Category: Poetry

As the sun begins to set
Upon the sea of my life,
Its rays glisten and shimmer
Ushering in the coming night.

With each roll of the waves,
I pause and join the reflections
On the purpose of this journey -
Wrestling with my imperfections.

Personal failures haunt my soul.
Judgment bangs on my door.
Battling my arrogant defenses.
The guilt impossible to ignore.

The people who crossed my path -
Seemingly so often by design;
Will I ever see them again
When the sunset lowers the blinds?

Regret is no way to be a legacy.
That is the fate of unforgiveness.
This is the foregone conclusion
If this life is our final existence.

Such thoughts make me wonder
What is the point of this life?
Even the most flawed of loves
Gives the heart a reason to fight.

True love never thinks of ending,
So, hope is a worthwhile pursuit.
Can this setting sun rise again?
Could there be such a truth?

This is the Scriptures’ promise.
Beyond the sunset we will find,
Faith in the risen Lord Jesus
Assures this is not the last time.

It was the night before Passover,
And we’re all in the upper room.
We were completely unaware
Of what was coming soon.

When Jesus finished his meal,
He girded himself for labor.
Not something we expected
From whom would be our Savior.

He began to wash our feet - 
Work typically done by a slave.
Would you be doing this
Inside a day before your grave?

Peter objected to this work -
Refusing Him to wash his feet.
“If you don’t let Me do this
You can have no part with Me.”

The lesson He was teaching was
His followers were to be of service.
Following our Master’s deeds
Is a disciple’s greatest purpose.

A humble servant is not greater
Than his humble Lord and master.
Sacrificial love and obedience are
What His followers are to be after.

He finished washing all our feet
Ensuring everyone was clean.
Proving He never leaves behind
Anyone who opts to believe.

Don’t do what Judas did
And deny His sacrificial love.
Every good and perfect gift
Comes from heaven above.

What more can you ask of
A God who makes you clean?
Washing off all of life’s dirt
Forgiving every evil deed.

If you will call on His name,
He’ll wash your feet and more.
This is His promise and gift
As your humble Savior and Lord. 

I was walking one winter’s eve
With a cold bitterness in the air.
Not unlike my tired heart - 
Damaged and in disrepair.

I looked up into the dark sky
Wondering if God really cared.
I prayed that He would give
Some wisdom He could share.

Then descended a snowflake
Fluttering down from the night.
I recalled this proven truth.
No two snowflakes are alike.

Seemingly out of nowhere
I felt a calm and gentle breeze.
As the snow kept falling,
With it came a strange peace.

An old man came upon me.
Put his arm around my shoulder.
“If you don’t listen to Me,
Things will get much colder.”

“Do you see these snowflakes?
Each one coming from above.
Think of each one as a blessing
As proof of My faithful love.”

Then the man walked away
And disappeared into the dark.
As I saw the flakes as blessings,
I felt a thawing in my heart.

And I was reminded God is there
Even in the dark of the night.
The blessings of His snowflakes
Are proof of His love and light.

When God created Eden,
Everything was full of life.
He told Adam and Eve
Don’t eat from the tree
If you do, you will surely die.

Satan showed up as a serpent
Challenging what they had heard.
They denied God’s voice
When they made a choice
To eat; and God kept His word.

This was not the end of our story
For God loves what He creates.
Another promise from Him
To rescue us from our sin,
He would Himself come to save.

One night in Bethlehem,
The angels announced the birth.
The baby in the manger
Would become that Savior
Proving God had kept His word.

That baby would become a man
Doing what’s good and right.
Out of love for the lost
He went to the cross
To offer forgiveness and new life.

That offer is made to all -
To every human being on the earth.
There are no exceptions.
There are no rejections.
Because God keeps His word.

During this Christmas season
Will you listen to His holy voice?
By believing the promise
From a God who is honest
You’ll cause all of heaven to rejoice!

So, you can join the chorus
The shepherds long ago heard.
Give praise to the Savior.
That baby in the manger
Is proof that God kept His word.

You are of great value and worth.

What is it that I am searching for?
It can’t be found on a website or in a store.
The things that I’ve sought.
The things that I’ve bought.
Don’t leave me fulfilled but wanting more.

I look for answers but don’t hear a sound
That can lift the burdens holding me down.
Through no fault of my own,
Or the seeds that I’ve sown.
I need rescue from my damaged grounds.

A stranger came upon me one winter’s day.
He looked at me in the most unusual way.
“Do you know the reason
For this Christmas season?
If you don’t, would you mind if I pray?”

He looked to the heavens as if he knew
Whatever he said would for sure get through.
“Father, I give you thanks and praise,
And that You are a God of grace.
Please help me to share what is true.”

He then looked at me with care in his eyes
And spoke of that first Christmas night.
“That baby in the manger
Would become no stranger
To the sorrows and betrayals of this life.”

I never went to church or believed.
It was just a crutch for those in need.
But what this man was saying
And the way he was praying,
Was something I had never before seen.

Then I saw the holes in his hands.
He smiled and said, “I understand.
You see I am the reason
For this Christmas season
I see your future, and it is grand.”

Tears began to well up in my eyes.
Am I hearing the truth - not lies?
“If you choose to believe
From Me you will receive
Love, forgiveness and new life.”

Will you believe in the first Christmas day?
And His gift that can never be taken away?
That baby in a manger
Will become your savior
And stay beside you come what may.

When are we ever going to learn?
Every emotion or thought God can discern.
There’s no point in hiding
Through secrets or lying.
He knows where we’re going before we turn.

He does this purely out of love.
For that’s what a Good Shepherd does.
He’s a watchful eye
Each day and each night.
He’s a constant light shining from above.

But we won’t see it if we don’t’ believe
Even though He is exactly what we need.
For who’s hiding in darkness
Is evil and heartless
Isn’t greater than the Truth that sets us free. 

Thankfully, God is a patient Lord.
Whose desire is to forgive and restore.
He wipes away our tears
And conquers our fears.
We are His creations whom He adores.

He’s always seeking to save the lost.
His method is through a rugged cross.
His blood that was spilled
When He was killed
Was the payment to all our sin’s cost.

He rose again even if we don’t believe.
We can’t see air, but it is what we breathe.
He’s standing at our shores
And knocking at our doors
With the greatest gift we can receive.

His love is faithful throughout eternity.
Backed by a promise to meet every need.
We can let go of our pride
Because He can’t lie.
He lifts the veil to the blind so we can see. 

We can love Him for He loved us first.
He gives living water to all who thirst.
He is eternal hope
Whom He calls His own,
We become blessings - no longer a curse.

He is the way the life and the truth.
He forgives the past and makes things new.
All our guilt and our shame
Will go up in flames
By the burning love He has for me and you.

So, are you weary of this life’s race?
Will you receive God’s amazing grace?
The ball’s in your court
To be hated or adored.
His arms are open wide ready to embrace.

What am I doing?
Am I just mooing
In the pastures of uselessness?
All the worrying.
All the scurrying
In the grand scheme it’s foolishness.

All the vanity.
All the insanity
And the lies that I’m fed each day.
All the denial
Or the exile
Of the truth that You are the way.

God, I need You,
And I beseech You
That You will hear what I have to say.
Please forgive me
For my iniquity.
Help me to follow You every day.

God, I’m thankful.
So very grateful
For all that You have done for me.
For salvation
And reconciliation
And peace with You for eternity.

Shine Your light
Into the nights
Of my foolish doubt and unbelief.
Your resurrection
Is my protection
From Satan’s attacks and deceits.

Help me embrace
All the grace
That You gave me at the cross.
With this new life,
Give me Your eyes
And a heart for the hurt and lost.

Lord I’m thankful
That You were faithful
To take my place at Calvary.
Hear my praise
For all my days
And my gratitude through eternity.

You can feel the sorrows
Of our founding fathers.
Uniting bridges collapsing
Over our troubled waters.

Freedoms they proclaimed -
Paid for on the battlefield
Are now weapons to leverage
World views unconcealed.

Designed to push agendas
That limits freedom’s potential.
Rooted in lies and deception.
Urging selfishness as essential.

For the persons who dare to
Reject societal “progression,”
They are cancelled despite
Their right to free expression.

Therefore, freedom is not free
But limited and one-sided.
The refuse that is left behind
Is a country tragically divided.

Is there a plum line hanging?
A common ground to unite?
It will be tough to find one
If everyone thinks they’re right.

One thing we should all want,
Is hope for a safe and true love.
Extended with no conditions
Is real freedom only from above.

To be unconditionally loved
And forgiven of all of our past,
Releases shackles and chains
Providing a freedom that lasts.

God’s forgiveness is offered to all
But it came at a majestic price.
We need to see that true freedom
Is a gift - not an entitled right.

So, every attempt to restrict it
Is putting us on a dangerous path.
The freedom our fathers sought
Will become a thing of the past.

Can we find true freedom again?
One that everyone can partake?
Just as God forgives and restores
He will do the same through faith.

Our hearts are so easily fooled,
And the tricks our eyes play on us.
We cast a growing net of wants,
And they overwhelm our focus.

We lose sight of what we have,
And the gifts we have received.
We look upon our temptations
And foolishly see them as needs.

The lie behind these empty pursuits
Is they bring a shallow peace.
The satisfaction of our conquests
Are temporary and deceits.

What would happen if we paused
And contemplated contentment?
Perhaps what we’ve been given
Would no longer be a resentment?

What if we took better care
Of the things God has bestowed?
Would we start to see their value
Instead of watching them erode?

When we choose to commit our time
And invest in what truly matters,
We will find more beauty in them
And not abandon them in tatters.

In this season and time of year,
We should stop and reflect.
And look upon what God has given
In appreciation but not neglect.

For every good & perfect gift
Is given to us from above.
By a good and perfect God –
A cross-proven God of love.

So let us set our hearts
With a dedication to be grateful.
We’ll discover this God of love
Is trustworthy and faithful.

To provide our true needs
For joyful and abundant living.
May we cherish what we have
And give to God our thanksgiving.

A young man with a limp hobbled by
Looking for an empty corner to beg.
His sad and weathered face revealed
Life wasn’t giving him any breaks.

The shame and guilt of his disability
Were burdens wearing down his faith.
His desperation to find compassion
Gave way to other’s judgment and hate.

One day two men approached him
With accusatory and critical intentions.
They asked him what sins he had done
To cause his debilitating afflictions.

The man hung his head in despair.
But before he could muster a reply,
A good man joined the scene who was
Gentle, lowly - full of mercy and light.

The good man interceded in the attack
Seeking to reveal the evil in the men.
The accusations they were hurling
Were lies with no truth and foundation.

The good man lovingly proclaimed,
“This man or his parents haven’t sinned.
What has he done to warrant your hate?”
Disclosing the darkness that lies within.

Said the good man, familiar with suffering
And wrongful accusation’s plight,
“This man’s disability happened so that
The work of God be displayed in his life.”

“For nothing is wasted in God’s Kingdom.
All suffering will one day be redeemed.
Judgment is not what I have commanded.
But to love Me and My creation in need.”