In The Soft of The Night

No harsh darkness or shadows deep
Not quite awake and not quite asleep

Nights guiding lights unpolished by dark
Appear like warm embers awaiting a spark

A blanket of silence unfolds over all
Day Sounds are muffled and night sounds are dull

The breeze stops to rest on the tips of the leaves
Weighing each down in stillness to sleep

Time suspended in peace joining darkness and light
All life seems to whisper in the soft of the night

The Cleansing Truth

I never meant for it to happen
It wasn’t something that I planned
I just went on my merry way
Not sure, even, when it began

I didn’t notice the effect on you
And how you had begun to change
And when I finally saw the truth
I couldn’t help but be ashamed

To others it was very clear
I’m sure they were appalled
They must have thought I didn’t care
Or think of you at all

Even though I’ve not been perfect
I know this time I’ve gone too far
Before we travel on together
I have to wash you dirty car

Open

We should open our ears when we pray
And listen to the cries of the lost and unsaved
And the sound of His Spirit leading the way
We should open our ears when we pray

If we opened our eyes when we prayed
Would someone turn away from a judgmental gaze
or see His love and be amazed
If we opened our eyes when we prayed

We should open our hands when we pray
Giving to God's not a bill to pay
if all that someone has is taken away
We have more to give them then just our prayers
We should open our hands when we pray

We should open our hearts when we pray
And in faith let Him in all the way
giving all to be free
as He wants us to be
We should open our hearts when we pray

Not Again

I won’t do it

You can’t make me

Time won’t tell

And I will not see

I’m just fine thanks

Please don’t worry

Haste makes waste

So I don’t hurry

I won’t stop you

Do as you please

There’s no chance

You can’t convince me

Save your breath

It’s not a bad thing

I’ll hold the fort

Keep fires burning

It’s not for me

And never has been

Sneaks up behind

My plans just can’t win

The end result

Life rearranged

Can’t believe I ever longed

For fickle winds of

Change

Every Moment With Him

Let….

                Every breath we take be prayer

                Every sound we make be praise

                Every choice be to His glory

                Every want to see His face

                Every silence listening for Him

                Every sorrow an offering

                Every joy His grace and blessing

                Every need to Him we bring

                Every step his path to glory

                Every fall in His embrace

                Every life in Him a story

                Of His wondrous love and grace

Circling Winds

The Days begin entombed in ice

Their captive beauty to behold

Frosted works of snow and Ice

Put on display by fearless cold                  

The numbing silence of the days

and howling winds of night

conspire together to delay

The time when sun and earth unite

When the sun scouts out the scene

uneasy air reports the danger

Sending warmth to stake its claim

The charcoal skies explode with anger

Waters rise to join the fight

Breaking through strongholds of ice

Led by sun's unwavering light

Overcoming fields of white

Escaping cold's relentless grasp

               With warmth its new companion

The earth claims victory at last

And re-creates with sweet abandon

Filling sky and earth alike

With colors now on full display

Hiding battle scars from sight

And cheering on the lengthening days

Shining waves of heat appear

A signal from the earth and sun

               Restoration's end is near

               A time of peace and rest has come

               Anticipating shifting winds

               The earth collects its bounty

               Storing treasures deep within

               While distant threats are mounting

               

With A show of colors flaming

Warning all to be aware

Restlessly with time remaining

Giving all it stands prepared

With a warning blast of frost

Cold pushes through to claim its fate

The battle short but all’s not lost

As earth and sun retreat to wait

There is no question of defeat

The circle slowly closing

Lingering memories of the heat

Keep hope alive and growing

Drumbeat

My life had a rhythm

Though my song was discordant

The cadence was clear

To my days quite important

I beat my own drum

My rhythm was the music

The constant of time

Drowned out the confusion

When the music ceased to play

My beat echoed starkly

Unable to lead or

Determine my heartbeat

The silence consumed me

All rhythm was lost

I tried other songs

Without counting the cost

Then one day I heard it

A strong steady beat

The song that it led was

Alluring and sweet

The strains rose and fell

With the time that it kept

The cadence so perfect

I fell in effortless step

Toward a joining of heartbeats

And a harmony sublime

He offered His lifesong

And now it is mine

Up Close and Personal

    Have you ever smacked into a wall

    And been embarrassed and appalled

    Dividing your space into spaces

    It was there all along after all

                Offering passage through doorways

                Protecting from heat and from cold

                Holding up pictures and bookshelves

                Framing windows with views to behold

                Day after day we go past them
                Without giving them much of a thought

                Until we don’t watch where we're going
                then with a sharp pain we are taught

                The least we can do is avoid them

                Remembering their place in our lives
                Stay within hallways between them

                And after dark turn on a light

                They’re there for some very good reasons

                They’re not moving anytime soon

                We should keep our eyes open and heads up

                When we enter or leave any room

                If that seems quite silly and obvious

                Forget that I said anything

                Until the next time you misjudge one
                Then let me know what you think

Mid-Life Crisis

I’m shouting from the inside out

Not sure what this is all about

I’m getting older but feel younger

Still longing for things I’ve dreamed about

I can’t help feeling this is all there is

Because of opportunities missed

Trying hard not to regret

To come to terms and to forget

The time I’ve wasted

Mistakes I’ve made

The places I’ve left

When I should have stayed

Did I have my chance

Is it over now

Can I use what I’ve learned

Or will time win out

I cried to You Lord

And the answers came

The price for my past has already been paid

The young that I feel and Your mercies new

Mean another day to soar with You

Above it all regrets and sorrow

The promised hope of new tomorrows

Please lift me to those eagle’s wings

So close to you my heart will sing

Of victories won and truths revealed

Of steadfast love and wounds You’ve healed

Then set me down on the path you chose

To guide me home and make me whole

Them

They started so small we could hardly see

What they became happened gradually

But in time they overwhelmed

Blending together so we couldn’t tell

Hanging around our activities

They took what they needed to grow and we

took them for granted as we lived our lives

Enjoying their presence as the days went by

When suddenly they began to change

Each one was different but somehow the same

Then overnight the darkness came

The wind grew cold and then the rain

At first they danced as if with glee

To celebrate a victory

Then filling the air with a swirling sea

Of color and sound they fell at our feet – leaves.