Rejoice and Be Glad

From Psalm 118:1:  “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!”

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Rejoice and be glad in our God

His steadfast love endures forever

 

Giving thanks and praise to the Lord

His goodness shall reign forever

 

In our distress, God hears each cry

Without fear, we follow His way

 

His Peace driving away our fears

His Mercy filling up our hearts

 

His voice calls us to His refuge

Our confidence rests with the Lord

 

His Word comforting our sorrows

His Love healing our many wounds

 

From Psalm 118:24:  “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

 

His Holy Son, our cornerstone

Salvation arrives at the Cross

 

His Grace delivering His love

His righteousness covering sins

 

God, the Father, blessing Spirit

Through His beloved Son, Jesus

 

His Wisdom showing us the way

His Manna feeding hungry souls

 

God’s infinite strength, our fixed Rock

All foes challenging us . . . vanquished!

 

Rejoice and be glad in our Lord

His steadfast love endures forever

 

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From Psalm 118:29:  “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.”

Charles Stanley Quote

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When the Lord calls you to an assignment beyond your abilities, rely on what you know about Him and His promises.  You will discover that our faithful God always empowers us for the work He wants us to accomplish.

From Deuteronomy 1:30-31:  “The Lord your God, who goes before you, is the one who will fight for you, just as He did for you in Egypt before your very eyes, and in the wilderness, where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you traveled until you reached this place.”

Winter’s Playfulness

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Quiet autumn afternoon croons

Turning crystal white much too soon

 

Tree’s colorful, festive heart breaks

Collecting endless white snowflakes

 

Guarded weather forecast tonight

Predicting quickest shot of white

 

Overnight, all signals splinter

Transforming autumn into winter

 

Morning arrives, sharing delight

Witnessing a land, white and bright

 

Massive neighborhood tree now frowns

Missing some branches, crashing down

 

Silence broken, machines at play

Blowing heavy, wet snow away

 

Others working as busy bees

Shoveling sidewalk paths, now free

 

Laughter punctuates winter’s air

Watching children, playing in pairs

 

City avenues filling with cars

Sliding and crashing, near and far

 

Winter’s sense of humor snowballs

Spoiling autumn’s last curtain call

 

But wait, a few days down the road

Coming back, fall’s last episode

 

Days numbered, autumn’s final turn

Waiting for winter’s cold return

 

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Grace-Filled Light (Elfchen Series #33)

Temptation

Lurking nearby

Obeying God’s commandments

Filled with His righteousness

Vanquished

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Darkness

Our fears

Life’s every trouble

Praise the Lord’s goodness

Deliverance

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Light

From God

Through His Son

Defeating sin and death

Salvation

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Waiting with Patience

From Isaiah 64:4:  “From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for Him.”

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Facing life’s dark, endless afflictions

Waiting with patience and new hope

Turning to our Holy, mighty Lord

Reaching for the Spirit’s steady rope

 

Seeking maturity and insight

Receiving God’s plan, sacred foresight

 

Witnessing our Father’s faithfulness

Flowing as a gentle river, His love

Nourishing hungry souls from His Word

Touching us, Holiness from above

 

Continuing to teach, God reaches out

Instilling our confidence, let’s shout

 

Waiting with patience for our Father

Sending His goodness to those who seek

Filling compassion with steadfast love

Offering Salvation, mercy speaks

 

Trusting God’s divine wisdom each day

Following His Word, showing the way

 

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From the words of American pastor and Christian teacher, Charles Stanley:  “Waiting isn’t easy, but rushing ahead of the Lord can short-circuit His plan.  Be patient while God works out the details.”

God’s Saving Grace (Haiku Series #104)

Targeted

Seeds sown and watered

Only God provides the growth—

Living with purpose

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Pardoned

Through grace and mercy

God offers us Salvation—

Won by our Savior

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Transformed

Trusting Holy Truth

Discovering our new self—

Our true home in Christ

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Monday Memories: Lights Out!

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On a deserted, darkened street

Halloween arrives with its treats

 

The two of us, walking down the lane

Scared and excited, looking for fame

 

An empty house breathes, coming alive

Energy awakens and desires to thrive

 

An electrifying party is set for tonight

The ancient house turns up its lights

 

A full moon illuminates the night sky

Just as witches in black, prepare to fly

 

Special guests add to the scary fun

Arriving from their past, one by one

 

Escaping from his creator’s famous lab

Frankenstein stumbles in, frightfully fab

 

Waking up from sleeping in a coffin bed

Dracula flies over, with a thirst for “red”

 

Howling eerily, over sighting a rare full moon

Wolfman pounces in, not a moment too soon

 

Sitting like unsuspecting flowers on a wall

The two of us don’t want this to end at all

 

Music and spirits fill the old, rundown place

This Halloween returns with a familiar taste

 

The impromptu party doesn’t last long

Finishing the night with one final song

 

Precisely tapping ruby-colored shoes three times

A young girl requests to return home before Nine

 

Walking past the darkened, empty house

You and I cannot even hear a tiny mouse

 

Realizing again, it’s time for lights out

Planning to return in a year, no doubt

 

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Anthem of Grace

From Hebrews 11:1:  “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

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Weary times, filled with quiet tears

Witnessing mankind’s cruelest hurts

Hate, division, violence, fears

God’s grace, peace, love . . . never deserts

 

When witnessing injustice, stand

Lift up voices, sing with passion

Offer a loving, helping hand

Filled with oneness and compassion

 

No longer sit with thoughts muzzled

Liberty-filled harmonies ring

God’s grace flows, days never puzzled

Loud as roaring seas, let us sing

 

God’s Word lighting eternal fires

Inside our faith, unwavering

Hope fills each heart, never expires

Teachings of Jesus, favoring

 

Jesus always front and center

Faithfully walking as His feet

Loving as His hands, our mentor

Marching on, His grace ever sweet

 

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From 1 John 5:3-5:  “For the love of God is this, that we obey His commandments.  And His commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world.  And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.  Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Nothing Pursues Something

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Half-empty coffee cup

Hoping to find something

Peering down, never up

Searching darkened nothing

 

“Seinfeld” gathers awards

Endless shows with nothing

Jerry’s name on billboards

He’s caught on to something

 

Writing with empty words

Dreams filling with something

Missing all the keywords

Amounting to nothing

 

Scanning digital files

Words lost, dreading nothing

Writer facing trials

Mining life for something

 

Photo on dusty perch

Triggers newfound something

Memories begin search

Looking beyond nothing

 

Nothing pursues something

Something subdues nothing

 

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The American sitcom “Seinfeld” entertained viewers for nine years with the creative humor of comedian Jerry Seinfeld.  With a setting in New York City, the cast featured regulars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards.  The success of the show has often been referenced to a “show about nothing.”

Here is a short clip from the show, featuring Jerry Seinfeld with guest star Brad Garrett.  The scene is titled “You barely know your car.”