Completely

In the night
I remember places
where I have been,
I remember forgotten things,
small things,
things which only
You know,
and I feel
Your wondrous touch,
Your magnificent
mercy and grace.

All my life
You have led me
to this moment,
and now I am ready,
now I can comprehend,
now I am Yours completely,
now I will belong to You
forever.

Do not let me be a well
without water,
do not let me be
a dark angry cloud
within the approaching tempest,
do not let me walk down paths
leading to death,
do not let me be pious
for piety sake.

Let me be a living spring
from which all may drink,
like a mighty raging river
let Your unconditional love
flow from within,
as a brightly blazing beacon
set upon a hill for all to see,
let Your marvelous
light shine forth,
fill me with the splendor
of Your precious spirit,
allow me to be a messenger
of Your glory and truth.

Jesus,
praise Your holy
and beautiful name,
my King,
my God,
my Savior;

my Everything.
.
.

Look Down On Me Lord

Look down on me Lord,
see the weakness,
witness the weariness,
understand the pain,
hear the depression,
feel the frustration;

see this burning desire
to belong to You.

So many answers,
so little truth,
remove this sadness
living inside,
make perfect
the imperfection,
take away the lust
and temptation,
fill me with Your peace;

heal the damage done.

O my Lord,
everything fades but You,
all are false but You,
You and You alone
are life and truth,
You and You alone
are the holy King
of the universe,
let Your love and light
guide my crooked path,
let me walk in the shadow
of Your wondrous
mercy and grace,
lead me to living waters
that never cease,
deliver me from the evil
lurking just outside,
overwhelm me with Your
marvelous love,
teach me how to become
a son of the living God;

praise Your holy name forever!
.
.

Damaged

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.   II Corinthians 12:7-10

it’s not easy,
accepting that you are
permanently damaged,
a cripple,
handicapped,
less than normal;

less than a man;

that you’ll never run again,
never move freely again,
never be fast and agile again,
never be without pain,
never be without suffering;

never be without hardship;

yes, it’s not easy,
but you adjust,
you get by,
you take more pills,
you move slower,
you accept the inevitable,
you patiently wait for the
collapse,
all the time knowing,
it’s only flesh and blood,
only bone and nerve endings,
only a temporary illusion;

here today,
gone tomorrow;

you think about old girlfriends,
you think about memories
from the past,
you remember 55 yard touchdown runs
and inside the park homeruns,
you remember doing things
others can only dream about,
and you come to the realization
that all-in-all, it’s been a pretty
fair deal,
nothing to cry over,
nothing to be bitter about,
just another speed bump
along the way,
one more trial,
one more test,
one more obstacle
to overcome;

you remember the words
of the apostle Paul,
you remember that he too
toiled and suffered,
you remember that there are things
much bigger in this life,
much more important
than the bodies in which
we are housed;

that power is made perfect
in weakness;

thank you Jesus,
for Your magnificent
mercy and grace,
thank You for my life,
thank You for making me
a son of the living God,
thank You for the peace and joy
You have placed within my heart,
thank You for the suffering and sacrifice
endured by You for me,
thank You for being my Lord,
thank You for being my King;

thank You for being
my Everything.
.
.

Darkness

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?   Luke 18:7-8

Darkness,
all my life
I have known darkness,
I have flirted with it,
I have danced with it,
I have felt its intoxicating touch,
I have watched it destroy
innocent, naive fools,
I have seen it claim victims
without mercy or remorse.

Darkness,
yes I know darkness,
I have seen its cruelty,
I have known
its calculating coldness,
I have hid in the shadows
as it silently passed by,
I have stood at the edge
of its endless abyss,
staring into the
eternal blackness,
I have been an unwitting
and unsuspecting witness to its
terrible and irreversible effects,
I have survived
when so many others
did not.

Yes, I have known darkness,
I have seen its
writhing, invisible tentacles
slowly spreading across society,
quietly planting seeds of doubt,
secretly robbing the world of faith,
steadily dousing the light,
surely and confidently
waiting for the end.

Soon the darkness
shall be no more,
evil shall no longer exist,
the world shall be free,
the light will shine once again,
every tear shall be wiped away,

He who testifies to these things says
“Yes I am coming soon.”
Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus.   Revelations 22:20
.
.

So Shall I

It gets harder everyday,
sometimes it feels as though
my bones are on fire,
half the time
I’m not sure if the pain is
physical, mental or spiritual;

or maybe a combination
of all three.

I know it’s the diabetes,
it’s getting serious now,
no more fooling around,
no more slight inconvenience,
it has become the monster
all the experts said it would,
a crazed killer
without conscious,
a psychopathic beast
who knows neither mercy
or compassion,
devouring everything
in its path.

Sometimes I just want
to get a bottle of whiskey,
take a few percocettes
with some Billy Gibbons guitar
playing on the headphones,
make the pain melt away,
drift off into the fog,
never come back,
sometimes I just want to
make it stop;

physically, mentally
and spiritually;

so easy,
so final.

But that would be
the easy way,
the path of least resistance,
the broad gate,
the road that leads
to destruction;

He is worth more
than that.

In the evening darkness
I search for His light,
in the morning silence
I listen for His voice,
He is there by my side,
giving me strength
when there is none,
picking me up
when I am down,
He will not let me fail,
He will not let me give up,
He has defeated this world,
and through Him;

so shall I.
.
.

Without You

I am so undeserving,
I am so unworthy;

puffed up pride
seeking its own glory,
self-centered ideas and thoughts
full of vanity and iniquity,
lips dripping with venomous hate,
spewing words of anger and hurt;

without You
there is no hope,
without You
I am lost and alone;

when will it end Lord?

See my wretched life,
remember how I was formed,
help me live
with the frustration,
give me strength
to overcome the hopelessness,
lead me through this
valley of darkness and desperation,
free me from this prison of flesh;

hold me in Your arms
forever.

The pain in my body
becomes more
than I can bear,
the weariness impossible
to overcome,
as I try to rise up
once more,
and I cannot live,
if I live without You,
I cannot make it
one more day without You;

my life is nothing
without You.
.
.

Babylon Fallen

Standing on the edge;

if you listen hard
you can hear
the last dying gasps,
of dreams gone bad,
betrayed by their lusts,
abandoned by their principles,
strangled by their self-righteousness,
drowning in their hypocrisy;

destroyed by their greed.

The children shake with fear,
burned out shells,
well-preserved corpses,
waiting to collapse
into the beckoning grave
of their man-made utopia,
trapped within the walls
of their self-made
wisdom;

Babylon fallen,
forever.
.
.

Sanctuary

The touch returns,
the cold black night closes in,
dogs return to their vomit,
sows freshly cleaned
wallow in the mire once again,
am I really so far,
will I ever escape
from these prison walls
surrounding me now?

And yes now I see,
now I know
just how far it goes,
just how costly it becomes,
what fools we are;

trapped within snares
of our own doing.

I see my life play out,
I remember all the wrong decisions,
I relive all the wasted opportunities,
I count up all the lost minutes,
and I am so tired.

The darkness waits
once more,
thick and black,
silently enveloping my soul,

does no one see?
does no one know?
does no one care?

Everything fades,
everything passes by
like shadows in the night,
everything changes
with the morning dawn,

Save me O Lord,
let me rest
in Your powerful arms,
let me find sanctuary
within Your sacred walls,

bring me home to You.
.
.

All Things

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.    Philippians 4:11-13

Through You
I am strong,
through You
I am alive,
through You
I am a son
of the living God;

through You
I can do all things.

In times of joy,
in times of sorrow,
You are there,
opening my eyes,
guiding my paths,
within You
I have all that I need,
within You
I shall not want,
within You
I am more than I am.

You teach me
to be patient,
You show me
how to be better,
You renew my strength
when there is no strength
to be found.

Holy Father
fill me with the fire
of Your magnificent spirit,
remove anything not of You,
recreate me in Your glorious image,
make me a son
in which You may take pride;

Father,
bring me home to You.
.
.

I Am Ready

Old friends return,
wooing, soothing,
inviting, cajoling;
standing just outside the door,
hiding among the dark angry shadows,
waiting for the show to begin,
patiently biding their time;

all night diners,
endless cups of coffee,
lonely highway lines,
empty roads leading nowhere,

how far is the bottom?
where do the lies end?
where does truth begin?

Emotional roller coaster rides,
painful days and nights,
forgotten dreams,
silent memories;

who cares?

All I ever wanted was for someone
to recognize the pain,
someone to understand the depth,
someone to salute the effort,
but no one ever does,
no one but You.

Don’t let me fall Lord,
hold me above the killing zone,
keep me safe
from the slaughter below.

I hear Your precious voice,
I am ready Lord,
I am ready;

all I want
is to belong to You,
all I need is You;

I am ready Lord,
I am ready.
.
.

Do Not Be Afraid

You are my child,
I have loved you from the moment
you were created in the womb,
I will always love you,
I will always be beside you,
I will see you through every trial,
I will hold your hand
through every test;

I will be with you forever.

I know there are things
you do not understand,
I know you are
frightened and confused,
I know there is much
that does not make sense,
things beyond
your ability to comprehend,
I know how you were formed,
I know you better
than you know yourself,
I know your weakness,
I know your strength,
I know what you can withstand
and what you cannot,
there are some things
in which you must simply
put your trust in Me.

Turn to me
and I will give you comfort,
seek me with all your heart
and you will find me.

You are my dear,
precious child
who I have loved
from the moment of creation,
do not be afraid,
just believe,
for I am with you
always.
.
.

Doctrine (IITimothy 4:3)

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay own his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. John 15: 12-17

Entire sanctification or not,
tongues or not,
special discernment,
gifts of the spirit,
self-declared knowledge,
man-made wisdom and
vanities of the heart,
mysterious new doctrines,
emotional roller coaster rides,
puffed up words
that fade with the dust;
one truth,
one Lord,
one kingdom;

in the end
all that will be left
is love.

For now we see
with imperfection,
peering through
a fog shrouded mist,
unable to find complete
clarity or understanding,
one day the fog will roll away,
the doubt will be removed,
we shall see
through eyes of perfection;
we shall know perfect truth;

we shall experience perfect love.

Lord I am so unworthy,
I am so inadequate;

go away from me
for I am a sinful man;

tear out my sin-filled eyes,
burn my lips and tongue
with hot burning coals;
let the whole world be silent
before Your magnificent
and holy presence;
let every knee bow,
let every heart confess,
that You and You alone
are Lord and King;
that to You
and You alone
does all glory belong.

Lord let me escape false teachers
who no longer follow sound doctrine,
rabid dogs who know not truth
nor allow others to follow its path,
fading mists speaking vain words
for itching ears to hear,
let me walk in Your light,
let me live in Your love,
let Your will be done
forever.
.
.

Backup

My computer crashed today,
everything I had written
for the last 4 months was lost,
no cd or floppy,
no backup,
it was simply gone;

forever.

It’s not like I can recreate it,
this stuff doesn’t work like that,
it comes and it goes,
and when it’s gone
it is gone,
never to return again.

I felt like I had lost a child,
something precious and dear,
but even when you lose a child
eventually you have to move on,
life is like that,
here today,
gone tomorrow;

like a crashed computer.

Moments piled upon moments,
some good, some bad,
some precious,
some unremarkable,
coming and going
with the blink of an eye,
every moment sacred,
every moment uniquely yours.

I prayed to the Lord
and He gave me peace,
He made me remember
what is truly important,
that it’s not the words I write,
not the respect or glory
they might earn,
not about gaining
the admiration of others,
not about feeding
my vanity and ego.

He is what is truly important,
He is my King and Lord,
serving Him is where
my true joy lies,
glorifying His name
is all that matters.

There will be more words,
there will be other moments
piled upon moments,
like sheets of ice
during a Lake Michigan
winter storm,
forming vast mounds
of forgotten dreams,
full of dramatic melodramas.

They will fade
like the setting evening sun,
but the Lord shall be forever,
His kingdom will shine
for all eternity;

He is my backup,
He is my guarantee.
.
.

My Eyes Do Not See

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.   II Corinthians 12:10

My eyes do not see,
but I have eyes
with which to see,
my ears do not hear,
but I have ears
with which to hear,
my mind does not understand,
but I have a mind
with which to understand;

I have You
and that is all I need.

This fleshly body
slowly crumbles into the dust,
yet I continue to rise,
man-made ideas and thoughts
come and go,
but in the end
they mean nothing at all;

I have You
and that is all I need.

Through weakness
Your strength is made perfect,
therefore I shall glory
in all my weakness,
for when I am weak
I am made strong
by Your grace alone;

I have You
and that is all I need.
.
.

The Day is Near

What can be said
that has not been said before?

Facts change,
words rearrange,
details differ,
but at the end of the day
there is nothing new under the sun,
we are still a heartbeat away from forever;

we are still only a mixture
of vanity and vexation.

This life fades like morning dew,
evaporating into the sky,
forever lost,
eternally gone.

All the dreams and fantasies,
all the longing and sadness,
all the hopes and fears,
remain the same,
in spite of toys and technologies,
despite self-imposed dignity,
as we continue to
anesthetize and tranquilize
feelings and thoughts,
with pompous litanies
of monumental self-worth
and maniacal delusions of grandeur.

Seek that which cannot be lost,
search for truth and light,
find the way
in world without hope,
accept the free gift,
paid for by the only One
who could pay the cost,
He to whom all glory is given,
He who is the King of us all.

I am waiting,
I am ready,
the time is coming,
the day is near.
.
.

Inside

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.   Job 13:15-16

Inside we are all afraid,
inside we are all searching,
inside we are all alone,
inside we are all defeated;

inside we don’t stand a chance.

I don’t know the whys,
I don’t understand the how,
I cannot comprehend the reasons,
I cannot withstand the crushing blows,
I cannot overcome the darkness,
I cannot see past the night.

I only know that You have,
I only know that You can,
I only know that You will,
I only know that for You
all things are possible,
I only know if I am forced to choose,
then I choose You,
I only know that You
are the one I love.

Lord take me where You are,
remove me from this
dark and lonely place,
rebuke and discipline
my rebellious ways,
refine me like gold
in the refiners fire,
help me fight the battle;

teach me to be like You.

Through every trial and test,
through sorrow and joy,
though You destroy this fleshly vessel,
though You slay me at Your feet,
I will put my trust in You,
for You are my hope and salvation;

praise Your holy name forever.
.
.

In You

Even if there were no hope of reward,
at the end of this
long lonesome road called life,
still would I sing praises unto You,
still would I love Your name;

for Your truth,
for Your light,
for Your sacrifice.

In You there is no darkness,
in You there is no confusion,
in You there is only light,
in You there is only peace,
in You lies all my trust,
in You resides all my hope,
in You I place all my faith,
in You shall I overcome
the darkness of this night,
in You shall I have
life more abundant,
for above You
there is no other;

You alone are worthy.

You know what I need
better than I could ever know myself,
You see that which my limited vision
cannot even imagine,
You lead me to that perfect place
before I even know I have arrived.

You have restored all that was lost,
You have brought new hope and joy,
to You do I owe all that I have;

to You shall I belong forever.
.
.

Higher

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”    Isaiah 55:8-9

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.    James 4:4

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and it’s desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.    I John 2:15-17



Everything I have been taught,
all that I have known,
every man-made idea,
every self-imposed concept,
every self-glorifying thought,
all the wisdom of the wise,
all that the world deems important;

is but nonsense and foolishness
to You.

You who created
all that there is,
all that ever will be,
You who said “LET THERE BE”,
You who are so far above anything
my simple mind can comprehend,
beyond all that I can imagine;

You who are the great I AM.

Fill me with Your Spirit,
quiet my vain
and foolish ramblings,
forgive my perverse
and unrighteous life,
have mercy upon my evil
and iniquitous ways.

All my gain is as nothing,
if it does not include You,
all my words are but
wasted breath,
if they do not speak of You,
You are worth more
than all this world
has to offer,
more than life itself,
I shall seek You
for all my days,
I shall know no rest
until You are found,
my soul rushes after You
like a dying man to life,
You are a great and shining light
to one lost in the dark,
I cling to You as a
drowning man to a rock.

Heal me O Lord,
teach me to walk in Your ways,
renew my imperfect mind,
restore my damaged soul;

reform me in Your holy
and righteous image.
.
.

Settlement

Eventually,
 we are all reduced to settlement,
satisfied with just a little space
where pain and suffering
no longer exist,
accepting the consequences
for a moment of solitude,
selling out for pennies on the dollar,
seeking an amicable resolution;

compromising in the name of peace.

No one sees but You,
no one knows but You,
no one hears but You;

no one cares but You.

Lord have mercy
on Your servant,
forgive my foul
and perverse heart,
renew my downtrodden spirit,
raise me up from this pit,
surround me with Your grace,
glorify Your holy name.

No matter what the circumstances,
I will place my trust in You,
You have restored my broken body,
You have renewed my damaged spirit,
You have shined Your blessed light
upon the dark corners of my soul,

You have freed me
from this forsaken prison;

once more.

Thank you Lord,
praise Your name forever!!!!!
.
.

Vanities and Vexation

I hear the words being said,
I listen to the songs being played,
I watch the drama unfold,
and in them all
are the words of men;

in them all
are vanities and vexation,

I who deserve nothing,
I who have disappointed
and fallen short
time after time,
I who have lied and cheated
without reservation or fear,
come before Your throne
with nothing to offer,
seeking forgiveness
through Your mercy and grace.

All my words,
all my thoughts,
all my ideas,
are but vanities and vexation,
imaginations of the heart,
whose time has come and gone,
like the moment in which they live,
fit for nothing but the dust
from whence they came.

O mighty Lord,
lead me by Your light,
guide me by Your voice,
fill me with Your words;

let me live by Your grace alone.

Though I have the praises of all men,
though I have the honor
of all the world,
without the joy of
pleasing You O Lord,
it would be as nothing.

Your will is all I want,
Your approval is all I need,
it is the desire of my heart,
it is the center of my dream,
it is the glory of my vision.
.
.

Lead Me Down the Road

Lord have mercy on me,
forgive my wayward ways,
restore my broken spirit;

remove anything not of You.

Rebuke me Lord,
discipline me,
teach me,
love me;

heal me.

You alone are worthy,
You alone are righteous,
You alone are holy,
You alone do I worship;

You alone do I love.

All things are possible for You,
nothing is beyond Your saving grace,
fill me with Your Holy Spirit,
touch me with Your healing hand;

lead me down the road
that brings me home to You.
.
.

I Am So Close

The words come,
the words go,
flowing and spinning
from there to here
and back again,
where too is never known,
where from even less,
like some mad river
gone wildly berserk.

I don’t want emotions,
I don’t want feelings,
I only want Your truth,
I only desire Your reality;

I only live for Your love.

I am so close,
I am so ready,
come to me
forever.

Without You the words are nothing,
without You there is no tomorrow,
without You the sun does not shine,
without You there is no hope.

One life,
can it really make such a difference?
does anyone really care?
when so many come and go,
when so much begins and ends;

does anyone really care?

So many greater than I,
so much more righteous than I,
love You with a love so pure,
how could You possibly love me?

yet You do.

Look into my heart,
see the hope growing within,
remove the thorns of darkness
choking life before it begins.

Take my hand,
pull me from these waters
swirling about my head,
reach out and heal the damage done,
take away the emptiness
as only You can.

In You will I trust,
despite what my eyes do see,
Yours is the voice to which I will listen,
no matter what my ears may hear,
Yours is the face I will seek
for all the days of my life.

To You do I belong,
now and forever more,
in You will I find refuge
from the raging storm.

How precious is Your word O Lord,
it is nourishment for my soul,
it is light before my eyes,
it is comfort for the weary,
it is truth in a world
where there is none.

I am so close,
I am so ready,
come to me
forever.
.
.

Where You Are

Depravity is never far away,
like a cancer it grows,
eating everything in its path,
destroying all that is good and true,
mocking righteousness,
laughing at suffering and misery,
hurling damning accusations,
enslaving its victims in decadence,
forever caught in the bondage of sin.

Silence becomes a special friend,
isolation the weapon of choice,
dirty little secrets
impossible to defend,
perversions and lusts
hiding behind flesh covered walls,
truth slowly disappearing,
light gently fading,
years rolling quietly by,
night steadily consuming the day.

The anger rises up,
the fleshly imperfection takes hold,
then I remember You;
I remember Your suffering and sacrifice,
the shame sets in,
the humility overwhelms;

I am so unworthy.

Some days I am so close,
others I am so far;
look down on me now,
hear the murmur of my crying heart,
lift me from this dry, lonesome grave,
have mercy on Your servant,
take me where You are.

Remove the darkness,
unlock the chains,
let the light come pouring in;

fill me with Your love.
.
.

True Love

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down for his friends."  John 15:12-13

Love is a hard word,
easy to say,
difficult to prove;

impossible to overcome.

It is a word I have used many times
without true understanding,
without complete comprehension
of just what it was saying,
a word filled with endless
meaning and possibility,
yet so much bigger
than my ability to fulfill,
full of such magnificent intent,
but used for all the wrong reasons.

True love overcomes all obstacles,
true love never gives up or quits,
true love goes beyond
physical barriers,
true love comes but rarely
in the lives of men;

true love comes from God.

“Greater love has no one than this,
that he lay down his life for his friends.”

More than words
by the One who lived them,
more than empty promises
by the One who provided the way.

The One who gave us
the perfect example,
the One who made
all things possible,
the One who holds the answers,
the One who is truth,
the One who is light;

the One who is love.

The great I AM,
the Lord of all creation,
the holy King of the universe;

the Master of us all.
.
.

Do Not Deny Me You

I have been running,
I have been hiding,
I have been denying,
I have been ignoring,
I have become lukewarm,
I have become complacent,
I have sought paths that are easy;

I have become a friend of the world.

Everything I have belongs to You,
everything I am is because of You;
You hold my life in Your hands,
it is Yours to do as You will,
it is Yours for better or worse;

You are the potter, I am the clay.

Father forgive my
weakness and disobedience,
have mercy on my soul,
see into my broken
and humble heart,
remove my sinful desires and ways
as far as the east is from the west,
pour out my life like a drink offering,
trample this flesh underfoot,
take all that there is to take,
but do not deny me You,
do not remove Your presence
from my face,
do not extinguish Your precious light,
do not allow me to slip
back into the darkness;

do not deny me You Lord,
do not deny me You.
.
.

One Flesh

What began so small
has become so great,
what once was two
has been joined as one;

one love,
one life,
one truth,
one flesh.

You are the one
my heart desires,
you are the one
who makes me whole,
when you laugh I laugh,
when you cry I cry,
without you I would be lost,
without you I would be alone;

without you I would be incomplete.

No one but you and I
understand this great
and magnificent miracle,
this deep and hidden mystery
that our life has truly been,
a beautiful, wondrous, blessing of God
for which I give continual thanks.

What God has joined together
let no one put asunder,
as it was in the beginning
so shall it be in the end.
.
.

I Have Lived a Life/You Were There

I have lived a life,
it has not always been correct,
it has not always been sweet,
it has not always been perfect;

but it has always been mine.

I have lived a life,
what more can be said?
I have made many mistakes,
I have had many regrets,
through it all I have tried,
through it all I did my best.

I have lived a life,
I have gambled and lost,
I have smiled and won,
I have laughed with angels,
I have cried with demons.

I have lived a life,
for better or worse,
for richer or poorer,
through good times and bad;

I have lived a life.

Within every victory,
inside every defeat,
there has been one constant,
one truth,
one answer to which
I have returned,
time after time.

Whether lying in dark, silent gyms,
waiting to run onto
electrified, football fields,
or driving blindly
down dark, winding roads,
barely able to hold on to the wheel,
with eyes blinded
from alcohol and drugs;

You were there.

When walking alone
through deserted,
snow covered streets,
where everything seemed
dead and lost;

You were there;

patiently waiting,
silently offering hope,
steadily dispensing love,
constantly providing truth;

gently guiding my path
back to You.

Now I must dig deep,
now I must face the final test,
now I must overcome
the last obstacle,
now I must turn to You
for the strength to see it through,
now I must put my trust in You,
within whom all things are possible.

Give me the words,
give me the strength,
give me the power,
give me the answers.

I have lived a life,
I have won,
I have lost,
now through You;

I am ready to live
a better one.
.
.

I Will

I have rested,
I have slept through
the long cruel night,
I have withstood the sting
of twilights last goodbye,
I have seen the land
of shadow’s end;

where nothing ventures
and nothing returns.

Inside we are all the same,
crawling, running, searching, seeking;
so close, yet so incredibly far,
hiding from truth
and mysterious creatures
standing just beyond the void,
where words shake out
and sorrows seldom go,
whispering final goodbyes
along the way.

You miss so much
trapped within these prison walls,
where recognition is lost
within subtle rows
of uninterrupted, self-induced bliss.

Sometimes answers to prayers
do not provide expected results,
sometimes truth is a hard road
to travel;

but even unwelcome answers,
are better than no answers at all.

I do not understand the why,
I do not see the how,
I do not have the desire
or the vision,
but if this is from You;

then I will.
.
.

Dark Night No More

Dark night no more,
suffering and pain forever gone,
Your precious light shines upon my face,
the road ahead becomes clear,
a new day begins to dawn.

Hold me in Your arms,
pour out Your mercy and grace,
soothe the raging storms,
silence the savage screams,
save me from the fate
I so richly deserve;

there is only truth,
there is only peace,
there is only love
there is only You;

there is nothing more I need.

You have defeated the darkness,
You have conquered the fear,
You have restored the life,
You have returned the hope,
You have raised me
from the deep.

Forgive my foolish ways,
remove my haughty pride,
humble my stubborn heart,
show me how to live;

make me like You O Lord.

Be real within my heart,
mold my desires
around Your Holy will,
teach me as a father
teaches a son,
speak inside my soul,
change my ways,
shield me with Your love,
walk with me through the shadows,
protect me from the night,
be with me wherever I go;

for all my days
I will trust in You.
.
.

Joshua

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
                                                                                                                          Joshua 24:15

Choose you this day
whom ye shall serve.

The time is drawing near,
lines are being drawn
with no room in between,
be ye on one side or the other.

Choose you this day
whom ye shall serve.

You have witnessed the truth,
you have walked in the shadow
of His mighty presence,
you have reaped the harvest
of His blessed mercy.

So choose you this day
whom ye shall serve.

But as for me and my house,
we shall choose to serve the LORD.
.
.

Teach Me

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5


“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25

You are perfection
in a sea of turmoil and confusion,
You are mercy and love
in a world that is blind,
all my righteousness and works
are but filthy rags
before Your glorious throne,
break me into pieces
that I might be reformed
in Your holy and wondrous image,
remove all that I am
that I might stand
before Your magnificent presence,
destroy this creation called self,
seeking to raise itself above
the honor and glory
that is Yours and Yours alone;

teach me how to die
that I might live.

You shine like a mighty light
amidst the darkness and gloom,
You are a drop of cool water
on the lips of a dying man,
You are the spring from which
living waters flow,
You are the bread of life
which comes down from heaven,
You are the vine
I am the branch,
within You
I can do all things,
without You
I am nothing;

teach me how to die
that I might live.
.
.

For All My Days

Father, see my weakness,
forgive my iniquities,
have mercy on my trespasses,
do not leave me here
to face the fate I so richly deserve,
take pity on me Lord;

I am a sinful man.

Amidst all the chaos and confusion,
have I had but one desire,
through all the aimless
drifting and wandering,
have I loved You;

in You will I trust
for all my days.

You have rolled
back the darkness,
You have restored the joy,
You have removed
the sorrow and shame,
You have returned the hope.

Let Your light
shine through the night,
let Your glory be seen by all,
let Your kingdom rule for eternity,
let Your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;

let me be Your servant
for all my days.

Time continues to move,
this earthly body crumbles and fades
back into the dust from whence it came,
the things of this world come and go,
yet Your love endures forever.

Soon the pain and suffering will pass,
the fear and doubt will be gone;

I shall be with You
for all my days.
.
.

The Comforter

Sometimes I am so close,
some days I am so sure,
as the words flash across my mind
like lightning in the sky,
here and gone in the blink of an eye,
with no idea what comes next.

Awed by the magnitude and depth,
humbled and amazed
by how far it truly goes,
taken aback by the wisdom
with which it speaks,

the Comforter
promised by His word,
He who testifies of the truth,
He who teaches discipline and knowledge,
He who brings all things to remembrance.

The precious gift
from the Lord
of love and perfection,
the Master of truth and light,
the Holy King of the universe
to whom I owe all that I have,
to whom I will praise,
to whom I will belong
forever.

Redeemed by the power
of His marvelous
love and grace,
freed from the
bondage of this world
through His
suffering and sacrifice,
saved from eternal darkness
by the shedding
of His precious blood.

O my Lord,
my sweet, sweet Lord,
to You do I give
everything that I have to give.

How I love
Your beauty and light,
how I long to see
Your glorious face,
guide me down the path
which leads me home to You.
.
.

Arise

In the early morning silence
I search for Your unending truth,
amidst the internal chaos and confusion
I seek Your wonderful presence.

Arise,
make a joyful noise
unto the Lord,
for His goodness and mercy
shall last forever.

Through the darkness
of the cold black night,
I feel Your soft cool touch,
from across the void
of unknown chasms
I hear Your small still voice,
I know no fear,
I know no doubt;

thank you Lord.

Arise,
make a joyful noise
unto the Lord,
for His goodness and mercy
shall last forever.

In Him shall I place my trust,
through Him shall I overcome the night,
by Him shall I be made whole,
within Him does all my hope lie.

Arise,
make a joyful noise
unto the Lord,
for His goodness and mercy
shall last forever.
.
.

Where is Thy Sting? (I Corinthians 15:55)

We live in a world ruled by fear,
it dominates our thoughts,
it determines our decisions,
it decides how we live our lives;

fear of illness and disease,
fear of starvation,
fear of destruction and chaos,
fear of losing loved ones,
fear of losing money or possessions,
fear of being different,
fear of growing old,
fear of being sad and alone,
fear of not being loved,
fear of rejection,
fear of suffering and pain,
fear of the unknown,
fear of living life,
fear of the truth;

spiritual fears so dark and deep
we don’t even like to admit they exist.

We live in a world that thrives on fear,
where many prey on the fears of others,
surviving on their reactions,
commercializing their existence,
capitalizing on the opportunities,
exploiting the weakness.

There is One
who has conquered death,
who has overcome fear,
through Him we are free
to live again,
through Him
we are free to ask;

O death where is thy sting?
O grave where is thy victory?
.
.

Psalm 103

When I turn to You
light comes pouring in,
darkness slips away,
hope rises within;

I am set free.

You are a sweet summer breeze,
a clear mountain stream,
a warm, gentle touch,
innocence and purity;
truth complete.

As far as the east is from the west
have You removed my transgressions from me,
as a father has compassion on his child
have You had compassion on me.

Through Your unfathomable sacrifice
have I been redeemed from the dead,
by Your mercy and grace
has my soul been restored.

Forever shall I belong to You,
forever shall I sing of Your greatness,
forever shall I praise Your name,
forever shall I love You above all others.

Let Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven,
remove all that is not of You,
cleanse the filth and iniquity
abiding within this imperfect temple,
make me into a new creation,
fill me with Your love.

You are my strength,
You are my rock,
You are my comfort and joy,
You are my God;

You are my Everything.
.
.

Every Breath

When we are young
we dream of all that could be,
as we grow old
we come to the bitter realization
of all that we are not,
and what will never be;

it is then dreams die,
it is then that hope fades,
it is then truth is lost.

For everything there is a season,
for everything there is a purpose,
for every push there is a shove,
for every action there is a reaction.

Overwhelm me with Your truth,
fill me with Your light,
let today be the day,
let now be the time.

In You we become
something greater,
in You we are made complete,
in You dreams live once more,
in You hope is restored;

in You we shall live forever.

Let every breath taken
be taken for Your glory,
let every word spoken
be spoken of Your majesty,
let every creature under the sun
praise Your name.

Be my King,
be my Lord,
be my Master,
raise this vessel from the dust,
make me a noble instrument
useful for Your holy will,
let me be Your humble servant
for all eternity.
.
.

The Best We Can

Everywhere there is anger,
everywhere there is meanness,
everywhere there is ridicule,
everywhere there is despair.

Men no longer search for truth,
men no longer thirst for righteousness,
it has become much too dangerous,
political correctness has become
the brave new frontier,
compromise the name of the game.

The world as we know it is falling down,
with no relief in sight,
answers no longer have meaning,
questions are no longer asked.

I close my eyes
and imagine days gone by,
I close my eyes
and see days too come,
I hold on to the hope
while letting go of the reality,
I search for winding, empty roads
where few have ever traveled,
settling in the end
for safety and comfort,
following paths well taken.

Broken promises and lost paradises
tumble down,
like building block houses
on a child’s playroom floor.

Failure hurts,
fantasies and foolish feelings lost,
forever slipping from your grasp,
always just one reach too far,
always a little more
than you can hold.

Time and flesh fade
until finally
words are all that is left,
when in truth
they are all there ever was.

Overcoming the night
is never an easy task,
yet still we try,
the best we can.

Letting go of the dreams
was never part of the plan,
yet still we do,
the best we can.

Somewhere little boys are free
to play the games of men,
while dreaming of days ahead,
without running from the demons
of their past.

I am still here,
quietly waiting,
I will wait as long
as You require,
I will wait forever.

I belong to You,
I always have,
I always will;

You are my Lord,
You are my Master,
You are my God;

You are my Everything.
.
.

Discipline

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” declares the Lord, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.        Isaiah 55:6-9

Once more,
You open my eyes,
once again,
You hold up the mirror
before my wretched
and pitiful face,
revealing inner things
I could not see on my own,
showing the conceit
of all my preconceived ideas,
humbling the lofty and haughty spirit
by which I have walked,
crushing the self-righteous throne
upon which I have sat,
deflating the egotistical vanity
living inside.

Proving that You alone
know the hearts of men,
making me understand
that You, and You alone,
have the right to judge,
that there are ways
which seem right to a man,
but in the end lead to death.

Lord forgive my selfish pride,
have mercy upon my wicked ways,
guide my blinded eyes,
lead me down Your holy paths,
use me for Your righteous will,
teach me Your perfect ways,
rebuke my errors and mistakes;

discipline me as a beloved son.
.
.

The Wonder of You

There are secret things,
things so dark and forsaken,
things that only You can see,
things that only You can forgive.

You bring me to the foot of Your throne,
You raise me up by the hand,
You strip away the denial and pretenses,
You remove the impenetrable walls,
You bathe me in Your unspeakable light,
You cleanse the dirt and filth within,
You take away the darkness and pain,
You calm the turmoil and agony,
You heal the sickness and suffering,
You fill me with Your unimaginable glory,
You soothe the raging storm.

Renew my faith,
rekindle my fire,
restore my waning strength,
refresh my tired and worn out soul,
fill me anew with Your Holy Spirit.

You are my King,
You are my Lord,
You are my Master,
You are my God,
You are my Truth,
You are my Light,
You are my Way.

Never let me forget,
never let me doubt,
never let me take for granted;

the wonder of You.
.

.

I Know

I know that in the end
You will make everything come out right,
I know that this darkness surrounding me now
will fade with the morning dawn.

I know that You will wipe away every tear,
I know that You will make all things new,
I know that You will heal the damage,
I know that You discipline and teach
only those whom You love,
I know that You will stand by my side
through every trial and test,
I know that You will never give me more
than I can withstand;

I know.

Inside I have always known,
just as I have always known
that You are the truth,
that You are the light,
that You are the way.

I knew it when I lay on that gym floor
so many years ago,
Your soft still voice bringing reassurance
that You would be there
when I stepped onto the field,
I knew it when I stood at the edge,
staring into the eternal darkness
waiting before me,
as You pulled me back
into Your precious arms,
before I was forever gone;

I knew it then,
I know it now.

And no matter where this road leads,
I know that I will always love You,
that I will always be Yours,
that You will always be my King,
my Lord,
my Savior;

my Everything.
.
.

Once More

The end draws near,
it speaks from within
just as surely as the wind
blowing through the swaying trees.

The last breath waits,
silently and patiently lingering,
as final as ocean waves
crashing down upon
deserted winter shores.

I do not fear it,
I do not seek it,
it is what it is,
it will be what it will be,
part of the final story,
a small piece of who
and what I was;

the completion of a journey.

I know it will not be easy
dealing with the anxiety and pain,
I know there will be times
when my patience and tolerance
will grow short,
when the anger and fear
of the flesh will come out,
but I know it will be harder
on those around me,
my wife, my family, what few friends I have,
than it will be on me.

Because I know my Lord and Savior,
the One who was sacrificed for me,
the King who laid down His life
that I might live,
will be there the whole time;
I know that He will give me the strength
to endure every trial;
I know that He will be by my side
through every moment of suffering and pain;
I know He will never leave me,
never forsake me,
never stop loving me.

It is in His hands that I place my life,
to Him do I submit all that I have,
in Him do I place my trust;

through Him shall I live once more.
.
.

Once Again (Luke 5:8)

Back in the gutter,
covered with filth and stench,
full of dark angry thoughts,
pointing fingers,
passing unfounded judgment;

once again.

Wrapped up in the cares of this world,
thinking of short term solutions,
lost in the self-absorbed pity,
searching for flesh driven answers,
drowning in vanity and pride;

once again.

Go away from me Lord,
I am a sinful man!

Instead You reach out
Your mighty hand,
pulling me from the murky quagmire,
softly whispering in my ear:

“Don’t be afraid;”

once again.

O Lord,
I don’t know why
You suffered and died
for someone like me,
but I know that You did;

I don’t know how someone like You
could love someone like me,
but I know that You do;

and I don’t know
how someone as perfect as You,
could save someone like me,
from the fate
which I so undeniably deserve,
but I know that You will;

thank You my Holy Lord,
praise Your mighty name,
all glory to You,
forever and ever.
.
.

Anonymity

For most of my life
I have endured anonymity,
accepting the mental and emotional abuse,
withstanding the humiliating onslaught,
listening to the voices of the proud and vain
as they crush and demean the weary and worn,
trampling underfoot the helpless and weak;

without mercy,
without reservation,
without compassion.

For most of my life
I have endured anonymity,
with all its darkness and corruption,
hiding in the shadows,
weeping unknown tears,
asking questions with unanswerable answers,
living a lifeless life,
waiting for a definitive end.

Yes I have endure anonymity,
with all its cruel subtleties
and ironic mysteries,
silently watching and observing,
forever imagining and wondering,
continually seeking and searching,
then there was freedom,
then there was hope,
then there was light;

then there was You.

Great is the Lord,
vast are the lessons of His wisdom,
holy are the paths on which He walks,
righteous are all His ways.

My spirit cries out for Your presence,
my mouth thirsts for Your knowledge,
my eyes long for Your beauty and grace,
my soul searches for Your glory and light.
.
.

The Way of Truth (Matthew 7:13-14)

Lost in this sea of darkness,
sentenced to die
from the day we are born,
guilty as charged,
eternally separated,
forever gone.

The dreams of men
are like birds on the wind,
shifting and rearranging,
living and dying,
here today,
gone tomorrow.

There are many roads in life,
leading to far away,
unknown destinations,
creating their own
specific brand of justification,
finding their own
particular version of truth,
but no matter
how many truths we create,
no matter how many different ways
we want to believe;

there is only one truth,
there is only one way,
there is only one road.

It does not bend
to fit our ideas or desires,
it does not go in the direction
we demand it to go,
it is final,
it is absolute;

that is how truth works.

Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is the road
that leads to destruction,
and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road
that leads to life,
and only a few find it.
.
.

Now There is You

For most of my life
I have tried to create art,
painting pictures with words,
offering different perspectives,
silently observing,
hopelessly searching,
forever wondering;

continually hiding.

But words have never quite described
the voice inside,
there were times when they came close,
but in the end they faded into nothing,
lying broken and unheard,
forgotten and abandoned,
falling like flakes of crystallized snow
upon endless plains of shifting sand,
melting on contact;

gone without hope.

For most of my life
words have been my only companion,
a refuge of safety and solitude,
a convenient hiding place,
a comfortable illusion,
my sword and shield,
a powerful weapon
by which my enemies
might be destroyed;

without mercy,
without compassion,
without hope.

Now the illusion disappears,
the darkness turns to day,
You are healing the wounds,
You are showing me the way,
now there is more than words,
now there is truth and light,
now there is hope;

now there is You.
.
.

Resist

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” 
                                                                                                                        Luke 11:24-26

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.   James 4:7

Once again,
You have swept my house clean,
Once again,
the enemy waits outside,
attempting to bring destruction
worse than before;

“Do not fear, resist.”

You quietly whisper;

and I know
You will always be there,
ready to protect,
ready to defend,
teaching me Your truth while
giving just enough room to grow,
like a child learning to walk,
picking me up when
I stumble and fall,
holding my hand,
wiping away the tears;

never leaving me alone.

Father,
Creator of the universe,
praise Your holy name!
thank you for the gift
of Your wondrous Spirit,
the Comforter who guides
us into all truth,
teach me to shine
like a thousand suns;

teach me to be a Son
of the Living God.
.
.

Truth

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed”    Luke 20:17-18

Truth;

from where does it come?
to where does it go?
It rattles around inside,
bouncing back and forth
like some misguided nuclear missile,
and just when you think
you have the answer,
you come to the stark, brutal realization;

you’ve only scratched the surface.

Truth;

so seemingly simple
yet so profoundly complex,
separating darkness from light,
bringing dawn to the fading night,
cutting hard and deep
with surgeon-like precision and skill,
providing comfort and mercy
while dispensing perfect judgment and justice.

Truth is absolute,
truth is forever,
truth never changes,
truth never compromises,
truth is condemnation,
truth is salvation
all rolled into one.

Truth is the stone
upon which everyone who falls
will be broken to pieces,
but he on whom it falls
will be crushed;

truth is Jesus Christ.
.
.

Every Hope

There are many kinds of right,
many kinds of wrong,
many elaborate illusions and myths,
all of which seem correct to a man,
all of which fade with time,
like early morning fog,
rapidly disappearing
before the approaching noonday sun.

There is only one right,
there is only one truth,
there is only one way leading to life,
all others lead to destruction and death.

There are no other choices,
no alternate paths,
no other name
by which a man might be saved,
in the end there is outer darkness;

or there is You.

That is the truth,
those are the choices,
despite how hard so many
wish to believe otherwise.

You have delivered me
from dark prisons
where only sadness and sorrow live,
You have pulled me up
from pits of decadence and decay
where hope does not exist,
You have restored all that was lost
in the blackness of the night so long ago;

there is nothing more that I desire,
nothing more that I need.

You have provided all that I require,
You have fulfilled every dream,
You are my every hope,
You are my everything;

thank you Lord.
.
.

Slave

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
                                                                                                                Mark 5:18-20

All my life I have been a slave,
all my life I have been lost,
all my life I have served unseen masters,
all my life I have been a prisoner.

Sexual perversions and lust,
spiritual darkness and depravity,
financial debt and personal greed,
unjustified hatred and anger,
self-destructive gluttony,
fantasies and delusions of grandeur,
vanity and self-induced egotism,
malicious slander and vicious lies.

Sacrificially raped,
silently abused and self-tortured,
steadily stripped of all dignity and self-worth,
repeatedly robbed of confidence and truth,
slowly losing any faith or trust.

Then You reached out Your mighty hand,
pulling me up from these raging seas,
unlocking the door of this forsaken cell,
delivering me from eternal bondage,
opening my blinded eyes,

no longer a victim,
no longer a slave.

Now I wait for the day
when I will be where You are,
sitting at the foot of Your throne,
basking in Your glory and light,
telling the world of Your mercy and grace;

telling the world what the Lord has done for me.
.
.

Somewhere There is Love/Somewhere There is You

Somewhere there is decency and goodness,
amidst the evil and iniquity;
somewhere there is mercy and hope,
within the suffering and doubt;

somewhere there is love,
somewhere there is You.

Where darkness is no more,
and light shines pure and bright;
where every tear is wiped away,
and fear fades like the disappearing night;

somewhere there is love,
somewhere there is You.

The One who bought my freedom with His life,
the One who is my majestic Savior and King,
the One through whom all things flow,
the One whose praises I will forever sing.

To You do I swear my allegiance,
in You will my life forever belong,
with You does my loyalty lie,
through You will I know no wrong;

Knowing You,
is worth more
than all the riches of this world,
to be where You are,
is the greatest gift
one could ever receive.

Teach us Your ways,
guide us as beloved children,
pour out Your Holy Spirit on our heads,
bathe us in Your brilliant light,
fill us with Your precious love.

Show the entire world
Your magnificent glory,
let all creation praise
Your wonderful name,
let every knee bow,
let every tongue confess,
that You and You alone
are Lord and King;

somewhere there is love,
somewhere there is You.
.
.

A Son of God

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.                                                                                          John 1:12-13

How great is Your wisdom O Lord,
how deep Your knowledge;
Your words are a soothing ointment,
healing the minds and souls of those
seeking Your mercy and grace,
Your justice and truth a mighty mountain
which never bends or breaks.

Fill me with Your spirit,
lead me through the dark and hidden places,
lift me up above the mire and filth,
guide me down paths of righteousness,
show me Your perfect will,
let me be Your servant forever.

In You will I place my trust,
in You will I find my hope,
through You shall I seek shelter,
through You shall I overcome.

You are my King,
You are my Master,
You are my Lord,
You are my God,
You are my Everything.

Without You there is no today,
without You there is no tomorrow,
without You there is no beginning,
without You there is no end.

You alone have brought me to this place,
restoring all that was lost,
providing long awaited refuge,
bringing joy where there was none,
You alone have made it possible;

to become a son
of the living God.
.
.

Great is the Lord Our God!

When I drift off into the darkness of sleep,
You are the last thought on my mind;
when I awake to the light of a brand new day,
You are the first to enter my rested heart;

great is the Lord our God!

Let all my words speak of Your glory,
let every sound issued from my lips
bring praise to Your wonderful name,
let every creature fall down before You,
let every tongue cry out and confess,
that You and You alone are King;

great is the Lord our God!

Powerful is His mighty name,
mercy and righteousness go before Him,
truth and justice light His glorious way,
holy and righteous is He alone;

great is the Lord our God!

By Him alone were all things created,
by His hand do birds of the air fly,
by His voice do mighty oceans roar,
by His touch does every heart beat;

great is the Lord our God!

His love is beyond compare,
His faithfulness will never fail,
His words are like precious jewels,
His greatness exceeds mere words;

great is the Lord our God!

He reaches out His powerful hand
to the lonely and lost,
He brings comfort and joy
to the down trodden and despaired,
He heals the broken hearted,
He lifts up the poor in spirit,
by His marvelous light are His people led
through the darkness
of this forsaken wilderness;

great is the Lord our God!!!
.
.

All Things Are Possible

Out on the front line,
anticipating the approaching dawn,
the hour grows short,
even as the waiting turns long;

everything changes with time,
even this.

White on black,
black on white,
all is not as it seems,
there is more than meets the eye.

Some mysteries
were never intended for discovery,
some truth
is more than most can handle,
some lies
are better left untold.

Don’t let me sink
into this sea of darkness and pain,
help me rise above the surface,
let me feel the light once more,
allow me to breathe again,
turn defeat into victory,
guide my escape
from these demonic monsters
desperately pulling me down,
give me the strength to resist
their unceasing perversion
and depravity.

Show the world that with You,
I can do all things,
that He who is within
is greater than he who is without,
that for You;

all things are possible.
.
.

Let All the Earth Sing Praises Unto Him

Great is the Lord our God,
His righteousness and justice stand like a mighty mountain,
His mercy flows like a great and powerful river,
His majesty shines like a rare and beautiful jewel;

let all the earth sing praises unto Him.

For there is no other like Him,
no other who saves His people from their sins,
no other who defends the lonely and lost,
no other who shelters the fatherless and weak;

let all the earth sing praises unto Him.

In the nighttime darkness,
He is there by my side;
in the morning when I awake,
He is there holding my hand;

guiding me,
teaching me,
disciplining me,
loving me.

Showing me the paths
down which I should travel,
providing the strength
to hold on just a little while longer;

let all the earth sing praises unto Him.

For He is God almighty,
the holy King of the universe,
the Master of mercy and grace,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
the Beginning and the End,

the Truth,
the Light,
the Way;

Everything;

let all the earth sing praises unto Him.
.
.

You Alone

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”                                                                                                                               John 6:66-69



Changes;

once again;

flesh and weakness
stand in the way.

When everything
has been stripped clean,
when all the filth
has been washed away,
when every word has been said,
when every thought has been thought,
when every breath has been breathed,
when every beat has been beat,
when there is nothing more,
nothing at all;

there is You.

I am ready to live,
I am ready to die,
I am ready
to do Your will;

there is no other truth,
there is no other way;

You alone have the words
of eternal life,
You alone,
are the Holy One of God;

where else would I go?
to who else would I turn?

You alone.
.
.

Just as He Promised

Someday the last line will be written,
there will be no more waiting,
no more searching for the final word,
no more pursuit of the perfect phrase,
nothing more to be saved.

I wonder if there will be closure,
I wonder if I will feel peace,
I wonder if I will have said it all,
I wonder if anyone will take notice,
I wonder if anyone will care.

I suspect in the end,
my words will die and decay away,
just as this fleshly body
will crumble into the dust
from whence it came.

It does not concern me,
for I will be with my Lord then,
He will provide my sustenance,
He shall wipe away my tears,
He will fill me with joy,
He shall be my hope and redeemer,
He will make all things new,
He will provide all that I ever need,
just as He said in His holy word;

just as He promised.
.
.

Holy Words

Caught up in the moment,
lost in the confusion and chaos,
surrounded by a ruthless enemy,
I take shelter in Your protective arms,
within the silence and solitude
of the long black night,
I seek Your righteous counsel.

Guide my path O Lord,
direct my wavering hand,
let all who see my life
know the beauty and wonder
of Your marvelous mercy and grace;
do this for Your glory my Lord,
do this for Your mighty name.

Who am I,
that You should pour out Your blessings?
Who am I,
that You should see my life?

There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 16:25

All my thoughts,
all my knowledge,
all my righteousness,
are but filthy rags
before Your mighty presence.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways
and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9

Thank You my precious Lord,
for Your marvelous, glorious light,
for Your holy words of wisdom and truth
which shine like rare and wondrous pearls.
.
.

All That I Have

You shine like a beacon in the night,
bringing light to a land grown dark,
restoring life to a dying world,
providing truth where there was none.

So many years
spent living in eternal darkness,
no one knowing,
no one seeing;

but You.

Locked away
like some dirty little secret,
the self-inflicted abuse slowly taking it’s toll,
until there was nothing left;

nowhere left to turn,
nowhere left to run.

Then You called out,
leading me to places
never before seen,
showing me possibilities
never before imagined.

By Your suffering and sacrifice
was I saved,
by Your wounds and stripes
was I healed.

You have restored
all that was lost,
You have brought
new hope and joy
where there was none;

to You do I owe all that I have,
to You will I belong forever.
.
.

Raise Me Up

The time has begun,
today shall be the day,
now is the answer,
here in lies the way.

In the morning when I rise,
You are there,
softly speaking to my soul,
humbling my swollen ego,
making me understand
the glory and magnificence
that is Yours alone.

Throughout the day,
as my tongue speaks foolish vanities
and my mind thinks
self-absorbed, hate filled thoughts,
You softly remind me;

gently rebuking,
patiently teaching.

Raise me up O Lord,
help me to stand,
fill me with Your Holy Spirit,
consume me with Your wondrous fire,
surround me with Your marvelous love.

Reach out with Your mighty hand,
cleanse my filthy garments,
heal my damaged soul,
remake me in Your holy image;

remove anything not of You.

O magnificent Lord,
Light of heaven,
King of the universe,
Savior of the world,
let every voice
sing praises unto You,
let every breath taken
glorify Your precious name.
.
.

Everything

O mighty Lord,
help me let go of all I have known,
give me discernment over all that I see,
purge anything that is not of You.

Let me lay down this sinful robe
worn from birth,
let me walk in Your shining brilliance,
let me live by the sound
of Your wondrous voice,
let Your holy commands
be engraved in my heart,
let me be a son
in which a father may be proud;

let me be like You O Lord.

Give me courage to withstand the onslaught
when my enemies shamefully use me,
let me bring glory to Your name,
let my lips speak only of Your praise,
let my life be a living testament to You O Lord;

for You alone are worthy.

I long for Your presence,
I delight in Your will,
I live for Your fellowship,
I find my comfort and hope in You.

You are my King,
You are my Truth,
You are my Light,
You are my Way;

You are my Everything.
.
.

Closer Than a Brother

Search my mind and heart O Lord,
remove the darkness and doubt,
shelter me from the enemy
waiting outside these prison walls,
ready to exploit and abuse
even the slightest weakness.

Help me overcome the anger,
pull me from the turmoil,
defeat the fleshly lusts,
destroy the deadly perversions,
deliver me from the consuming evil;

let me find refuge in You.

Re-create all that I am,
make me in the mirror
of Your holy image,
bathe me in the wonder
of Your magnificent light;

fill me with Your wondrous love.

Nothing is beyond
Your powerful touch,
all things are possible
for You O Lord;

even this.

To You do I surrender,
in You do I trust,
before You do I fall,
into Your hands
do I commend my spirit.

You who are my holy King,
You who are my shining light,
You who guides my every step
through the eternal darkness
of this long black night;

You who stands by my side
closer than a brother.
.
.

300 Miles Away (Please Wake Up America)

Up in Knoxville the Vols are taking the field,
down in Tuscaloosa the Tide begins to roll,
out in Gatlinburg they’re packin em in
for a big Dollywood weekend;

while 300 miles away people die.

All across the nation plans get underway,
for backyard barbecues
and family trips to the beach,
as supermarket shelves are stacked in anticipation
with more than anybody
could possibly eat or drink;

while 300 miles away people die.

Stunned by what they are seeing,
people watch the news and shake their heads,
calling in 50 dollar pledges,
vowing to make a difference;

while 300 miles away people die.

In Washington, in Jackson and in Baton Rouge,
fingers are being pointed
as the blame game begins,
all across the nation the great debate rages,
filling the blogs and chat rooms
with wisdom and advice
from every self-made expert
the internet has to offer;

while 300 miles away people die.

Please wake up America,
we are all to blame,
we are all guilty,
we all watched and waited from afar;

while 300 miles away people died.

More than homes and people have disappeared,
more than dreams are shattered,
more than a way of life is gone,
part of a nation has died with them.

Now is the time to stop
the finger pointing and blame,
now is the time to stop worrying
about the pursuit of perpetual pleasure,
now is the time to reach out
and love one another as never before,
now is the time to trust in the One
who can heal all things,
now is the time for repentance.

Please wake up America,
before it is too late.
.
.

Hold On To Tomorrow

All our lives we wait for better days,
sitting at kitchen tables
in the middle of the night,
listening to the voices
speaking inside our silent heads,
waiting for a morning sunrise
just over the horizon.

I have seen your darkness,
I have felt your fear,
I have known your emptiness,
I have been where you are.

I look into the night,
I run from the past,
I search for the answers,
I hear the distant call.

Forever trapped
by man-made ideas and thoughts,
continually caught
within self-made visions and illusions.

Brave new paths lie ahead,
reach for the shining light,
hold on to tomorrow,
don’t give up the fight.

The prize awaits,
the fog does slowly fade,
nighttime darkness crawls away,
dreams no longer hide.

Somewhere just past midnight
detour signs appear,
as a different road beckons,
a new way revealed.

A road which never ends,
a road to call our own,
a road stretching into the future,
a road that takes us home,
where we can lay our
tired, battered heads;

hold on to tomorrow,
don’t give up the fight.
.
.

Any Less

It’s easy to love Jesus
when you drive a brand new F-350 diesel,
while vacationing for the winter
at Gulf Shores, Alabama
in your 100 thousand dollar RV,
taking charter bus trips to Biloxi
for a night at the casinos.

Easy when you live
in middle-class America,
surrounded by all your
healthy, happy children
and plump, giggling grandchildren,
with your body free from pain,
not twisted and grotesque
by aids and cancer,
not panting and short of breath
from clogged arteries to the heart,
because you have health insurance
and can afford the best medical
treatment available,
with all the specialists and bypass surgeries
money can buy;

yes, it is easy then.

Not so easy,
when you go through life worried and afraid,
worried about feeding your children,
worried about providing a shelter
over their heads,
worried about the lump
growing on your child’s arm,
unable to get it tested,
because you have no health insurance,
praying for the strength
to get through one more day,
as you go to your low paying job,
where America’s elite
treat you like a hired servant,
because they have money
and drive diesel powered F-350s,
with ‘I Love Jesus’ on the front license plate;

and you don’t.

Some day we will all be the same,
standing before a holy and righteous God,
and I wonder how they will answer then,
when they see themselves
speaking with derision and disgust
to the person working for minimum wage,
because their cheese was sliced
a millimeter thicker than requested,
or because they had to wait
more than 5 minutes in the checkout line,
I wonder who will be blessed then,
I wonder if their diesel powered F-350s
with the ‘I Love Jesus’ front license plates
will mean anything then.

Then He speaks to me;
reminding me
that He walked this earth with nothing,
in spite of being the King
to whom everything belongs,
that He endured humiliation and torment
without ever once complaining or hating,
that even though He was the greatest,
He became the servant of many,
laying down his life for all,
paying a cost only He could pay,
doing the will of the Father
despite the suffering and pain,
giving us the example to be followed,
proving that He loves us all
unconditionally and without favor,
even those who drive brand new F-350s
with ‘I Love Jesus’ front license plates,
and He asks me;

“Is the servant greater than the master?”

as I quietly (and humbly) think to myself,
should I do any less?
.
.

Thank You

Thank you my precious Lord,
for the blowing wind,
for the swaying trees,
for the nighttime moon,
for the morning sun,
for this precious gift of life;

for every breath.

Thank you for Your word,
for Your mercy and grace,
for the gift of Your Holy Spirit,
for the sacrifice
of Your only begotten Son.

Thank you for Your truth and light
amidst the darkness and lies,
for Your precious love
when there is no love to be found.

Thank you for this peace
You have placed in my heart,
for restoring all that was lost,
for allowing me to be
a son of the Living God.

Let every voice
sing praise unto You,
let every knee bow down
before Your glorious presence;

praise Your magnificent creation,
praise Your mighty name,
praise You forever and ever.
.
.

Just The Same

I would like to imagine,
knowing all that I know now,
that when they came to take my Lord
in that dark and lonely garden
so many years ago,
I would have stood by His side,
demanding that the same fate
which awaited Him,
befall me also,
going with Him hand in hand
to be tortured
and die on the cross,
knowing when it was all over
He would take me home,
that the apostles only fled
because they were
frightened and confused,
but if they had truly known
the miracle that was too come,
they would have stood fast,
instead of fleeing like cowards
into the night.

I would like to imagine this,
but inside I know
it would not have been so,
that in the end
I would have been just as afraid as they,
that I would have ran just
as fast and far as they,
I know it every time I have a chance
to profess my faith,
and remain silent,
or when I look the other way
when His precious name
is used in vain,
not saying a word
for fear they will turn on me;

just like Peter did
three times before the cock crowed.

Then I think about the fact
that He knew this would happen
before it even happened,
that He knew He would be betrayed
and left alone
to bear the iniquities
of the whole world;

and still He loved us
just the same.
.
.

My Everything

Help me to stand O Lord,
at the foot of Your glorious throne;
lead me down paths of righteousness,
teach me Your sacred and holy ways,
shelter me from the enemy silently waiting outside,
raise me up above the chaos and confusion.

Remove this anger and turmoil
living deep within my troubled soul,
defeat the lusts and perversions
quietly lurking
inside my weakened flesh,
deliver me from the evil
surrounding my every side;

let me take refuge in You O Lord.

Silence the iniquity and filth
spewing from my foolish tongue;
let every word from my lips
bring praise to Your precious name;
let Your mercy and grace
flow like a mighty river;

fill me with Your unspeakable love.

Use this humble vessel,
to declare Your marvelous splendor;
let Your magnificent light shine
like a beacon upon a hill.

When the alluring nighttime darkness,
provocatively beckons my searching soul,
You are there softly calling out,
showing me the way home,
leading me back
into Your waiting arms.

Without You all the words are dead,
without You there is no light,
without You there is no tomorrow;

without You there is no hope.

You are my Truth,
You are my Breath,
You are my Life;

You are my Everything.
.
.