Decision

Choose Joy
Choose Life
Choose Love
Choose Right
Choose Peace
Choose Light
Choose Hope
To God’s Delight
When in repentance faith you choose
Life saving grace belongs to you
And in your heart you’ll know the truth
By His sacrifice he first chose you

Legacy

They say life flashes before your eyes
When you are about to die

I don’t know if it is a fact
But I wouldn’t be surprised by that

All memories and thoughts set free
From the mortal prison inside of me

Pain and emotions then released
That were held fast by shame and grief

And oh, the joy, the loves the friends
What comfort to see them again

When all has gone from mind and heart
And from this world my soul departs

Will what I saw be captured here
Within all those whose lives I shared

Imprisoned now in their memories
Every time they’d think of me

A weight they’d stumble underneath
Or a gift of love and joy to keep

Lord help me to right all the wrongs
And heal the hurts that I have caused

So when my life passes by my eyes
Your grace and peace I recognize

Then to all who hold my memory
Your love will be my legacy

It Could Have Been Friday Forever

Before our Saviors love displayed
Constant sacrifice was made

To cover sin and ease the shame
Because the law was disobeyed

Atoning blood was spilled each day
To keep the power of sin at bay

And then their came a precious King
To end the pain and suffering

They praised His name and led the way
With hope His power would win the day

They didn’t understand the plan
God our Father designed for man

They chose the innocent again
To be slain by their own hand

They know not what they do He said
As he surrendered all to death

Until His glory was displayed
The day the stone was rolled away

For sins, past present and to come
His sacrifice the victory won

Without His love that knows no measure
It could have been Friday - forever

Days of Hope

When dreams give way to schedules
And days begin too soon and end too late
When filling time is not the problem
And autopilot is my normal state

When I begin to think that life is living me
The things I’ve done all must be done again
When I forget that faith is hope in the unseen
And on His strength and love I don’t depend

Through His word I am reminded that His plans are greater still
If I follow Him through all the turns and twists
And if I would just trust Him He’ll work everything for good
His mercies new each morning in such a time as this

Right Where We Are

What if God called fishermen
Because they understood the wind
The waves, the tides and the life within

So He could walk upon those waves
Fill their nets on a hopeless day
And calm the storms to teach them faith

What if God calls each of us
Right where we are to learn to trust
That WHO WE ARE IS WHO HE LOVES

And if we give Him all we do
And share His love with others who
Need to know He loves them too

He’ll fill our nets and calm our storms
Teach us to stand and right our wrongs
Because we all to Him belong

The Escape

Day and night you stalk your prey
Although you don’t mind being seen
You hunt the youngest in the dark
Defenseless you invade their dreams

But young or old, rich or poor
To you they’re all the same
Relentlessly pursuing them
Until they hide from you in shame

You own the weak, but know in fact
That weakness dwells in all
So you hunt the strong as well
And hope to see them crawl

Unwilling to admit you’re there
We find our backs against the wall
We hold our tongue when we should speak
Or lash out when we hear you call

You paralyze our hopes and dreams
And hold us prisoner in our minds
But the only power you really have
Is the power of the lie

There is a place that we can flee
To escape your cunning ways
The place of truth that sets us free
Within God’s Mercy and His Grace

Surrendering our hearts and minds
By faith believing He is near
His perfect love will cast you out
And shield us from you - fear

No Escape

Insidious they stalk your life

Asking you to shed some light

Their only purpose to fill the need

For the knowledge that sets you free

Some will tease and tickle you

Their purpose only to amuse

Others may just change your life

When all their pieces fit just right

They’re always there to interfere

Pushing you to make things clear

You can’t ignore, avoid or shun

The power of your own questions

Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

                                                                                                                           Matthew 7:7 (KJV)

Lost and Found

Have you ever given up a dream
Released it like balloons on a string
And watched it slowly float away
Beyond your reach your hopes betrayed

And wondered why it could not be
The fulfillment of your destiny
As the vision only you could see
Became clouded by reality

So in regret you mourned the loss
And imagined what you thought it cost
The hope you had, exchanged for doubt
Not knowing it was all about

An open door to what could be
When if by faith you’d just believe
God knows your thoughts, your hopes and dreams
And if you seek Him you will see

Beyond imaginations view
Into His perfect plans for you

Just For Me

I wore a cross around my neck
In the hope that others would respect
How I chose to let all see
My faith and what it meant to me

But even as they all could see
This emblem of my piety
They also saw the times I tried
But failed to live a Christ like life

And so I put my cross away
I could not bear their scornful gaze
And didn’t want His name denied
Because of failures in my life

But soon I learned more of the price
He paid for me with His own life
When in repentance I would seek
Forgiveness and in faith receive

Amazing Grace and restoration
With only love not condemnation
For on the cross He died for me
And bore my sins upon that tree

So now I wear my cross again
In memory of His suffering
And to remember when I fall
His love for me is all in all

Stargazers

Every job has its mundane moments when it seems repetitious and even boring.  You wouldn’t think that could happen in the beautiful Colorado Rockies, but by the middle of the season, even the uniqueness of living on a guest ranch began to wear off.  To the staff, cleaning stalls, washing dishes, and cooking and serving 3 meals a day was beginning to feel more and more like work.  There were certain events each summer that brought the excitement back, like local rodeos and concerts. One of the most anticipated though, was a very special quest.

Many families returned year after year and veteran staff got to know them well, some even developing lasting friendships. One of those guests was an astronaut.  He brought his family every summer and we could always count on two things happening when he was there.  Late night apple pie raids of the kitchen and a staff attitude adjustment ride for some stargazing. After dinner when the guests returned to their cabins staff members would ride with him to our favorite spot on a ridge above the ranch and wait for the sun to set.  It was a time to relax and just be ourselves and looking over the ranch from that spot somehow put everything back in perspective.  When the stars came out our own personal astronaut would point out the constellations. You could tell he was passionate about space and loved sharing that passion with us. He told us what it was like looking down from an even higher vantage point seeing the constellations formed by the lights of the cities and towns.  I remember thinking that they were almost like a reflection of the stars.

The lights of Christmas remind me how a brilliant star announced the birth of my savior Jesus Christ, who is the true Light of the World. The one with the greatest vantage point of all sees the reflection of His light in all those who believe.  Won’t you consider asking Him into your heart so you receive a new life and a new perspective through His passionate and unconditional love for you?

Tried and Truth

T is for the timing that was all wrong
U is for the undercooked green beans
R is for the runny homemade gravy
K is for the knife that won’t carve meat
E is for the eggnog I forgot to buy
Y is for the yams that turned to mush
I sure glad that all that really matters
Is thanking God for all He’s done for us

Unforgettable Love

My Mom is a great cook, which she would probably deny, but it’s the truth.  That is why it is so odd that one of our family’s holiday traditions is to tease her about burning the rolls.

Her holiday meals always looked and tasted fantastic.  One Thanksgiving she was putting the last dish on the table when someone said that they smelled something burning.  It was the rolls.  She had put them in the oven while she put the finishing touches on the serving platters and forgot about them.  That can happen to anyone and you might think us cruel to never let her forget one simple mistake.  The problem was that for a few years in row she repeated the same mistake which became just too tempting to ignore and the teasing became a holiday tradition.

Knowing it was done in love she took it with grace and patience.  She could afford to be patient, as all parents can, knowing that eventually her children would be the ones serving the holiday meal and that great moment would dawn when they would appreciate all the effort and love that went into it.  I won’t name names but I can remember a few holiday meals that included mistakes by other members of the family that rivaled hers. If they had been repeated I am sure the burnt rolls would have been forgotten.

How gracious and patient our Heavenly Father is to wait for us recognize our sins.  It doesn’t matter what we’ve done or even that we have made the same mistakes over and over again.  He waits for us to ask His forgiveness and accept the effort and love that went into the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, so that we will always know we are loved even when we burn the rolls.

Songs From A Grateful Heart

If I sing How Great Thou Art
While waves of doubt flow through my heart

Or sing about Amazing Grace
But in the mirror my shame I face

Or if I have no words to say
But only tears come when I pray

Or passing through the fires of fear
I run instead of drawing near

Your gentle spirit deep within
Reminds me of forgiven sins

And a new life that’s begun
Because you freely gave your Son

I know that I can rest in You
And find my peace in hope renewed

If on your promises I’ll stand
And come to you Just As I Am

Hope in Deep Waters

We were indoctrinated at an early age.  We sat on blankets with our bamboo poles lying next to us, dangling the tips over the top of the seawall.  The line went straight down to the bobber so that the tiny tug of the child size sunfish or perch would bend the thin tip of the bamboo.  Eventually we were allowed to stand and use the entire pole to try for Striped Bass or Crappies.  We swung them onto the shore at the end of the long poles while learning to duck the flying catches of others.  Bait was everything from tiny pieces of old lace, minnows, worms and even leeches.  I personally drew the line at leeches even though it threatened my status as a proper fisherman.

 A rite of passage was to own our first rod and reel and learning to cast was as important as learning to swim.  It also allowed us to try for the larger deep water fish like Pike and Catfish.  Along the way we learned to read the river.  When the water was too high or the Carp were spawning in the shallows, the fishing would not be good.  When the May flies appeared or the water was very still the time was right.  The reward for all this was a Sunday afternoon fish fry and the satisfaction of knowing that we had provided the delicious, fresh ingredients.  It didn’t hurt that along the way we learned patience and perseverance, and how to be quiet for long periods of time.

As my life stands right now, I can’t even imagine having the time to sit on a riverbank, pole in hand, letting just the sun dictate my time.  I am also pretty sure that the patience and perseverance I remember having back then might fail me.   But I do know where I can go to find the same kind of peace and timeless contentment.  No matter if life is rushing by or its troubles are multiplying I can “Cast my burdens upon the Lord and he will sustain me…..” (Psalm 55:22 KJV)

If Time Stood Still

When the days go rushing by
And time my schedule must deny
I think that it would be a thrill
If just for once time would stand still


The bills still due would wait a while
The clothes I own would stay in style
My kids would stay both sweet and small
My hair would not turn grey at all

But then the future would not be
No goals or possibilities
Problems now would stay unsolved
My hopes and dreams would just dissolve

I guess time must continue on
And mark the seasons and the dawns
To move me through both joy and grief
And fill my heart with memories


When my life comes to an end
And all my time on earth is spent
In God’s arms I’ll find true peace
As time stands still for eternity

No Time to Waste

No question He can’t answer

No problem is too big

No doubt He can’t help overcome

No help He cannot give

 

No fear He cannot cast out

No wound He cannot heal

No Enemy is stronger

No storm He cannot still

 

No love we have can match His

No faith in Him enough

No works we do can save us

No sin can end His love

 

No hopelessness is lasting

No life without His plan

No future without heaven

When we say yes to Him

Breakthrough

There it is, I see it now

            The possibilities and the how

Plain as day the steps are clear

            One leap of faith and then I’m there

No use rushing after all this time

            I wouldn’t want to miss a sign

I should think it through once more

            List pros and cons and add the scores

 I’m not so bad off after all

             This could be temptations call

 To make this leap of faith alone

             Might lead me to a fate unknown

 It seemed that victory was near

             Until I looked through eyes of fear

 But when I look through eyes of faith

             The path before me becomes straight

 In my weakness He is strong

             And all my life to Him belongs

 His perfect love casts out my fear

             And once again the victory’s near

Room at the Table

Divorced was not something that I had ever imagined being and the aftermath not something I would ever have expected.  The pain of rejection, failure and guilt mixed with the feeling of somehow being out of place and time, took my breath away.

 I had a good friend that I could cry to but who never let me give up. She kept reminding me that God would always be there for me.  I knew it was true but it just didn’t seem as real as the pain.  One day I was suddenly overwhelmed by the smallest thing.  I wanted my children to come to dinner at my new apartment but I didn’t have enough plates.  It touched off a flood of emotions and I found myself at my friend’s kitchen table sobbing once again.  I couldn’t even explain why. 

 After I pulled myself together we took a walk and stopped at a garage sale.  I only had $2.00 in cash on me so I wasn’t really expecting to buy anything.  I noticed a cardboard box under a table that was marked “$1.50 for all”.  I pulled it out and opened it.  My friend thought there was a spider in it because I let out a little yelp.  It was a box of dishes but not just any dishes.  They were exactly like mine.  If I had won the lottery that day it would not have meant as much to me as that box of dishes.  The pain wasn’t about needing the dishes but about needing to know that I was loved and not alone and someone understood my deepest fears and emotions.  He really was and would always be there for me.

 Whenever I use those dishes I think about the comforting words of the 23^rd Psalm and the verses that say that “He prepares a table before me…..  He is a loving God that longs to comfort and provide for us in the midst of our deepest sorrows.  We have a standing invitation and there’s always room at the table.

Only Human

We work to meet your every need

And build your faith each day
When life is hard and things go wrong
We sometimes lose our way

We know our weakness shakes your world
That’s why we try to hide it
It’s often just beneath the surface
Though our smiles deny it

To never dim your faith with doubt
Because we fail to trust Him
We put our best faith forward
Thinking it’s a fight we must win

His word reveals the battle’s His
And we can just let go
He understands our fears for you
And teaches us to know

That In our weakness He is strong
His love for you is true
He holds each teardrop in His hands
Because sometimes Mom’s cry too

57 Reasons I Can't Quit Now

No Regrets
You Wanna Bet
Just wait til you turn fifty
Through everything you’ve ever done
You suddenly start sifting

Counting failures, broken dreams
And things I could have done
Excuses, blame and rational
For me the battle had begun

The past was not my enemy
And failure not my foe
My fears would cause my sure defeat
If I could not let go

Fear there was no time to start
Or no time to finish
That the passions in my heart
Just could not be replenished

The past has been defeated by
The knowledge that God’s near
And when I give them all to Him
His perfect love casts out my fears

Now anything is possible
My hopes deferred set free
I can’t go back I can’t remain
The future holds my victory