September 27 - The "Go" of Renunciation

Lord,
Following You is no bed of roses.
If it were, then the world would believe.
Instead it's a major comittment
To follow, not stopping to grieve.

You ask us to put You first,
Before home, family and friends.
To make sure there is nothing before You,
Because, above all, You transcend.

You tell us to always be ready,
To come at the drop of a hat.
No time for goodbyes or excuses.
You want us beyond all of that.
jj/10


This lesson has always been difficult for me.  Abruptly dropping my family and friends for the cause of Christ takes a commitment that I would have trouble with.  I'm not saying it couldn't be done, just that it would be difficult.  I can barely commit to blog on a regular basis!

September 12 - Going Through Spiritual Confusion

Lord,
Your mystery surrounds You.
Please give me eyes to see,
How when You seem so far away
You still are loving me.

When my prayers don't seem to matter
And I feel lost and alone,
You ask me, Lord, to trust You
Though my heart just wants to groan.

But You always give me strength, Lord,
And answer every prayer.
Even when I feel confusion
It's evident how You care.
jj/10


I suppose there are people who never question God - never second guess His will and way.  I would love to be like that but, alas, I am too human.  Thus, I get confused.  Things I have asked for are ignored (though eventually I find they were just delayed.)   Spiritual confusion calls for more trust.

September 11 - Missionary Weapons (II)

Lord,
You show me that my mission field
Is not half a world away,
But includes people I deal with
Each and every day.

If I can't help a sales clerk
Or cab driver know You more,
Then I defeat the purpose
That You have made me for.

Help me, God, to recognize
The mission every day
And to be ready in Your word
As I worship and I pray.
jj/10


It's not only about doing daily devotions and worship, but to translate this into your life as you relate to others.  They are your mission field each day and God expects you to help them to know Him.

September 10 - Missionary Weapons

Lord,
If I were to say "I'm ready
For when a crisis does arise"
But have not prepared each day
Then I'm just plain ill advised.

My daily prayer and worship
Are the tools that make me fit.
When spiritual battles come
I'll have strength that will not quit.

Practice does make perfect,
Even spiritually.
So Lord help me practice daily
To do battle totally.
jj/10


Spiritual battles may come at any time; today, tomorrow, 30 years.  How prepared are you and how do you prepare?  The same way you prepare for anything - by practicing.  In this case, practicing consists of daily worship and devotions.  Don't put it off to do tomorrow or when you have time.  Pray and worship every day.  It's your best weapon.

As you can see by the date I am posting this, I need to practice my daily discipline to get this back on track daily.  Very sorry for the delay.   No excuses, just apologies.

September 9 - Do It Yourself (II)

Lord,
There are so many worthwhile projects,
Things that help people each day,
But if I jump in without Your guidance,
I find myself losing my way.

I want to approach things prayerfully,
With godly zeal and determination,
And not just join for no reason
Other than participation.

Transform me, Your servant, O God,
Help me bring every thought to submission,
And not just impulsively proceed
Without prayerfully asking permission.
jj/10


So many worthwhile groups and projects - so little time.  Some people believe God wants us to help wherever we can but Oswald Chambers says God wants us to really confer with Him and only do projects that He wants for us.  To do otherwise is going against God, even if it is for a good cause.

September 8 - Do It Yourself

Lord,
I used to think my worst battle
Was against evil and sin,
But then my human nature rose
And I caught a look within.

Sin can only get as far
As I allow it to,
But it has a home inside me
That I need to fill with You.

Lord, I need to be determined
To keep my self at bay,
Because where self is featured
Sin is never far away.
jj/10


I have been letting my self get in my way all day instead of writing this blog as early as I intended.  The things that filled my day were not "bad things" but they were distractions.  I need to concentrate constantly to avoid the pitfalls.

September 7 - Fountains of Blessings

Lord,
Make me a fountain of blessings,
Through which living waters flow.
The more blessings You pour through me,
The more my blessings will grow.

This bubbling fountain of blessings
Needs constant attention and care.
It processes all of Your goodness
Making sure there is plenty to share.

Help me stay true to You, Jesus,
Break down any barriers in me,
So my fountain of blessings continues
To flow through ever steadfastly.
jj/10

It is a well known but little utilized fact that generously giving will result in receiving blessings.  Not giving and not sharing blessings can be a hindrance to anyone who wants to have a fountain of God's blessings.

September 6 - The Far Reaching Rivers of Life

Lord,
I've always loved the river;
The sight, the sound, the power.
The way it faces obstacles
Without a doubt or cower.

Make my life like a river,
Proclaiming You in me.
Make Your love and blessings
Flow through me steadily.

I know I will meet obstacles.
My focus will be tested,
But my deep river will flow on
As with You I stay invested.
jj/10


A river is such a good way to describe our spiritual life.  Our spiritual life changes constantly like the river but it also grows stronger, faces obstacles and overcomes them.

September 5 - Watching With Jesus

Lord,
Your apostles didn't watch with You
On the night You were betrayed.
No matter how they wanted to,
They slept sound while You prayed.

They lacked the Holy Spirit
To make them understand
That the matters, as unfolded,
Were going as You'd planned.

Let me watch with You, Jesus,
It's what I want to do.
I know that it is possible
With the Holy Spirit and You.
jj/10


How incredibly more fortunate we are than the apostles were.  We are able to see the whole picture instead of just piece by piece.  They were decimated by falling asleep in the garden and later denying Jesus, etc.  They had no idea of the strength the Holy Spirit would give to them eventually, while He is a constant resource available to us.

September 4 - His!

Lord,
I love the life You've given me,
This perfect place and time.
Your love and that of family and friends
To me, right now, is prime.


But if I really truly
Want to belong solely to You
I have to put them all aside
As if we were all through.

For it's when I close my doors
And let You alone come in,
That I will be entirely Yours.
Our new purpose can begin.
jj/10


I am so limited and I know it.  The passage that speaks of "hating" your father, mother, etc. to come to God has always set me back.  It is good to know that even if I cannot do that, I am still saved, I'm just not entirely His.  As always, I need to work on being more "His" and less "mine".

September 3 - Pouring Out the Water of Satisfaction

Lord,
So many times these last few weeks
Your love has been displayed,
By my friends and family
In a myriad of ways.

They give so much so selflessly,
Undeserved by me, no doubt,
So I take the love they've shown me
And to You I pour it out.

That love is like clear water,
Refreshing to my soul.
Channeling it from me to You
Makes my satisfaction whole.
jj/10


I can see where spiritual growth could be stunted if blessings and love are hoarded and not processed to God through my life.  Some days I can feel the "living waters" flowing through me because I am so blessed by the generosity around me.

September 2 - A Life of Pure and Holy Sacrifice

Lord,
Talking about sacrifice
Is very hard for me.
No matter my intentions,
My life derails me.

I want to be extravagant
And show my love is true,
But I let a million things
Come between me and You.

Help me get my mind straight, Lord,
And use what You've given me.
Direct my path to bring You joy
More than occasionally.
jj/10


It is such a disappointment to me that I am so lacking in discipline that I can't keep up this blog in a timely fashion.  My surgery and recovery should have given me time to really embrace this study but I have let myself be diverted.  My goal this week is to catch up so I can do this on a daily basis - the SAME day as the study.  The sacrifice mentioned in today's message makes this particularly appropriate to my intention here.

September 1 - Destined to be Holy

Lord, I am unholy.
That comes as no surprise.
The holiness I strive for,
I pray I'll recognize.

It's holiness unsullied
By any taint or sins.
Atonement through the cross of Christ
Where holiness begins.

Putting all my thoughts and words
Under Your own scrutiny,
As You help me demonstrate
Your holiness in me.
jj/10


Holiness is something that God wants for us, which, like salvation, He makes available to us.  When we know Jesus as our Savior, we open the door to holiness.  It is a matter of trying to be more like Christ.

August 31 - "My Joy . . . Your Joy"

Lord,
For far too long I've labored
Under sweet delusion.
The true meaning of joy
Has caused me some confusion.

I thought joy was happiness,
Something from inside.
But real joy is joy like Yours, Lord,
In God's perfect will to abide.

The closer I draw to You, God,
The more my joy will grow.
When I let go of my own self,
Your joy is mine to know.
jj/10


I have always thought of joy as an emotion derived from outside things:  relationships, possessions, health, etc.  But I was only partly right.  Joy is from the relationship I have with God through Jesus.  Jesus' joy was in serving His Father and my joy needs to be Jesus.

August 30 - Usefulness or Relationship

Lord,
I've heard we walk a fine line,
When it comes to works for You.
It's true, they do not save us
But enhance faith as we do.

There also is the motive.
Is our usefulness the key?
Or is the reason we work for You
That we love You totally?

I want to keep my motives pure
And not work for recognition,
But to build faith in Your kingdom
Would give my works fruition.
jj/10


I have always run my life under the banner of "_________ enough"  "Is the living room clean?"  "Clean enough".  "Is dinner hot?"   "Hot enough". 

Well, that's the way many Christians live.  "I'm saved and that's good enough".  Not for me - I want God to use me, not for my glory but for His.  When He uses me for His kingdom, then I'm "good enough".

August 29 - The Unsurpassed Intimacy of Tested Faith

My Lord,
I have so many reasons to believe.
My five senses are just the start.
The biggest, I find, is more nebulous.
It's the peace that You bring to my heart.

But life isn't peaceful as a rule.
It's twists and turns will exhaust.
Those are the times of testing my faith,
Of remembering faith has a cost.

The cost of my faith was the life of Your Son,
Given freely a long time ago.
Testing my faith brings me closer to You
And encourages my faith to grow.
jj/10


I have heard that faith untested is merely opinion. So true.  The choices we make during the very hard times of life reflect the level of our faith in God.  Total dependence on God in those times brings us into a very intimate relationship with Him..  The struggle though is to maintain that intimacy after the testing, when life settles down.

More Sunday Poems

The following are two poems inspired by the Sunday Service at Park Hills yesterday.



YOUR WORDS


I don’t need a burning bush
To listen to You, Lord.
I just need a spirit
Into which You can be poured.

Your words are like the water
When my mouth is cotton dry.
Your words, to me, are lovely wings
To make my spirit fly.

Your words, O God, are power to me
When I just can’t go on.
They fill me with Your strength, Lord,
When my own strength is gone.

Your words can give me rest, O God,
A place to lay my head.
You hold the wasted world at bay
And wipe away my dread.
jj/10


Fill in my faith, Lord,
This I pray.
Help me live it every day.

Never let me just sit back,
Lazy, off the beaten track.
Shake me to my very core.
Go to where I keep my more.

Blast me from my comfort zone.
Take me, Lord, and all I own.
Use me up and use some more
Ready me for what’s in store.
jj/10

August 28 - The Purpose of Prayer

Lord,
I know prayer has a purpose,
To ask and praise it's true.
But the most important purpose
Is to bring me close to You.

Though sometimes I'm not ready
To let down my guard and pray,
Thinking I can fix myself
Doing things in my own way.

Then I'll reach my wits' end,
With nowhere else to turn,
And realize You'll help me, Lord,
With whatever my concern.
jj/10


"Prayer changes things" is a familiar adage but Oswald Chambers says "Prayer changes me and I change things".  We need to realize how much we need God and regular, fervent prayer helps us do that.  The more we pray, the closer we feel to God.

August 27 - Living Your Theology

Lord,
You know how dark the path I walk,
The things that drag at me.
I founder helplessly along.
Your light can set me free.

I can't pull a string or flip a switch.
The key is in my heart,
Where my love and trust in You, Lord,
Invites Your light to start.

When I'm walking in Your light, Lord,
That's where I want to be.
I must renew my faith in You
And Your light continuously.
jj/10

We must never take for granted our relationship with Jesus.  He wants to give us all we need, especially His light.   But, as humans, we continue to think that being saved  is "good enough" and we don't need to nurture the relationship.  We bear no fruit if our relationship with Christ is all about past events and not living in the now.

August 26 - Are You Ever Troubled?

Everyone has problems, Lord,
That destroy our joy and peace.
The more we try to solve them,
The more they will increase.

"Let not your hearts be troubled"
Is Your sweet invitation
To trade our fear and chaos
For Your peace and inspiration.

The only thing You ask of us
Is that we look unto You.
You exchange doubts and confusion
For an inner peace that's true.
jj/10


Talking about embracing God's peace and actually being able to do it are very different.  We want His peace but He expects us to trade our sorrows and problems to secure it.  This means letting go of them and that is not easy.  We need to remember how very much God wants us to have His peace and how much bigger and more powerful He is than anything we come up against.  Trust Him.

August 25 - Sacrifice and Friendship

Self sacrifice is surrender, Lord,
It's all I need to do.
Abandoning my human self
To my friendship with You.

Your joy and peace have been reserved
With Your Holy Spirit touch.
For those who hold back nothing,
The promise is so much.

Surrender unconditional,
To love as You love me,
Is the goal I daily strive for
Rooted in reality.
jj/10


So many times I seem ready to approach God as He wants me but I find myself telling me that I am finally good enough to surrender to Jesus.  Then I realize that just the thought that I am good enough disqualifies me from being good enough.  I am already His child - Jesus' sacrifice took care of that, but for Him to work through me, I need to be more like Him.

August 24 - The Spiritual Search

Lord,
I have prayed as never before.
I trust You'll answer me.
The things I ask for, I deserve.
What could the roadblock be?

You've searched my soul, I come up short
Of walking in the light.
In fact, You find me lacking,
Full of wrong instead of right.

I need to look at my life,
Gossip shared and grudges held,
To clear the way for You to do
The work You do so well.
jj/10


The spiritual search is not the search for God but the search inside myself to find what is keeping God at arms's length.  I ask for forgiveness when I won't forgive others, etc.  I need to clean my own spiritual house.

August 23 - Prayer - Battle in "The Secret Place"

Lord,
I hear there is a "Secret Place"
Where You and I should meet.
I think it's not a place at all
But a spiritual retreat.

It's the place my mind can go to
In the blinking of an eye.
Where You see me as You made me,
No artifice or lie.

Whether all alone or in a crowd
I can find our secret place.
Lord, You wait there for me
To refresh me with Your grace.
jj/10


Doing this study has opened my eyes to things I never realized that seem so obvious now.  "The Secret Place" - what  a beautiful way of explaining how very special God wants our relationship with Him to be.

(In case you don't know what study I'm referring to:  "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.  It is a daily devotional from Discovery House Publishers edited by James Reimann.  copyright 1992.)

August 22 - "I indeed . . . But He"

Lord,
I'm totally unworthy
That You should live in me.
Especially since the part You want
Is the last place You should be.

You find where I've been hurting
Or where my sins reside.
You fill those places lovingly
And peacefully abide.

You avoid where I am satisfied,
Where I feel I'm doing fine
And anyplace I need Your help,
You make that place divine.
jj/10


As you can see, I am a few days behind again.  My recuperation took a little setback but my new hip is fine and I am feeling better and better. 

God truly works through our  weakness and surrender.  What a good way to demonstrate His power - using and building on our flaws for His glory.

August 21 - The Ministry of the Unnoticed

Lord,
The things You love about me
Are the things I try to hide.
The weakness of my own will
Makes me strong for You inside.

You have a way of using
What I feel is commonplace,
The holes in my character
Are cradles for Your grace.

Lord, help me nurture poverty
In my will, my heart, my soul,
Trusting that Your loveliness
Is my everlasting goal.
jj/10


I definitely have to empty my heart of the consciousness of me so God can fill it with Himself. 

August 20 - Christ-Awareness

One thing about recuperating - I have time to really dig into my study of "My Utmost for His Highest".  Here is the entry for today, meaning I have finally caught up!


I struggle with keeping You first, Lord.
Other things creep in, distractions,
Til I'm searching my heart for You
Finding only earthbound attractions.

Help me focus on You like a child,
Content in Your loving arms,
Hearing only Your restful  voice
Promising safety from harms.

Trusting that when You are here
My life will be ruled by Your grace.
Knowing that whatever comes,
You have allowed in this place.
jj/10


I love the reading for this day.  Christ-awareness is something to strive for.  I think sometimes we are afraid to seek Christ in our lives because we are afraid of what there is in His place.   Or we seek Him because we know He is not there and we miss Him.  Help us to be more Christ-aware every day.

August 19 - Self Awareness

God,
You want us to live in Jesus,
With Him at the center of things.
You want us to know the peace and contentment
That kind of life will bring.

If we drift far away from that center,
You invite us right back to You,
Taking our wearisome burdens,
The things our selves tell us are true.

Only Christ in our lives can be real.
A fact we don't like to admit.
But we need to empty the plastic
From the space only Jesus will fit.
jj/10


This is all about the Christ-sized hole in our lives and how much God wants to fill it.  In fact, He is the only one who can but it is very difficult to give up the other things we try to use whether they be jobs or family or fun.  Nothing fulfills like Jesus.

August 18 - Have you ever been speechless with sorrow?

I am still behind on my daily posting but now I am home from the hospital so I look forward to having more time to catch up and keep up.


I wait for You to speak to me,
To hear You say my name.
Knowing, Lord, that when You do,
My life won't be the same.

But when I finally hear it,
When Your message reaches me,
You tell me to let go of things
That I hold emotionally.

Things I should be able
To drop right when You ask,
But my grasping, human nature
Makes it a monumental task.

How very sad it makes me
To think someday I might
Turn away from Your request
For something I hold too tight.
jj/10


To let go of what you have now for the sake of something in the future is hard.  There is a comfort in the familiar and we love to be comfortable.  I need to work on trusting that whatever God has for me is so much better than anything I have now.

August 17 - Are You Disccouraged or Devoted?

Sorry I missed posting yesterday.  I was still pretty groggy and I can barely comprehend My Utmost when I am at full capacity.  Here is yesterday's posting.


Following You Lord is not rainbows and roses.
It isn't supposed to be.
Following You Lord takes courage,
Love, trust and loyalty.

Sometimes it seems that you ask us
More than we're able to give.
We need to remember You love us
And want us to most  fully live.

It's easy to be discouraged
When we're ruled by conflicting emotions
But if we keep in mind your great love, Lord,
We'll know how You deserve our devotion
jj/10


Jesus gave the rich young ruler the choice to put it all aside and follow Him.  Very hard choice and sadly, he couldn't do it  We need to listen to God's challenges and be devoted enough to trust His leading..

August 16 – Does He Know Me. . .?

Lord, I have the doctrine.
I know it in my sleep
But without a touch from You,
It isn’t worth a peep.

You know when I am stubborn
And sad, riddled with doubt.
You don’t pull away from me,
My Lord, You just reach out.

Lord, I’ve denied Your power
To make myself seem strong
But You look beyond my words,
You love me all along.

You know me, Lord, so very well
My weaknesses and flaws
But You still love me ceaselessly.
I know it’s just because.

jj/10


This is a very good chapter to read as I anticipate my surgery tomorrow (which is today as I am writing Monday's entry on Sunday night).  It's always good to think about how well God knows us.  I know He loves me and is in control of whatever happens in the operating room.   I am in good hands.  God Bless You.

Sunday Poems

What a church service today!  Pastor Bob Werntz is back from Honduras and he lead worship. He made us really think about worship and  praise.  Then Pastor Mark gave another great sermon about prayer.  I wrote several poems while he was speaking and I am going to share them here.

Can we pray with confidence
If we don't really believe?
We know God has the power
But we don't have faith to receive.

We have to let our guard down
And trust with all our might
That the God who listens to our prayers
Will answer with delight.

We need to pray like children
Who ask ceaselessly each day,
Because they trust their parents
To love them anyway.

God wants us to approach Him,
To ask and seek and knock,
Because He loves His children
And He wants to bless His flock.

We must cast out reservations
And pray from deep inside
Because God's love desires us
To know we'll not be denied.

So we'll come to God with confidence
All anticipation
That He will always answer
Beyond our every expectation.
jj/10


Assumptions

I need to remember
The things that make You God.
Sometimes I make assumptions
That may seem rather odd.

Assuming I can tell You
Just what You ought to do
As if I have all wisdom
Of what is good and true.

Assuming that I know what's best
And that You should just agree,
Assuming that, unlike You,
I know what's best for me.

How can You have the patience
To keep listening when I pray,
Assuming that I'll understand
How You operate someday?

Assuming that I'll get it
How much You desire me,
That I'll someday surrender
To Your will eventually.
jj/10

August 15 – The Evidence of the New Birth

Lord, You have known me since I was first born
You loved me even before.
But I let the years pass in ignorant bliss
Til I wanted to know You some more.

The more that I studied about You
The more that I needed to know
Until I was ready to be born again
To make our relationship grow.

I accepted You into my heart and soul
My life changed immediately
Lord , I am striving so hard every day
To show the world Your love for me.

I show it the best through living a life
Surrendered to Your control
Striving to make those around me
Aware of our heavenly goal.
jj/10



We know that we cannot be good enough to deserve to go to heaven. We can’t earn it or buy it. The way to heaven is to have a relationship with Jesus; to believe He is who He says He is and that He did what the Bible says He did and that we are aware that he did it for us. Being sinless or striving to cannot earn heaven for us but we need to strive to overcome sin after being born again as evidence of our changed lives.

August14,The Discipline of the Lord

No poem/I'm dry.  What a chapter too!  "The Discipline of the Lord.  In getting ready for surgery Monday, I have been trying to do everything and pretty much accomplishing almost nothing.  I have taken no time for my blog or just plain quiet time.  My life lacks self-discipline and this lesson really airs that for me. God disciplines us because He loves us.  He doesn't smack us upside the head but His still small voice is there if we take the trouble to listen.

August 13 - Do Not Quench the Spirit

Your Spirit lives in me, Lord.
I try to let Him lead,
But sometimes I'm living so loud,
His voice I do not heed.

I try to keep me current,
Not living in the past.
Discovering You more daily,
Renews my spirit fast.

Lord, help me pay attention,
To heed Your still, small voice,
And never ever quench it,
But to make the better choice.
jj/10


So often I only think of one possible meaning of a word and this time it is quench.  I tend to see it as a  positive word meaning to satisfy where Chambers uses the meaning to extinguish.  His text explains how to keep from extinguishing the Spirit when He is trying to lead us with His still, small voice.  We need to try to stay in tune with God to really hear the voice. 

August 12 - The Theology of Resting in God

Lord, I long to bring You joy.
There's so little that You ask.
In fact, what You require
Would seem a simple task.

You want me just to trust You
With all of my concerns,
To offer up my life to You
With all its twists and turns.

You've given me so very much
That I do not deserve.
But still there is a part of me
That I hold in reserve.

Don't let me wait too long, Lord.
Help me trust my cares to You
And not worry and hold on to them
As usually I do.
jj/10


This is an amazing chapter to have today because I am starting to worry about my surgery Monday and getting the house ready and the laundry done and bills paid etc.  God is even better than Calgon at taking me away, if I just stop and stop.  "Be still and know that I am God".  I can be still and I do know who God is.  I will be praying that God helps me to let go of my worries and embrace my trust in Him. 

August 11 - This Experience Must Come

Lord, You sent me people
To guide and help me through.
But You never meant for them to
Stay and take the place of You.

You brought me to my Jordan
Where I faced my test alone
I chose to face it boldly
And not slink away and moan.

My Jericho has been a place
Where I witnessed great things done.
Now I alone must do them,
In front of everyone.

Time spent at my Bethel
Can cause me great confusion.
But guidance from my Savior
Helps me through the grand illusion.

The “Elijahs” that You’ve sent me
Taught me many things, it’s true.
But most of all I learned
To put my trust in only You.

jj/10

August 10 - The Holy Suffering of the Saint

Lord, I never choose to suffer,
Sometimes it chooses me,
Because in being born again,
I join Your family.

You hone me in the hard times,
In the least likely way,
Through people that I'd least expect
To get me through the day.

Anything that I may go through,
Any suffering that I face,
Is nothing next to Your life, Lord,
When You walked this earthly place.

jj/10

This chapter I have read and re-read which is not unusual but I find I have a fundamental problem with one of the concepts.   He says "But the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy."  He says that sympathy weakens us but I think that sympathy cushions us until we are strong enough to stand. 

August 9 - Prayer in the Father's Hearing

God, once again I am reminded
Of what you want from me,
Surrender to Your Son who lives
In direct simplicity.

He came to earth to save us,
A supernatural gift,
Guaranteed to push our boundaries
And cause our common sense to shift.

For common sense and Jesus
Cannot live in the same thought.
When we submit to His love,
Human nature is for nought.

For human nature holds us back.
Our prayers remain earthbound.
But when Jesus works within us,
He makes our prayers resound.
jj/10


Today's entry says when Jesus was on earth, God always heard His prayers thus, when Jesus dwells in us, God will always hear our prayers.  Oswald Chambers says that common sense is a gift God gave to our human nature but that the whole idea of Jesus' life flouts common sense and elevates it to the supernatural.  He says we must consciously decide moment by moment to submit to Christ and allow Him to work in us.

Something Extra

I have dozens of poems, probably more, that I have written on Sunday mornings during sermons at church.  On the way home, I will read them to David and Kirsten and David will say to e-mail them to the pastor.  I, of course, mean to do it but don't get around to it so these poems on the backs of Sunday bulletins are tucked away all over my house.  Very seldom did they make it back to church.  I have two in front of me now.  One from last weeks sermon by Pastor Mark and one from this week.  If you go to parkhillsefc.org then on the left side, click on "Sermon Audio".  August 1 sermon is there now and today's will be added soon.  They are both very powerful.  My poems are not powerful but they speak for me.

Herod held Peter,
Condemned him to die,
An example to people
That Christ was a lie.

Deep in a fortress
16 guards watching him,
Chained between two.
The outlook was grim.

Peter was ready.
Death held no fear.
Heaven awaited.
Jesus was clear.

The church had gathered.
They earnestly prayed,
Not even conceiving
The answer God made.

Peter was roused
From this last earthly sleep
By the touch of an angel
Charged with his keep.

The guards never wakened
As Peter walked out.
Gates opened themselves
Moved by God's hands, no doubt.

Peter went to his people.
His faith never failed.
But his praying Christians
Denied as he hailed.

They'd asked God for rescue
With determination
But found they all lacked
Any real expectation.

The lesson of Peter
In his time and beyond
Is when you earnestly pray,
Trust that God WILL respond.
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The poem from today's sermon is:

So many times,
I am deterred,
By the simplicity
Of praying words.

You, Lord, deserve
Praise in abundance,
But sometimes that bounty
May be an encumbrance.

I struggle for phrases
To capture Your greatness
Seeking extravagance,
I find second rateness.

Lord, You've Biblically made it
Abundantly clear
How simple the words are
That You want to hear.

Honor and worship,
You richly deserve.
My dependent surrender
No self I reserve.

You desire my faith,
My trust and my hope.
You want me to ask you
To help me to cope.

My prayer now is simple,
As my words can be.
My Father and friend,
God  abide now in me.
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August 8 - Prayer in the Father's Honor

When I was born again
Those many years ago,
I had so much to learn,
So many things to know.

Now like a child I am amazed
By Your divine simplicity,
Jesus, how could You desire
To be born again in me?

The world I live in hates You.
They'd re-kill You if they could
They fill their lives with emptiness
To avoid embracing good.

Lord, live in me abundantly.
Fill every empty space.
I pray that through You, Jesus,
I will see Your Father's face.
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So many people don't want God in their lives at all until they need Him.  Illness. Death. Loneliness.  These are the things that  make us seek God and there is nothing wrong with that.  But, how much richer would our lives be if we sought God in the happy, joyful times to share our triumphs.  Many people do this.  I know some of them as prayer warriors at church.  They are so comfortable with God, they take care of all His children and treasure their prayer concerns always.  God is instantly accessible to them.  We need to remember that God is instantly accessible to all of us.

August 7 - Prayer in the Father's House

Lord, You visited the Temple
When You were but a child.
The elders and the teachers
Were astounded and beguiled.

When Your earthly parents found You
They showed worry and distress,
But You responded calmly
"I am about my Father's business".

Your Father's saving business
Filled Your whole life as a man,
Every breath you breathed
Was part of the bigger plan.

I strive to live my life that way,
The Father's house in me,
With You, Jesus, as my constant friend -
My abiding reality.
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In training for children's ministry years ago, we were told to be very careful of how we witnessed to young children.  For example, a very common phrase was "to ask Jesus into your heart".  Kids are pretty literal and had a hard time imagining Jesus right in their hearts.   The older I get, the more I understand the concept.  When I became a Christian, Jesus filled the void in my heart.  He is always there but I am responsible for letting others know He is in there.  I don't want to hide Him but that is often what I do. 
When I was in grade school, we used to sing a song, the chorus of which was "and they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. And they'll know we are Christians by our love."  My prayer is to love as Jesus loves, not just the lovable, but everyone so they can see my Savior abiding in me.

August 6 – The Cross in Prayer

I can’t see a cross, Lord,
Without thinking of my Savior.
What used to be a symbol
Can now alter my behavior.

Where once I would so boldly
Approach You and ask,
Nowadays my prayer life
Is a monumental task.

It’s not about the answers.
They come every single day.
Though I must admit not always
In my chosen way.

It’s all about the oneness
You, Yourself, desire with me,
So absolute and intimate
That I seek for constantly.


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Matthew 6:8 assures us that “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him”. The big question becomes “Why should we ask?” We ask so we can see the answers but there is so much more to prayer than asking. The communication we can achieve with God through prayer is intimate, but only because God wants it that way. He proved that with the cross of Christ – breaking down the barriers that separate Him from us. Through Jesus, God has a bridge to us that goes both ways when we pray.

I don’t pray nearly enough. It is with great shame I admit that my prayer life only touches on the intimate once in awhile. So many times it is “blah, blah, help so and so, blah, heal so and so, thanks a lot, Amen. I want the kind of prayer life that Oswald Chambers describes as “being a living trophy of God’s grace.”

August 5 - The Bewildering Call of God

Lord, look at me.
I'm so confused.
The things I believed
Keep You amused.

I thought Your call
Would blast my mind,
Instead it's a whisper,
Hard to find.

Though maybe I'll hear
What You have in store
Now that I know
What I'm listening for.

Help me to live
In Your will every day.
No questions, just trust,
As You sweep self away.
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Bewildering is such  good word.  How could we not be confused by a God who would save the world, not with kings and conquering armies but with a baby carpenter, born to be crucified for our sins?  Why would I expect such a God to call in an ordinary way, like a dream or vision?  This study is so good for me because, in the midst of chaos and hurry, I have to stop, read, and read again .  I have to stop and think and pray for wisdom.  I have to stop and wait for God to give me the words for my poems.  It is in the stopping that I hear Him.  It is in the stopping that I listen to Him.  "Be still and know that I am God."

August 4 - The Brave Friendship of God

God, You made me as I am,
You know me inside out.
Anything I am or do
Is of You, there's no doubt.

You not only chose to make me,
But You kept me as Your own.
Though with my faults and frailties,
You'd be better off alone.

Lord, thank You for this friendship.
Help me nurture it, I pray.
This relationship is something
I must work on every day.
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Oswald Chambers speaks of the way God uses people who are not necessarily the most gifted but those who are most available.  This made me think of the Jeremy Camp song "Empty Me" where he asks God to burn away his desire for anything that is not of God.  He says "I want more of You and less of me."  The chorus is "Empty me.  Empty me.  Fill.  Won't You fill me. . . with You."

I have a lot of busyness in my life.  In fact, I have succumbed to the rigors of keeping a list - something I really, really hate to do.  It makes me realize how little time I have.  BUT it does make me fill the time with things that need to be done.  It also makes me make time for my devotions.  Can that be ok?  It's like making an appointment to spend time with God (like MY schedule is that important).  I should be fitting the other things around my time with Him.  Something to work on.

August 3, 2010 “The Compelling Purpose of God”

God, take me aside
When You see I’ve lost my way,
When I think I’m doing Your will
As I’m crashing through my day.


Jesus, help me realize
Your compelling purpose now.
Show me what You’d have me do
And let me know just how.


You chose me for a reason,
Something I’m not privy to.
Surround me with your purpose.
Open me to reflect You.

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Welcome to "Searching for My Utmost"

I finally decided to do an in-depth study of Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost for His Highest” because my husband recommended it without reservation. My husband is very intelligent and well read and, while I am no slouch in those departments, I usually prefer lighter fare. “My Utmost for His Highest” is anything but light, so as I read each daily devotional, I process it through my poetry. The purpose of the book is to help people to get closer to God and I really want that closer relationship. I want to share my unique perspective on each day’s selection plus some of my other poems and insights.