MEADOWS OR BRIARS

My child, it makes no difference
What you are walking through,
In the meadows or the briars
God is walking there with you.

He'll bring you through them safely,
You never need to fear,
The briars though they're painful
Will cause you to draw near.

If you only crossed broad meadows
You would then be unaware
Of God's goodness and His comfort
In life's perplexing snares.

If you had known no heartache
And experienced no pain,
Your spirit would be poorer
For no growth would you attain.

Though briars leave their mark on you,
They painfully succeed
In driving you to seek the One
Who'll heal you when you bleed.

In every life there's briars,
Though the meadows we prefer,
For we learn we are dependent
When the painful we incur.

SOFT SCOOP

I'm wrestling with the ice cream
Inside this soft scoop box
My spoon is bent,my patience spent
I'm trying to outfox
The barrier before me
To get my just dessert
I'll hack at that unyielding mass
No matter what the hurt.

But hey,where is my patience
Why don't I let it melt
Surely it will taste the same
If time and me both dwelt
Perhaps this is my problem
Too hasty in my ways
A Martha living in my skin
To be a Mary pays.

So if I wait upon The Lord
Instead of rushing it
And let us melt together
In a fusion,we will knit
A tasty time of bonding
And one that satisfies
Oh Lord,please give me patience
To delight in Your surprise.

An Offering of Prayer

Resting in God's grace and mercy.
Holy Spirit , come flood through my soul
Soaking in what You have done for me
Father God, Your Love has made me whole

I come before You with my praise
knowing the blood of Jesus has washed me clean
walking daily in the Word of God
Lord, I sing songs to the One who came to Redeem

Hear me Father, just as I am
O God, my heart of praise meant just for You
I stand before the Throne above
Oh Lord - Come fill me as only You can do.

Take me Lord, and move in me
strip me naked of things that seem to bind
I know your grace has come to mercy me
O Lord, there is no other healing that I will find

Yes, I will come before my Holy God
I come and stand before the King of Kings
as I come to settle in the Spirit's peace
O God, receive today my song of Praise I humbly bring

THIS WON'T LAST FOREVER

This won't last forever,
This too shall pass away,
These clouds of doubt, discouragement,
That hover o'er my day.

This won't last forever,
Emotions come and go,
And though it seems there is no end
This too will pass I know.

Far too much time is wasted
In anxiety and fear,
Consumed by what may be ahead
That never does appear.

These fears consume my peace of mind
And eat away my joy,
Another day is wasted,
A day I should enjoy.

Remind me, Lord, that You are here
To walk me through each day,
There's nothing that's too hard for You
And by my side You'll stay.

Each day's a precious gift from You,
No credit, no return,
So help me as each day unfolds
The beauty to discern.

WHERE IS THE PEACE

Where is the peace
That you know I'll provide
Why from My presence
Do you want to hide
Have you decided
To go it alone
Into the danger
Of journeys unknown
Surely you're safer
With Me by your side
Keeping a watch
As you pause to decide
It's me or the devil
For that is the choice
Be careful My loved one
Take heed of My voice.

The Purpose of the Valley

The purpose of the valley
Cannot be glimpsed below,
But only on the mountain's height
God's plan we'll fully know.

Though rocky be the pathway,
Agility is born,
And perseverance paves the way
To climb the Matterhorn.

Endurance is the product
Of walking through the mire,
It's preparation for the climb
Our souls need to acquire.

The valley is not punishment,
It's just a training ground,
It's simply basic training,
A path to higher ground.

For once we reach the mountain height
The view will be so clear,
The difficulties that we faced
Will tend to disappear.

We'll gain a new perspective,
What once caused us deep pain
Was used as tiny stepping stones
To everything we gain.

The Color of God's Beauty

Lord, I see Your face in every sunrise
I see it in the depths of the deepest sea
I see it in the mountains of Your Holiness
Lord, I've seen it, on the Cross of Calvary

Even as I look into the deepest shadows
O Lord, Your face, it's always in full view
even in the darkest hours of a moonlit night
it's Your Peace that flows between me, and You

So as I look up to the stars in Heaven
where Your Majesty is on full display
the color of each sunrise showing off His wondrous beauty
Oh Lord, there are no words to adequately say

But I'll come to lift my hands in worship
to the One I love so very much
I'll bask in the beauty of God's Awesome Glory
as it falls down on me, with a gentle , filling touch

Yes, just come O Lord Jesus
with the deep filling of Your Spirit , deep inside
Come and surround me with all Your Glory
Oh God, in Your Presence I want to always hide

So with every new sunrise that comes to greet me
and the colors of the morning extends over time, earth and space
It's in that awesome display of my Savior and Redeemer
that we will see the Color of God's Beauty , face to face