Evangelise

No one can say things the way you can.
You alone have your influence.
You have this opportunity
so grab it!
This may be your only chance,
this may be the one time their hearts are open to your message.
Make this moment count.
It may be the last.
Don't leave it up to someone else.
It may be that only you can reach this person.
Don't condemn them to eternal death,
cast off your reservations
and speak out as only you can.
Bring this person to eternal life.

Liar

Liar!
You are constantly stretching the truth,
making up details,
trying to make things more interesting for your audience,
raising yourself in their eyes.
Can't you see that lying is a sin?
Constantly misleading others.
They take your word as truth
and pass it on to others
often adding embellishments of their own.
After a while how much truth is left?
If all arrange the truth to suit their purpose
all that remains is lies and fabrications hidden in a shell of half truths.
Can't you see the damage you are doing?
Try, just try to be truthful.
Develop a reputation for truthfulness.
Banish all falsehoods from your tongue
for all they do is contaminate and destroy all they touch.
Raise yourself in the eyes of others by your honesty
and see your words heal
instead of causing hurt.

Wonder

I am full of wonder
when I think of all you are.
I am full of awe
when I think of all you've done.

How can the One who created the stars
care so much for me?
How can the One who gave life to all
worry about my insignificant life?

I am amazed at your loving nature,
You love those who deny your existance.
I am amazed by your awesome power,
You made all that exists.

I cannot comprehend all you've done,
You are too much for me.
I cannot understand why You do what You've done,
Why You sent Your son for me.

You created the flowers and the trees
and put all things in place.
You created the heavens and the Earth
so that I may see their beauty.

I am full of wonder Lord
of all You've said and done.
I am so thankful Lord
for the wonders of this world.

Trials

I resist,
claim that it is impossible, can't be done,
realise the power of positive thinking,
wade through the troubles
determined to reach that distant shore,
only to realise
it is deeper here than I thought.

I tread water,
struggle to reach the surface,
push myself forward
inch by painful inch,
refusing to admit I'm in over my head
only to face the facts,
I can't do this alone.

I cry out,
begging, pleading with My Saviour to rescue me,
take me from this place,
save me from this situation,
set the world to rights.
He comes, He helps
but I remain waist-deep in this strife.

I push forward,
clinging for dear life to my Lord,
testing each step,
asking for guidance,
wading through the dark,
seeing my goal through the fog of my mind,
determined to reach that distant shore.

I emerge,
victorious I praise the Father
who held my hand while I wept,
acknowledge that I have grown,
have been stretched and purified in the painful fire,
recognise that I can go further than I could before.
I continue on my journey.

Teacher

You’re a teacher now
Just remember why you’re here.
It’s not for money or fame,
It’s for those children,
The ones who drive you mad and play up
As well as the quiet ones who sit at their desks and do their work.
You’re there for the smart kids as well as those who struggle.
Don’t stress about being perfect.
You will screw up.
Some of those children will hate you,
Some will never understand why you did what you had to.
These children will cringe when you give them homework
And complain when you hand out tests
Not knowing that you don’t want them either
Because all the marking gets you down.
They won’t understand that you hate some of this as much as they do
But it’s necessary.
Stay strong,
Stick to your purpose,
Take it one day at a time,
Focus on the positives,
Learn from your mistakes
And you will succeed.
Those children will learn and grow
And become confident adults.
You will help those children take one more step
Along the path of life.
How awesome is that?
It is worth the stress and drama.
Stay strong.
You are a teacher.

Thanks from a rebellious daughter

You are so good to me Lord,
You love me despite what I have done.
I challenge, rebel, whine and plead;
I demand, question and turn away
And still You call me to Yourself.
I can't understand why.
Why go through all the heartache of loving me?
You have more obediant, compliant children,
Why spend so much on me?
I am grateful Lord.
When I emerge from my selfishness
I praise You, love You.
You are so much more
Than I could ever ask for.
Thankyou Lord.
You are so good to me.

Depression

Frozen, I am frozen deep within.
My world is shadows, shadows deep and grey.
No light shines through to brighten my life.
These shadows are seeping into my very soul.

I reach out, grasping, trying to break through,
Desperately reaching out to the light.
My fingers spread pleadingly
willing any light to touch me
and thaw out my frozen soul.

Good things are hidden from me.
I see them as through a veil.
There is a barrier between,
a barrier only I can see but cannot begin to break.

I live in a pocket of shadows.
I put on a happy face around others.
I don't want their pity,
they cannot begin to understand the cold that devours me from within.

My heart cries out to my Saviour
pleading with him to place His warmth upon my heart.
I feel guilty that I have failed to banish the shadows
when His light should dwell within.

But I remain frozen,
frozen with warmth in my vision but beyond my grasp.
Cut off from the world by a veil of shadows.
Left to dwell in my frozen wasteland.

Faithful Heart

Following Christ's teachings,
reading His holy word,
Faithful heart you shine.
Praying dutifully everyday,
leaning on God's wisdom
your faithful heart is a beacon in the darkness.

Your faith is so strong,
you are an example for us all.
Teach me to believe like you do.
How can the world not see
the fire burning deep within?
Faithful heart, you're an inspiration.

Loving strongly everyday,
encouraging your fellow man
your faithful heart stays strong.
Your faith sees you through thick and thin,
your eyes are fixed on Christ
faithful heart, you'll never fall.

Children of the Light

Hidden in the darkness,
Not knowing what we seek
But searching,
Endlessly searching.

Then

Drawn out of the shadows,
No longer belonging to the darkness
We are light.
Children of the light.

Now a task we have been given
That will take our lives to achieve.
We must face our fears
And look again at the darkness,
That seemingly endless darkness.

Our task is dangerous for the darkness reaches out to us
Trying to regain what it has lost.
We must resist.
Cling to the light
While facing down the dark.

Our task:
To find those hidden in the darkness
Not knowing what they seek
But searching,
Endlessly searching.
We must guide them to the light.

Children of the light
Must be beacons,
Guiding lanterns for those trapped in the endless night.

Guide gently, children of the light.
The darkness muddles and distorts
And the hidden will be distrustful.
But when they find the light
The JOY!
The end to hopeless searching
And the creation of a new guide.

We are an army of the light
Facing down the darkness.
One day, our task shall be complete.
One day,
The darkness shall depart.

Thoughts

What were You thinking when You created me Lord?
What did You see for my life?
Did You see the joy of my parents,
the friendships I would forge,
the achievements I would make?
Did You weep at my failures,
my poor choices,
my complete unwillingness to act?
Did You ever question making me?
My acts could easily have been performed by someone else.
Or did You realise that my part could only be played by me?
Only I have my influence.
Only I have my unique blend of talents and weaknesses.
What have You been thinking
watching me live my life?
Have I disappointed You Lord?
I must be frustrating to watch.
I'm sorry for my failings.
Have You celebrated my successes?
Have I made You smile?
I should like to make You smile Lord.
That would make me happy.
I hope to make You happy for the rest of my life
But I will need Your guidance.
Help me to dance the steps of this life Lord.
Guide my every movement,
I will strive to follow
so that Your thoughts on me may be positive.

Faith Like Children

Why do we make simple things so complicated?
It should be so easy!
We all believe in the same God
and the details are recorded in a book for our convenience.

I understand how it all happened,
a query here,
disagreement there,
and then
division.

We've made it so hard for ourselves.
How can anyone believe we are the 'one true way'
when, as a whole, we can't agree what this way is!
What good is Christianity when the Christians themselves are divided?

We should have faith like children.
Simple, unadorned, unquestioned.
Everything we need to know is in the Bible.

Faith like children.
Like children we could disagree
but be friends again the next day.
No more division but unity.

Faith like children
without fancy rituals,
strict routines and unchanging tradition.

Our gatherings should be fun and exciting.
We should be eager to share our faith experiences.
We could be spontaneous, uncontained, infectious
then all those outside could see:
We have it all together,
we are full of light, life and love
we know the way to God.