Romans 15:13

Romans 15:13-- May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

God of all hope,
Do this for me--
Fill me with joy
In uncertainty.

God of all hope,
Grant this to me--
Peace where the road
I cannot see.

In valley deep
My heart is lost,
Fearful, frail,
By harsh wind tossed.

And looking round,
The way concealed.
No path is seen,
No end revealed.

So looking up
My only trust--
Great God of hope,
See You, I must.

God, You alone
Make me abound
In hope
When there's no way around.

God of all hope,
Do this for me--
Give joy and peace
And victory.

More than the Sand

Ps. 139: 17, 18-- "How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  If I would count them, they are more than the sand.  I awake, and I am still with You.


Psalm 139: 17, 18

I woke up heavy today,
Like the rain clouds in the dark morning sky.
A feeling of uncertainty, concern;
What is it I've forgotten?
The same way I awaken so many mornings,
Cares of the world so soon on my mind.

Can a waking be sweet? serene?
I can't shake that rain-cloud
heaviness that
floods
           in
                just
                       as
                             I
                                wake.


Lord, this is the day that You have made.
So I will awaken
                             and
                                      rejoice!
For Your thoughts to me are precious,
More than the sand on the shore.
I awake!
And I am still with You.

Distracted

There are a thousand distractions in my day-- a thousand ways that my attention and focus are pulled away from the perfect-to-do-list designed by God for each day that He gives me.

But once in awhile, God stops me in my tracks by a phrase that reorients my mind and gives me a renewed spirit to fight the endless distraction and savor the God-ordained list instead.

Last week, I was reading in Luke 10 and there they were-- three words that have hardly left my mind since that day...

"Martha was distracted..."

It could so easily read, "Heidi was distracted."  Those three words have haunted me, instructed me, caused me to think hard about how much I get wrapped up in serving my family, my church, my friends, without savoring Christ-- just like Martha did.

But then beyond those three words come the words of Christ that gently whisper to me through the busyness and distraction...

"You are anxious and troubled about many

things, but one thing is necessary..."

One thing.  One thing railing against the thousands of things that cloud my consciousness and clamor for attention.

Oh, that my heart would sit at His feet, listen to His voice, and rest in His sovereign plan for my days and weeks and months.  Oh, to fight the distraction and mindless drivel that flood my world with toxic discontentment and flustered activity.  Oh, for strength to search every minute for that one thing that is "heart-necessary" in order to joyfully balance the God-given responsibility of the "daily-necessary" that fills my time-- husband, children, meals, laundry, dishes, music lessons, and math...

Oh, for more and more grace...

Daily battle of mind and heart against

Inane and worthless time-thieves,

Stealing my energy and

Taunting my focus,

Rather than reveling in

Abundant life lavishly given by

Christ Jesus.

Teach me, Savior, to shun

Earthly distractions and instead,

Delight to hear Your voice above the din.

An Easter Bloom

"Bleeding Heart"

(Dicentra spectabilis)

Of all the beloved blooms

 that color the landscape far and wide,

this bleeding heart- a garden favorite,

touched by the paintbrush of Almighty God,

always reminds me of grace, 

and of another garden, 

and an empty tomb.

I do believe it is no coincidence

that it always appears

just before Easter.

Grace blooms anew, and I am reminded yet again-

He is risen!

Monday Morning

For all those who care for homes, husbands, and families on this Monday morning:

Monday morning, coffee brewing,

House is quiet, mind is stewing.

Lord, I have so much to do,

I knew I had to come to You.

My week is full, the tension high,

All that can wait-- it seems that I

Have come to know, have come to see

This time with You- necessity.

The tasks bear down, the piles call,

Temporary, transient, earthly--all.

Time spent with You to know Your heart

Turns piles into works of art.

As You teach me, this earthly home

Becomes a place to do Your will.

The highest calling, the noblest task,

With lives to love and hearts to fill.

Your sweetness, Lord. Your mercy, Lord.

Your goodness, Lord.  Your grace--

Please fill me up on this full day.

With grateful heart, I seek Your face.

All Grace Abounds

II Corinthians 9:8- "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

The following poem was written several months ago, and it is even more true today.  Amy Carmichael said of II Cor. 9:8, "All means all, not some;  always means always, not sometimes.  Lord, today help us to live upon this all."

II Cor. 9:8
On hard days, Lord,
On good days, Lord,
You say, "All grace abounds."

In the light of dawn,
At deep twilight,
You say, "All grace abounds."

When in my life
Naught else abounds,
And I behold
Scant provisions,
        scarce solutions,
             the overwhelming impossible,
Even then,
You say, "All grace abounds."

Why, dear Lord?
Why does all grace abound?
Why do You make it so?
"So that,"
Two tiny words-
A purpose?
In Your sufficiency,
At all times,
In all things,
Good works abound.
Because--
You said, "All grace abounds."

Be Still

Ps. 46:10- "Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations.  I will be exalted in the earth.


Psalm 46:10

"Be still," God says.
"But, Lord," I say,
"I have so much to do."

"Be still," He says.
"Abide," He says,
"There's much I want to do in you."

A Fun Poem on a Cold Day

We are snowed in right now, so I have been working in my house.  I have been noticing all of the dust, and that set me to thinking about one of my favorite poems.  Maybe it can bring some smiles on a cold, cold day!

Dust
Author Unknown

Dust if you must, but wouldn't it better
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there,
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come, and it is not kind.
And when you go-- and go you must,
You, my friend, will make more dust!

Psalm 37:7

My body sits so very still,
But not so- my insides.
They quiver, shake, twist, and turn,
My mind, my thoughts and stomach churn.
"Be still before the Lord,"- the Psalm,
"Wait patiently for Him."
Be still, my mind-
Be still, my thoughts-
While others see the outward calm.


Great God of the Invisible,
You know my heart is not so still,
And waiting seems unnatural,
Yet Your Word clearly marks Your will 
For me- a deep internal rest,
Not just a calm veneer.
Your sovereign hand carved out this test,
Enable me to trust You here.