Tag Archives: hope

Covenant’s Fresh Bud

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From Psalm 103:2-4:  “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His benefits—who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.”

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Praising Father’s goodness

Knowing His love never ends

Forgiving sin’s transgressions

Humbling pride, truth never bends

 

Redeeming life from darkness

Trusting Father’s light of grace

Renewing hope from His peace

Allowing love to embrace

 

Teaching from Father’s Word

Abounding in steadfast love

Erasing darkest shadows

Descending Son from above

 

Dispersing mercy’s breath

Feeling Father’s tender hand

Breaking apart chains of sin

Sowing love across this land

 

Following Father’s light

Witnessing Calvary’s blood

Paying man’s debts with Son’s love

Living covenant’s fresh bud

 

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From Psalm 103:13-14:  “As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear Him.  For He knows how we were made; He remembers that we are dust.”

Monday Memories: Just in Case

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From James 4:6:  “But He gives all the more grace; therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'”

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Our Creator’s divine plan

Offers fullest, living grace

Giving patience, just in case

When running life’s anxious race

 

Our Lord shares forgiveness

Relationships need healing

Forgiving sin, just in case

When each day seems freewheeling

 

Heaven’s Father, sharing peace

Imperfect lives needing change

Trimming each branch, just in case

When roaming lost on God’s range

 

God shares His timely wisdom

From Heaven, He sees us fall

Touching our hand, just in case

When we need His hope-filled call

 

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From John 15:1-2:  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.  He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit.  Every branch that bears fruit He prunes to make it bear more fruit.”

Originally published January, 2021.

Trusted Patience

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From the words of American pastor and Christian author, Charles Swindoll:  “When the sovereign God brings us to nothing, it is to reroute our lives.”

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Surrounded by darkness

Human perspective fades

Thinking offers no choices

Feeling betrayed

 

Trusted patience in God

His fields of green shall sprout

Taking delight in His peace

Erasing doubt

 

Committed to God’s way

Today’s hope starts anew

Knowing mercy share His love

Transforming view

 

Witnessed truth in God’s Word

Calvary’s light unfolds

Rewiring faith’s new outlook

Praying tenfold

 

Rescued by Savior’s grace

Redemption now deploys

Forgiving, eternal love

Responding joy

 

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From Psalm 37:23-24:  “Our steps are made firm by the Lord when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.”

George Matheson Quote

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I will have reached the point of greatest strength once I have learned to wait for hope.

From Lamentations 3:25-26:  “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.  It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

George Matheson (1842-1906) was Scottish pastor, Christian author, and hymn writer.  His faith in God matured after becoming blind as a young man.

Messiah’s First Breath

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From Isaiah 9:6:  “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon His shoulders, and He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

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Ultimate grace appears

Sharing Father’s every love

Savior’s purity shall breathe

Holy Spirit waits above

 

Virgin mother gives birth

Revealing destiny’s sign

Emmanuel will walk with us

Glory forever divine

 

Out of darkness stirs light

Echoing heavenly choir

Witness Messiah’s first breath

Peace honors Father’s desires

 

Come all to Bethlehem

Embracing hope born this night

Answer to prayers arrives

Shepherds praise this newborn Knight

 

Brilliant star fills with joy

Hearing each mountaintop sing

Timeless pledges beam with truth

Salvation this Prince shall bring

 

Courtesy of Pinterest.

As Christians around the world celebrate the birth of their eternal Savior, you are invited to listen to one of the season’s most stirring hymns, “All Come, All Ye Faithful.”

 

Love Unfolds (Fourth Sunday of Advent)

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From Psalm 80:3:  “Restore us, O God; let Your face shine, that we may be saved.”

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From highest heavens

Father’s love descends

Destiny of hope

Bringing light, darkness bends

 

Witnessed from above

Father’s love restores

Salvation’s light waits

Rising tides come ashore

 

Aligned with David

Father’s love defines

Gospel breathes through One

Restoring light divine

 

Filled with angel’s joy

Father’s love unfolds

Prophecy fulfilled

Embracing light so bold

 

Virgin carries child

Father’s love reframes

Emmanuel’s light

Bearing peace in His name

 

Courtesy of Pinterest.

From Isaiah 7:13-14:  “Then Isaiah said, ‘Hear then, O house of David!  Is it too little for you to weary mortals that you weary my God also?  Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign.  Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.'”

One of the most stirring of hymns during Advent is “What Child is This.”  The lyrics were composed by English hymn writer, William Chatterton Dix, in 1865.  The melody follows the familiar tune of “Greensleeves.”  Here is American singer, Vikki Carr, sharing her interpretation of this beloved song.

One Journey (Elfchen Series #280)

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Hope Reframed

Sharing

Gospel’s truth

Simple fishing boat

Serving as Christ’s pulpit

Witnessing

Grace Welcomed

Witnessing

Spirit’s presence

Life’s next appointment

Jesus will be there

Teaching

Peace Fulfilled

Teaching

Light embraced

Proclaimed in Scripture

Father loves His Son

Sharing

All images courtesy of Pinterest.

This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.

Kitchen Table’s Witness

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Courtesy of Pinterest.

Farm’s eternal footprint

Memories held tight

From each generation

Nurturing what’s right

 

Kitchen table’s witness

Writes each diary page

Chronicles history

Filling life’s rain gauge

 

Precious hope’s future link

Tough times overcome

History comes alive

Leaving each bread crumb

 

Confidence builds each spring

Another crop sown

Expected fall harvest

Paying back bank loan

 

Farmer’s faithful outlook

Every season’s birth

Tomorrow remains bright

Blessing Mother Earth

 

Courtesy of Pinterest.

Monday Memories: Ready and Able

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From John 15:4-5: “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”

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Sometimes in life, failure knocking

Darkest times, odds stacked against us

God always, ready and able

His greatness, witness Glory’s plus

 

Heaven’s Father never ceases

Life’s moments of weakness erased

God always, ready and able

Strengthened, with His sweetest foretaste

 

Abraham’s Sarah, doubts the Lord

Blessing comes with birth of a boy

God always, ready and able

His covenant, flowing with joy

 

Hebrew slaves hunger for freedom

Moses feels uncertain, with fear

God always, ready and able

Israel now freed, while He steers

 

Toiling and sweating in darkness

Accomplish little on our own

God always, ready and able

His hope and peace, faith’s firm backbone

 

Coming to the Lord, trusting Him

Follow His path, at life’s crossroads

God always, ready and able

Willing to lift burdensome loads

 

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From Matthew 11:28-30:  “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Originally published January, 2021.

Spirit of Joy (Third Sunday of Advent)

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From Isaiah 35:10:  “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

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God hears cries of anguish

Transmitting hope from above

Heaven’s spirit of joy

Assigning Bethlehem’s love

 

Out of darkness, light comes

Raising everlasting peace

Filled with harmony’s joy

Granting New Covenant’s lease

 

Patience fills righteous hearts

Waiting, Savior shall arise

His birth will bring great joy

Shepherding salvation’s prize

 

Virgin filled with Spirit

Bearing Father’s only Son

Grace reaches out with joy

Praising all that will be done

 

Prophecy’s truthful sight

Sharing Father’s divine plan

Hearts nourished with His joy

Kneeling before Son of Man

 

Courtesy of Pinterest.

From Psalm 146:8-9:  “The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.  The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.  The Lord watches over the strangers; He upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.”