We can never fathom the agony . . . Gethsemane and Calvary stand for something unique; they are the gateway into Life for us.
From Matthew 26:36-38: “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then He said to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.'”
Harmonious partnerships are the result of hard work; they never “just happen.” The “hard work” also includes giving just as much as taking. In one word it means being “unselfish.”
From 1 Corinthians 13:4-6: “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.”
Daily decisions
God, teach us to trust and love—
Walking in balance
Grasp His Salvation
Can you hear the Lord calling?
Accepting His grace
Father Abraham
Trusting God with faithfulness—
Promises answered
A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.
From 1 Corinthians 9:19: “For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them.”
This re-edited poem, written in July, 2019, features an effortless style. The verses are structured with simplicity because this should be how love exists . . . simple and pure!
Love Conquers
Finding its way
With words to say
Boundless and rich
Love conquers
Despite distances great
Unlocking its fate
With faithful hope
Love conquers
Awakens each morn
Feels like being reborn
Lasts and lasts
Love conquers
Between two hearts
Eager for new start
Together at last
Love conquers
Each special day
Adventure comes our way
Exciting and endless
Love conquers
Thoughts to savor
Bringing each a favor
As sunrise arrives
Love conquers
Arriving without sound
Loving actions abound
Every special moment
Love conquers
Forgetting life’s past
Bringing smiles to last
Faithful and forgiving
Love conquers
God’s at hand
Footprints in the sand
Reigns into Eternity
From John 14:10-11: “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does His works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.”
Lord’s tree of life, saving us
Son of Man, bearing our flesh
Each morning, rising with us
Faith, hope, and love shall refresh
In His death, life be reborn
Like faithful rivers, love flows
Christ’s awesome mystery breathes
From darkened tomb, Jesus rose
Heavenly truth speaks, let’s hear
Love transforms through acts and words
Both mirror journey of Christ
His message, no longer blurred
Christ leading, we will follow
Always near, dwelling within
His hand steadies stumbling steps
Salvation forgiving sin
Much of this poem is inspired by the hymn “Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery,” which is part of a morning devotional I regularly read and study.
Knowing God is your single greatest privilege as a Christian.
From Psalm 89:26: “He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!'”
From Psalm 90:1-2: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
Life’s amazing blessings
God’s Book of Life unfolds
Single timeless moment
Richer than any gold
Man and woman find love
Fragile lives share restart
Single timeless moment
Merging into one heart
Forsaken child needs home
Foster parents reach out
Single timeless moment
Love sows, ready to sprout
Student facing failure
Here comes love’s helping hand
Single timeless moment
Teacher pulls from quicksand
Family in crisis
Unemployed, dreams stand cold
Single timeless moment
Job opens, God beholds
Disaster strikes city
Many answer God’s call
Single timeless moment
Kindness stands ever tall
Sin’s temptation knocking
Christian brother steps up
Single timeless moment
Christ refills empty cup
Darkening, hopeless world
Father’s infinite grace
Single timeless moment
Love reaches out, embrace
From Genesis 9:11-13: “‘I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.'”
God is looking over the entire earth for men who have the proper attitude toward money and who will use it according to His direction and not according to their own interests.
From 1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.”
Promises
Taking root
Hearing God’s Word
Overcoming life’s stressful times
Trusting
Persecution
Apostles imprisoned
Freed by angels
Teaching and proclaiming Jesus
Fearless
Praise
Jesus Christ
Always the same
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow
Rejoice
