression we’re wallowing in).
I am with you there
In the darkest corner.

Look for Me .. Expect Me ..
I set My vision of Hope before you
To anchor your soul,
Keeping you sure, and steadfast
In the Hope that would not disappoint.

See My beam of Hope, and focus.
Rise out of despair, and reach.
Grasp My hand, I will pull you up…
Out, into the Light of My Day,
And I will walk with you.

A Baby’s Heart

Oh, to have a baby’s heart,
The trust of babies, knowing
Never despair,
Daddy is there,
And be secure in his arms.

Oh, to have a baby’s smile,
When he perceives his daddy.
When God Himself
Beckons us, “Come,”
Then, may He hear our giggles.

Oh, to know our Daddy’s voice
When He is speaking to us.
To feel, to know
The Father’s love;
To trust His love, forever!

It's Really True

Finally, Peter realized
It's really true,
The Lord sent His holy angel
To rescue him.
His chains released, he'd walked past guards
Out of the jail,
Into the streets. A dream no more,
'Twas truly real!

What did it take to realize
That God IS truth?
From prisons of my own design,
I've been released.
A dream no more, I'm free to love
This Lord, this Christ.
I'll live to serve, to love, to prove
That I am God's!

Count the Blessings

See His love through blessings
of shades and hues He’s painted
Of rosy cheeks, and sun-kissed hair,
The smiles of love, or tears of joy.
Just look, and count the blessings.

Smell the sweet aromas
Of blessings He has given;
The fresh-baked cookies, and the breads,
The smell of flowers in sun-drenched fields.
Just smell, and count the blessings.

Taste the sweet and spicy,
The tang that adds their flavor.
The strong, the mild, and in-between
Each adding zest to every life.
Just taste, and count the blessings.

Touch, and feel the blessings,
The arms of love that hold you,
The cold of winter’s snow and ice,
The warmth of sun, and summer’s breeze.
Just feel, and count the blessings.

Hear the sounds of blessings.
The orchestra that’s playing,
The leaves that flutter in the breeze,
The holy singing of the choir.
Just hear, and count the blessings.

These blessings of the Lord
Are given to each person.
Sometimes a circumstance removes
A sense, but others will remain,
So smile, and count your blessings!

Balance

Lord, let my thoughts and spoken words
Be richly flavored in Your love
And spiced with trust and thankfulness.
I know You’ve balanced me.

Without You, Lord, I’d not survive
Past that first hurdle of my day.
I’ll hold on tight, and trust that You
Will help to balance me.

We’re close enough for me to see
Just how Your actions show Your love;
How, with Your strength, Lord, I am strong,
And how You balance me.

Living Jesus

If I truly love Jesus,
     Personally, and passionately,
I will then live Jesus,
     Serve Him unobtrusively,
     Devote my time to Him
          Not merely to a "cause."
The real business of each saved soul
     Is to pray for one another;
     To serve, as Jesus served;
     To wash all the dirty feet,
     Of all the soiled souls--
          As Jesus would do.
Accepting "trouble" as one of God's tools
     Might just help me to learn,
     To develop a maturity of soul,
     A stronger faith,
     A more loving devotion
          To living Jesus.
Help me give my true self,
     My total self,
To loving,
     And living,
          Jesus!

Amen

God comes, and meets with me
In sacred places
And in intimate spaces
Of my life.

The Lord of the Universe,
He who created ALL that I know,
He is the One who watches over me.
He is my Guard, and my Delight.

Do I really thank Him .. for everything?
For the huff and puff? For aches and pains?
For snows piled high, autumnal rains,
For scorching heat, or bitter cold?

But, if I thanked Him not, for these,
How could I praise the gentle breeze?
How could I thank Him for His Word,
For daily gifts of exceptional love
Abundantly given, plus more again?
Dear Lord, I thank You now!  Amen.

In Heaven

In God’s own Heaven, we will find
No death, no pain or crying,
No tears, no fears of dying,
No scorching heat, nor freezing cold;
All hardships of the earth are gone,
And only glory of the Lord
Remaining.

Easter .. He LIVES!

He Lives!

The Heartbeat of Eternity,
The Light that beckoned all to come,
The Breath of Life --- He lay upon
     That Cross.

No time for pain, for gloom or doom,
Was given those who mourned His death.
When Mary came, that early morn,
She found that Christ was not within
     The Tomb.

Bewildered, yet with wonderment,
She shouted out to all around,
"The tomb is empty! He is not there!"
As Jesus Christ had Prophesied:
     He Rose!

And we, as heirs of Easter morn,
Alike, may shout to those around:
"The Son of Man --- the Son of God ---
Our Savior, He who bore our sins,
     He LIVES!"

Forsaken

O Lord,
Why did You forsake Him?
Why did You turn away?
What must one do
       To gain Your attention,
O God of the Universe?

O Lord,
How could You watch?
He, Your beloved Son,
In agony, hanging by a nail,
     And crying out to You,
O God of Compassion.

O Lord,
You could have removed
All His pain, all suffering!
But then, a "performance"
     Would never suffice,
O God of Forgiveness.

O Lord,
You cleansed me of sin
By this holy sacrificing
Of the "Heart of Your heart"
      And Spirit of Life,
O God of my Love.

O Lord,
Why did I forsake You?
Why did I turn away?
Whatever must You do
     To gain my attention,
O God of the Cross?

Where Am I?

Where Am I?

Oh, where am I in this story
Through His life to His betrayal,
Crucifixion to His burial,
And on to His Resurrection?

Do I stand with the Pharisees,
And Judas, willing to betray;
With Peter, willing to deny;
With disciples, ready to run;
With those who mocked, or ignored You?

OR
With John, who saw Your agony,
Prepared to comfort Your mother;
With Mary, who went to the tomb,
Willing .. Nay, EAGER .. To serve You?
How have I proved I believe You?
What, O Lord, would You have me do?

One of the Crowd

What was it like to be one of the crowd
Following Jesus ... a "Groupie";
Hearing the words, "Repent! Be forgiven!
And blessed be those who believe."?

What was it like on the outskirts of town
When Jesus rode past on that colt;
Shouting, "Hosanna!" and "Blessed art Thou!"
Throwing our garments before Him.

Then, days later, being one of the crowd,
Shouting with others, "Crucify!"
Scourged, and beaten, Jesus carried that cross;
Hung, bled, and died there ... Forgiving.

Understanding

(Matt. 5:44 AND Rom. 12:14 … “Pray for those who persecute you.”)

I do not understand the hate,
The anger, the desire to harm
That causes one to join a group
Whose only aim is “Kill” and “Maim”
Because of how we choose to live.

I pray for those with none to pray:
For anyone who’d wield the sword
When heads of Christians rolled away;
And for the one who left the bomb
Along the route where others ran.

Lord, open eyes, and ears, and hearts.
Forgive them for their errant ways.
Dissolve their anger, Lord, the hate
That causes them to wish to harm
A soul whose only “crime” is love!

As from the Cross that day You prayed,
“Father, forgive. They do not know,”
Lord, help Your children understand
That though all sin, You have control.
Help us remember, You’re the judge,
And You desire that all be saved

If You Know Not God

(Romans 9)

If you know not of God, I will speak.
If you refuse Christ, I will cry.
Humanity of Christ was as Jew,
As God, He rules--eternally.

For all have been chosen to be saved,
Though given the freedom to refuse.
And Jesus, with God from beginning,
Knew salvation comes through His death.

Action

Holy Spirit, build Your fire
Deep within my soul.
Not so I can just go sit
Warming feet, O Lord,
Build heat to urge my action.

Who can use encouragement?
Who can use a smile?
Encouragement is powerful,
And each smile they see
Encourages a response.

I won’t be so complacent,
Passing needy souls.
Whatever He brings to mind
He’ll help me to do.
He boosts compassionate acts!

Holy Spirit, build Your fire
Deep within my heart.
Help me rise, get off my butt;
Get me on my feet!
Build heat! Please, help my action!

Lent

What are you giving up for Lent?
Are you going on a diet?
or giving up just chocolates?

If I will fast, what form to take"
to "give it up?" -- or to renew
another view to living?

Ash Wednesday really means much more
than merely ashes on my brow,
and walking with downcast eyes.

Lent, a time to examine self,
to read, and meditate God's Word,
time to repent, and to pray.

Picture This

Picture this --
A loving father, slowly pacing,
Patting the babe in his arms,
Attempting to console.
“There, there, my child, I have you.
You are safe here.”
Sobbing slows, the weary head falls
To nestle, gently,
In the crook of Love’s arms,
Beneath the jaw line of Safety.

Picture this --
A loving father, slowly pacing,
Watching his children at play,
Watching playfulness turn to anger.
“Oh, no, my children! Turn away!
Return home again.”
They choose not to hear. His wearied gaze remains,
Ever-watchful.
Love’s arms reach out in entreaty..
“Repent! Return to Safety.”

Picture this --
The loving father, slowly pacing,
Watching the clock. The child had called!
“I’m coming home, Dad.
I’m sorry. Please, wait for me?”
The moment of arrival, Love’s arms reach out,
Enfolding errant child, safely home.
Tears coursing down each one’s cheeks
Cleansing all past sorrows,
Forgiveness soaking in.

Now, picture this--
Father, child. Reconnected!
Love reached out --
To you, His beloved child,
Resting weary head between His shoulders
You are held safely in His arms,
Once again.

Flood My Heart

Flood my heart with light, O Lord,
Shed light into my future.
For all who will believe in You,
You've promised life eternal.

Flood my heart with love, O Lord,
And help me love all others;
My brothers and my sisters, Lord,
For they are of Your family.

Flood my heart with hope, O Lord,
For in this world of evil
We need the hope of life with You,
A hope of life eternal.

Flood my heart with You, O Lord,
And help me aim my focus
On You, the Father of us all,
And ask for holy guidance.

Flood my heart again, O Lord,
For I forget Your mercy.
Flood hope, and love, and light into
My heart ... and through my being.

Like Abraham

(This poem was written in memory of Warren & Donna Pett, missionaries to Africa, and for their family here in Wisconsin.)

Like Abraham

When God told Abram to leave behind
His family, and his inheritance,
Abram immediately walked away.
God’s promise became his direction.
This wandering nomad continued
‘til God finally said: “Stop!
The Land of My Promise is Canaan.”

Disciples also were told to leave behind
Their family and their inheritance.
With emptied hands and only desire,
They walked away from all they had known.
Their identity changed from “fishermen,”
As they walked toward His Promise ..
Despite their not knowing their future.

Farmers of lands, Warren & Donna,
Were called to become missionaries.
Leaving all they knew in Wisconsin,
They tilled hearts and souls of God’s people.
They died there, in harness.
If they had known … they still would have gone.

The Lord Remains

With each season of every soul:
Through winter's blight,
And spring's renewal,
Through summer's growth
And autumn's bloom,
The Lord remains constant.

As we progress throughout our life
We will begin
To realize
That Christ is ALL
We need, to live.
The Lord remains steadfast.

All through Life, our growing soul
Belongs to Him.
Although our sin
Has blackened us,
We learn to see
The Lord remains loving.

Second Chance

Second Chance

Thank You, Oh God of Second Chances.
It’s a brand new day, in a brand new year.
It’s a fresh new slate to write upon.
What, Oh Lord, will You say?

Will this be the year I obey You?
Will this be the day I remain with You?
Will this be the time I seek You, Lord,
To guide me through each day?

Oh Lord, I plead for this second chance
To become all that You wish me to be!
Only if You’re there beside me
Will this next chance be true.