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?