All the Little Things

As I was growing up, my daddy took the time to share with me the wonders of nature, and from those experiences I developed a great love for nature, its beauty and its amazing intricacies. Nature offers a world of wonder and surprises to the wide eyes of a child, but it is a source of wisdom and examples for adults to learn from as well.... Since my childhood, my Heavenly Father has revealed to me in the world of nature many spiritual inspirations that have helped me grow and deepen my understanding of God's love. For these special times, I praise God.

Thank you, Lord, for all of the little things,
for the hope each represents, for the joy that each brings.
Thank you, Lord, for what each means to me.
With your help, my Lord, more like them I'll be.

Thank you for the humble little caterpillars, Lord,
for the butterflies they become; thank for every single one.
Thank you, Lord, for changing my life, too.
With your help, my Lord, might I grow more like you.

Thank you, Lord, for the little lightning bugs;
thank you, Lord, that they let their light shine.
Thank you, Lord, for the light I see in others' lives,
with your help, my Lord, might someone see the light in mine.

Thank you, Lord, even for the little ants,
who never know the meaning of "give it up" or "can't."
I see them, Lord, carry burdens twice their size.
Thank you, Lord, that they helped me realize
that with your help, my Lord, I can carry burdens, too!
With your help, my Lord, everything I can do!

Thank you, Lord, for all the little things,
for the hope each represents, for the joy that each brings.
Thank you, Lord, for what each means to me.
With your help, my Lord, more like them I'll be!

"Go to the ant.. consider her ways, and be wise." Proverbs 6:16

From August 8, 1984

Words

Words.
Sometimes they come so quickly
like flaming arrows
that cannot be retrieved.
With them,
men inspire nations
and persuade the multitudes
and great and mighty things are accomplished.
Words
can bring about destruction
and inflict wounds that never heal,
echoing forever
in the minds of men.
From them,
joy springs forth
like a cool and refreshing stream,
washing over one's being,
reviving hope,
and bringing relief to the spirit.
Words
delivered by solemn messengers
can fall like giant oak trees,
inescapable,
crushing the heart,
smothering the life breath
of loved ones.
Through them,
love is expressed,
and warmth and security strengthen us.
Yet, words
are sometimes insufficient,
meager, hollow, impotent,
and cannot free the heart.

"And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." Romans 8:26

From Acorn to Oak

I am just an acorn, but I want to be an oak.
I want to understand and share all the words that Jesus spoke.
I want to grow in Christ and become a sturdy tree,
with my roots embedded in His Word and His Word alive in me.
I want to serve a purpose; I want to be used by God,
and an oak can be so much more than can a simple acorn pod.
I know there dwells within me the precious living seed,
but as long as I remain an acorn, that power isn't freed.
I must deny my tendency to retain my acorn form,
or I will never grow roots and branches and soak up the Sonshine, warm
If I remain an acorn, I'll soon be a hollow shell,
and the potential now within me, no longer there will dwell.
If I'm to be an oak, I must die to self beneath the earth
and allow God to work within me and give my life new worth.
For the growing of an oak tree begins within, unseen,
even before anyone notices a little sprout of green.
Every tall, sturdy, useful oak tree, began an acorn, small.
Without the dying acorn, there would be no oak at all.

"Truly, truly, I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and ies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal" John 12:24-25

"That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies, and that which you sow you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own." 1 Corinthians 15:36-38

Thirsting for God

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Psalm 42:1-2

Lord, seems like I've been thirsty for so long
Wanting to know you.
Wanting to be filled.
To know that satisfaction that can be found only in You.
I've read and I have listened,
but have I really seen and heard?
I have tasted,
but I've never drank my fill.
My lips are parched;
my soul is thirsty;
my heart is a vessel that should overflow.
Lead me, Father, into that living water.
Cleanse me.
Fill me.
Use me.

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalm 1:2-3

Thirst and Hunger

As we do thirst and hunger,
our Father more than meets our needs
just like the little sparrows
and others that he feeds
We know His richest blessings--
we receive them day by day.
His gifts are overflowing,
for that is our Father's way.
Just like the multitudes of people
He fed with fish and bread,
our bodies and our spirits
are always richly fed;
with baskets overflowing,
we receive more than we need,
so that by the grace of God
others we can feed.

Let us give thanks to the Lord and praise His name for meeting our needs and "overflowing extra baskets." Let us remember our responsibility for sharing that which God has given us, physically and spiritually.

"And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, 'Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost.'" John 6:12

The Palm of God's Hand

We are standing in the palm of God's hand;
when our hearts are aching, God understands.
Our world responds to the Lord's command;
we are standing in the palm of God's hand.

No problem is too large, no concern to small;
our Heavenly Father wants to have them all.
He asks that upon His name we call.
Our Lord is creator, master over all.

He knows of our endeavors, the challenges, the trials
He sees our sacrifice and self denial.
He gives us strength and helps us smile.
He carries us over the longest mile.

Things might not go as we had planned--
we might wander before the promised land,
but we have not built our house on sinking sand;
We are standing in the palm of God's hand.

"The Lord delights in the way of the man whose steps he had made firm; though he stumbles, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." Psalm 37:23-24

The Faith of Friends

I told a friend goodbye today
Our paths may never cross again
He's moving on... beyond... away---
His life is turning a new bend.
The roads we travel are not the same;
our direction is different, too
We differ in destination, in aim,
and in the walking that we do.
The road I walk is on higher grounds,
for the Lord has lifted me
to a place where His promises abound,
a plane my friend can't see.
My friend has never walked this path
nor known the Master's guiding hand.
He has never glimpsed the glory
of that precious Promised Land.
But God has allowed me the chance to share,
to show the signs of His love,
to forgive, to comfort, to strengthen, to care,
to tell of Heaven above.
My friend has surely seen the signs,
but the choice is his to make
He is aware of the route divine,
but which road will he take?
I'm not sure if I'll ever have other chances
to show my friend the way;
I can only be thankful for past circumstances.
I can only pray
that along life's road a new walk will begin
in the journey of my friend
and some sweet day we'll be reunited
at our journeys' end

Sometimes we feel discouraged in our efforts to minister to others, especially to a close friend or family member who seems disinterested. However, we must continue to pray and know that God hears our prayers. In this way we are like the paralytic's friends who carried him to Jesus that he might be healed (Mark 2: 3-5). It was the evidence of their faith that helped to make the difference. Verse 5 says, "When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven" Continue to pray!!

From August 5, 1986