Hope Victorious

  I praise you – faithful God of loving-kindness Your voice is my life source I run to you I wait for you You are with me – and yet you run to me I am sustained by you Rescued by you – and called forward by you Your words remind me of who I am – and who you are Love and Promise connects me to you Trust and Faith anchors me firmly in you I find my peace in you A harbor in midst of the surrounding storm I find strength in you My anchor in fierce wind I find hope in you The first glimpse of sunlight morning after morning You are faithful over all of time Yet the wonder of your faithfulness today Colors my skies with beauty, warmth and promise   I wait for you I run to you Your voice is my life source I praise you – faithful God of loving-kindness  

  God didn’t only make the promises in the Bible He is promising still Those promises recorded in the book   -   They are for today Alive and active As true today and for the future As the day they were penned on parchment Still -   He is promising His faithfulness extends through all of time At the same time There is no beginning or end to His faithfulness In promise keeping In promise making Like a rainbow that covers all of time He speak the Life and Hope of PROMISE Over all of time Promise Maker Promise Keeper God of Promise Whisper to me the promises for today Paint my skies with the colors of your love and delight Set me free into hope And I will soar the heights of PROMISES to come   I think that most often, when we speak of God being a “Keeper of His promises” we are thinking of past promises. Testimonies come to mind of how God has rescued us, healed us, comforted us and led us – Just as He promised in His w...

  Surprises   I like a good surprise Flowers, money in the mail, time with a good friend      The thrill of being caught      Unaware   -   Unsuspecting I feel excited, loved, remembered           My heart races – a happy sound and feeling   A bad surprise is unwelcome Bad news, sickness, surgery, loss      The horror of being caught      Unaware   -   Unsuspecting I feel afraid, angry, overwhelmed           My heart pounds foreboding, warning and doom   I am tempted to hide – to run I want to turn back and find myself in yesterday           Before the bad news came   I want to be surprised by beauty and kindness   –   by love and generosity Pain and jealousy   –   injury and betrayal, these are surprises that hurt and sting   I am trying to remember Even a bad surp...

  There is purpose in pain Scars can be beautiful too Fire has not stopped you but rather advanced you and revealed strength, purpose and the true nature of who you are. Your stately trunk stands proudly, your core hollowed, charred, marked with scars of fire. You survived the flames, bear the scars and yet you thrive! Your branches drawing through your perseverance all the nourishment they need from the earth. We are stronger together Belonging is key My arms extended would fit easily within your core – And yet you do not boast of yourself. You speak of unity of strength found in joining together. You remind me to draw strength from those planted near me. To intertwine my roots, stand close and face the storms together – to be nourished by the trust of community   Never give up Stretch and reach for new heights I see your new shoots, tiny trunks growing from the fallen giant trunk. A new start at life – determined to live, reaching for your own piece of sunlight in the clutt...

Return to me O return to hope once more You’re not so far away - But any distance at all hurts you Return again to hope Be set ablaze with the knowledge of my love for you A deep feeling of my pleasure with you - Resting In ME That tender place where hope is born My power whispers “possibility” to your questions and fears You choose rest in me - And your mind becomes quiet   We listen for your “yes” Together we wait for your choice, - Say yes to me again. For it is that trust, your yes to me   - That breaths life on what is possible And Hope ignites within you Together we dance this dance Your hurts and fears pull on you - I see it, I know Still I am waiting for you Your yes is louder than your thoughts - But still you have to choose to say it I’ve got enough for you Your mind knows - Your heart remembers Still it is not easy - I see that, I know Your yes is not cheap to me - It is everything! And so I wait for you Together we wait...

  Corn on the Cob, Peach Pie, Cherry Tomatoes, Sour Cherry Pie, Apricots, Green Beans… For me, these are the tastes of summer! Eating these things reminds me of being a kid, growing up with a big garden and orchard. My grandparents had a farm, with animals, a vegetable garden, a field of corn and an orchard of fruit and nut trees. Growing food takes a lot of work, planning and energy. Harvesting it is both a reward and a lot of work! I remember the extremes of summer harvest. The easiest harvest: From as early as I can remember, I loved to wander in the garden and look for any ripe cherry tomatoes. I would pick them off the bush and pop them in my mouth. I loved how they tasted fresh of the plant, warm from the sun. I liked the classic red cherry tomatoes, but another favorite was the yellow pear-shaped ones. I often hid a small salt shaker in the rock wall near our garden. I would use it to season larger tomatoes that I would rinse off with the garden hose. Of course, I also...

  Trust is like falling Will you catch me? Will you hold me?   Love is like sinking Deeper and deeper Being covered in warmth and gentle weight   Trust is like flying Taking off and feeling the strength & power New heights - the thrill of new perspective   Love is momentum A driving force within me like a rising tide And yet it is on its way to me in waves   Trust is an invitation     –     Love is an invitation   Trust calls me deeper into love     –     Love calls me deeper into trust   I am gaining and soaring I must let go of fears and thoughts of what is not possible   Trust makes a demand Love is the movement towards me and within me Love is the invitation and yet  –  Love is my response   Trust is required And yet it too grows with time  –   better and better still  ...

  Last Sunday I woke up tired and discouraged. I had woken suddenly twice earlier in the early morning hours from violent and dark dreams. I was tired from a busy holiday weekend of travel and time in the sun. The fear and oppression of my two bad dreams was occupying my mind as I started my day.  I began thinking of what I needed to do that day and about some of the issues and decisions that are yet unresolved within my family of 6. I felt overwhelmed. Sundays are full, exciting and rewarding days for a pastor. This particular Sunday I was hosting the service, but not preaching. I wanted to arrive early, but wasn’t leading the pre-service prayer time. I do not allow myself to consider the question, “do I feel like going to church today”. I have already decided that I want to be there. While I also have a responsibility and role, I don’t want to go out of obligation or duty. I want to be joyful and expectant, fully present and engaged. If I don’t have hope while there, I hav...