In The Darkness

The world may seem more comfortable 

In the darkness .

We sometimes do not like to share

The less flattering parts 

Of ourselves .

God works in the darkness 

Shining His light through it 

And turning it into a thing of beauty 

As He redeems it .

When we risk 

Vulnerability with others  ,

We can share love 

And encouragement in God's light .

                                         I Love You All

                                         By Brock

Judgement

Watching the news and spend the day fuming 

And feeling bothered by his own negative judgement 

About some public persons on TV .

He feels upset but also feels that he can not stop .

As he goes through his day today ,

He is aware of how often he makes negative judgement 

About others .

You might be surprised at the frequency .

All those judgement weigh the soul down .

Do they really do anyone any good ?

If you simply try to stop judging cold turkey ,

It will not work .

In stead each time you begin to form a negative judgement 

About someone ,

Turn your judgement into a prayer .

It will lift a burden 

And bring some inner peace .

                                                    I Love You All

                                                    By Brock

Wisdom

Oh God has revealed 

The way of the Lord .

It is called wisdom ,

And it is a precious gift .

Wisdom provides us with insight 

To God's intention ,

Peace in the midst of chaos 

Direction when confusion reigns 

And abundance instead of emptiness .

                                            I Love You All

                                            By Brock

Reach Out

It is sometimes a long road .

Some days are bad and others worse .

It can get better .

You will be tested .

Sometimes every moment 

Is like eternity .

Reach out and touch someone .

You can move forward .

You are not alone .

You do not have to be afraid 

Of who you are 

And do not be afraid to cry .

You always have a choice .

You have so much to do in your life 

So do it .

Sometimes you do not talk about it 

Because you are hurting .

I will stand by you 

For you 

So reach out .

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock

It Is Hard

When we read the book

We see Jesus healing 

The sick . casting out demons 

And doing other miraculous things 

But we also see Him teaching 

That the way is not always easy .

He not only for told His own suffering 

But that of His followers as well .

If we ourselves are not enduring 

A great deal of hardship for our faith ,

We know that we have Christian 

Brothers and sisters all around the world 

Who are suffering greatly .

 I Love You All

By Brock

Appreciate What You Have

As you waste your breath complaining 

About about life .

Remember , someone out there is breathing

their last .

Thank you God for the gift of your peace .

I trust you God .

God can see what I was

And what I am today .

Each day I give God a smile ,

I give God joy ,

I give God laughter .

God gave me hope .

God can make a change in you .

Oh the blessing of life .

And the miracle of life .

I hear and listen to God these days

As I breath .

Yes I do take one day at a time 

For I am in God's hands 

And that is where I want to be 

For I am a sinner saved by grace .

I am fine for the shape I am in .

All is well yes all is well with my soul today .

Thank you God .

                                                 I Love You All

                                                 By Brock

The Amazing Hands

There is something about the Lord's

Amazing caring hands hands .

In your hands I commit my spirit .

The Lord can be trusted 

Even when Life is bumpy .

I have hope when I am targeted 

By unfriendly forces .

Though vulnerable I will not be without hope .

In the midst of harassment 

I breath sighs of relief and rejoice 

Because of my faithful loving God .

Sometimes I find myself in a season of life 

Where things are coming at me from every direction 

And  it is difficult to see what is ahead .

In the midst of uncertainty and confusion 

One thing remains for me 

Is the Lord's amazing hands .

Thank you Lord for your amazing hands ,

                                           I Love You All

                                           By Brock

A Gentle Whisper

Extra noise is practically guaranteed 

During celebrations .

When family and friends come together 

It is like a time of animated conversations ,

The excess food , boisterous laughter 

And sweet expressions of love .

But when we quietly open our hearts 

We find that the time with God 

Is even sweeter .

We are more like to encounter 

God in the stillness .

Sometimes if we just listen ,

We to will hear that gentle whisper .

                               I Love You All

                               By Brock

God Will Mike A Way

I have fear and concern 

About my wife and kid and grand kid .

I tried to act as if all was well

When I am at work ,

But I am deeply troubled by my situation .

Before I try to sleep tonight 

I took my concerns 

To the Lord in prayer .

I slept a little .

When I woke up the follow morning 

A word from the Lord came to remind me

Of God's ability  to feed 

The birds of the air 

And to clothe the lilies of the field 

So they never have to worry .

This reminder of God's blessings 

Relieved the heaviness 

And provisions of the Lord .

This insight continues to sustain my believe 

That God will provide for my needs 

And I will not be alone .

I know the Lord opens pathways 

For me when I do not see a way .

                                    I Love You All

                                    By Brock

My Mother

I learned about love from my mother .

She was a constant presence in my life .

She was supportive in the low points 

Of my life .

She corrected me when needed 

And she counseled me 

When asked 

And always with an attitude 

Of unfailing love .

She always demonstrated 

To me how to show love to others 

By accepting them and treating 

Them all with respect .

I am a recipient 

Of God's steadfast love .

I feel I am now in charge of sharing 

The love I have received from my mother

With others .

                                                  I Love You All

                                                  By Brock

In My Hardship

Jesus help me cling to you 

In my hardship .

I know it is necessary for me 

To undergo many hardships 

To enter the Kingdom of God .

Lord , I know and trust 

That you will not abandon me .

May my mouth speak the praise

Of the Lord .

I need to understand my own value .

I have the fingerprints

Of God on me

And I am a masterpiece .

Yes Jesus is indeed 

Alive in me .

With mine and your hope

And joy I hope to find happiness .

                                     I Love You All

                                     By Brock

God Is Patient

God is faithful and patient with us ,

Waiting and being available 

When we finally realize our need for Him .

I should remember that I 

Will follow as God leads 

Me to help others start on their journey

To faith .

I also need to remember 

They who wait for the Lord 

Will renew their strength .

I  gained spiritual strength 

And physical healing 

And I feel strong at 65 .

God is faithful and true 

And the sooner we all come to God ,

The longer we can honor God 

And walk with Jesus Christ .

                                      I Love You All 

                                      By Brock

As Good As News

We live in a broken world .

Humankind's rebellious heart 

And selfishness have wreaked 

Havoc on creation .

While we apply jerry-riddled fixes 

To the damage ,

We look forward to the time 

When God Almighty 

Will complete God's work 

In the world and make all things 

New again .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

Everyday

Did you know that in the Bible

The praise "Do not be afraid "

is written 365 times ,

So you can say it once a day 

Of the year .

You can say I love you to someone everyday .

You should take one day at a time .

Everyday you should persevere .

Everyday trust , believe and pray 

To God .

Everyday be happy 

And share joy 

For who you are 

And that you are loved and blessed 

By God .

Everyday you are a masterpiece .

Everyday you should be pleasing to God 

Yes every day ,

Yes every day call someone smiley 

And make it their day .

Everyday you should do your best ,

Oh do not forget everyday go on faithfully .

                                           I Love You All

                                           By Brock

Oh To Forgive

It took time for me to truly 

Understand that as a Christian 

We are all called to forgive 

Those who hurt us 

Or our loved ones .

I think one of the hardest 

Things God ask us to do is

Love your enemies and pray

For those who persecute you 

Like Jesus did on the cross .

I will never forget .

I have forgiven the people

For the evil they did 

And some who still do it to me 

On this day .

I feel when I forgive ,

God heals me even when I cry  .

For me it is like a painful wound 

That has healed ,

But the scar remains 

As a constant reminder 

Of what has and is happening to me .

The words of Jesus and his examples

Have taught me a great deal about forgiveness .

                                                            I Love You All

                                                            By Brock

I Am

What comes after I am

Is all up to you .

I am can keep you down 

Or it can keep you up .

Never be against yourself .

I am free .

Remember what follows I am

Will come find you .

I am happy .

I am strong .

I am joyful .

Oh the power of I am .

I am a builder .

I am amazing .

I am blessed .

I am special .

I am getting older .

I am getting better .

I am confident .

Remember I am not this or that 

Let all the bad I ams 

Go in one ear 

And out the other .

Always have the right I am

in your mind .

Always talk about the ways

You want to be 

Remember , I am approved by God .

                                            I Love You All 

                                            By Brock 

Today

This is the day the Lord has made    

Let us rejoice and be glad in it .

Favor is with me every day .

Rejoice in the Lord always .

He said I will say it again Rejoice .

True godiness with contentment 

Is itself great wealth .

He who gives you the day 

Will also give you the the highest things 

Necessary for the day .

Remember , praising God is one of the highest 

And purest acts of religion .

In prayer we act like men .

In praise we act like angels 

So sing joy with the angels today .

                                     I Love You All

                                     By Brock

Your Open Heart

It can be scary to open your heart 

To those around you .

An open heart is vulnerable 

To all sorts of pain .

Yes only an open heart can receive 

The love that Christ lavishes on us .

Love that overflows a hurting and broken world 

Will not only guard our heart 

But will also heal the places to which it flows .

                                                    I Love You All

                                                    By Brock

Hope Out Of Despair

When I am hurting , God is near ,

God is never nearer to me 

Than when I am suffering . 

The suffering is not a punishment from God .

It forced me to stop relying 

On my own strength and abilities 

As a source for my worth .

I learned to lean on God 

And the powerful truths

Of the Bible ,

God loves me .

God has good plains for my life .

God will not hold my sins against me .

Those truths anchored my soul 

Amid the storm - tossed waves .

As I navigate the sadness 

And sorrow of my life .

My prayer life grows and deepens 

As God fills me with hope every day .

                                                 I Love You All

                                                 By Brock

 

A Joyful Prayer

I think about the way I ask

Something of God .

I sometimes burst into tears 

When I run and keep crying 

For something again and again .

I know God is pleased to hear my request ,

I know I am not to be anxious as I pray .

I sometimes forget Jesus' promise .

He said ask and it we be given to you ,

Seek and you will find 

And knock and the door will be open to you .

God knows what we need 

Before we even ask 

But wants us to ask with faith and thanksgiving .

God wants to fill our lives with love and joy .

Remember God sent Jesus 

To bring us abundant life 

So remember to trust God always .

                                                        I Love You All

                                                        By Brock

To Follow Jesus

Surely goodness and mercy 

Shall follow me 

All the days of my life .

Following Jesus is less 

About us following God 

And more about God's pursuit of us .

The love of Christ guides

Us to a place of peace 

And nourishment and then send us 

Out again .

Remember God , renews us with His powers 

As we continue your mission .

                                                 I Love You All

                                                 By Brock

There Is Hope

When things seem to all go wrong ,

Remember God raised Jesus to life

And I have hope God will one day

Deliver me and my family from pain

To an eternal life of joy .

I trust God in the midst of all my suffering .

I will hold onto hope 

That God will deliver and save me .

When anyone ask me how I am doing ,

I will say I am trusting God .

God honored that trust ,

By giving me the comfort , strength 

And courage to keep going .

                                        I Love You All

                                        By Brock

Oh So Afraid

I can succumb to fear

Or I can have faith in Jesus ,

My Lord .

The Lord's  faithfulness is greater 

Than my problems .

The Lord assures me that I 

Do not need fear .

I can stand steadfast 

And be encouraged , confidently 

Relying on the Lord .

I trust in the Lord ,

Who promised to be a great help 

In times of trouble .

He will always be present with me .

                                          I Love You All

                                          By Brock

The Shepherd's Voice

It is vital that we know our shepherd's voice .

Other voices can sound remarkable like our shepherd's 

Sometimes they even use parts of Scripture to further entice us .

Satin did this when he tempted Jesus 

In the wilderness and he continues to do it to us today .

Jesus answered His adversary means of protection .

God's word .

In  studying the scriptures ,

We learn the context ,

We learn to interpret Scripture 

With itself and we learn to know 

The voice of our beloved Shepherd .

                                            I Love You All

                                            By Brock

To Be Transformed

You can allow God to rule 

The rest of your life ,

Or you could choose the world 

Oh to make the decision 

To let God's love , grace and forgiveness ,

Convert yourself into a faithful Christian ,

Which begins with repentance 

And breaking away from the wasteful life

You had led for over so many years .

Oh the abstaining from that lifestyle 

Of reckless behavior 

Can change your life to one worth living 

So do it one day at a time .

                                           I Love You All

                                           By Brock

Is It You

To scatter means to separate

And go in various directions .

It can be intentional ,

As in scattering seeds in fields ,

Or unintentional as in losing our way .

God's people who have scattered among 

The countries ,

How far from the Lord have they spread ?

They have not been following God's statutes 

And have broken the holy ordinances .

The broken pieces of hearts are scattered 

And lost .

The Lord says I will remove 

The hearts of stone from their flesh 

And give them a heart of flesh 

So they may follow me

And keep my ordinances and obey them .

We have one heart that unites us 

With all who repent and seek the Lord .

                                               I Love You All

                                               By Brock

God Sees Everything

God sees everything and is everywhere .

God sees us when we wake up 

And when we are going from here to there .

He knows the word on our tongue 

Before we even say it .

He knows everything we are thinking 

That is a beautiful and terrifying thing to know .

Even though God knows all our unspoken  words 

Within us ,

Sometimes it is had to decide 

How we should talk to God when we pray .

At times we have prayed

What we should pray or thought God wanted to hear 

Than what are actually feeling 

And want to say.

We should tell God that we are thankful 

When we are actually upset ,

Or that we are grateful 

For God's peace 

When we do not feel any peace .

God knows all and still loves us .

What are you thinking today ?

You can not fool God  so love Him

With all your heart always .

                                           I Love You All

                                           By Brock

Alone

 

You may spend more time at home 

Watching TV and drinking for green tea .

You are not alone .

You may feel you can take care of yourselves 

And you do not need to reach out .

You are separated by technology .

Each of us are immersed in our own flicking screens .

You feel the dark edge of loneliness .

This is one reason we need fellow believers .

We belong to the family of God ,

So we are loved .

We all are brothers and sisters 

When we show hospitality 

To strangers 

And we each make an effort ,

Everyone would feel cared for .

Jesus has promised to never

Leave or forsake us .

We can use His friendship 

To fuel our love for others .

                                       I Love You All

                                       By Brock

To Suffer

Suffering is rarely considered good ,

But when it has a purpose ,

We can usually endure better

Than when it does not .

Where can we find purpose 

In our suffering ?

We can look at Jesus 

On the cross 

And His suffering for us .

Like if we suffer with Him ,

Then our suffering can be 

For the benefit of our neighbor .

His light shines from our lives 

And it shines all the brighter 

During the dark times of life .

                                I Love You All

                                By Brock

The Bowl Of Tears

Does anyone remember the crossing

Of the Bowl Of Tears ?

If you are any part Irish you should ?

A bowl of tears driven by hunger and heartache ,

Those who sought measures of hope

During desperate times .

You need to pursue hope always .

When you are uncertain 

About the specific of the threat we 

Will face every day 

And the weight of the experience 

Of the day 

May break you emotionally ,

You will need to pray .

I will pray 

And I will have will have the wings 

Of a dove and I will fly away 

And be at rest .

                               I Love You All

                               By Brock

Worries

Worries seem to multiply .

There are those small 

And unreasonable worries

Over events of little consequences 

And then there are the more serious 

Worries of how to provide 

For the necessities of life  .

Worries can make us lose sight 

Of God's promise .

We may feel abandoned 

And without hope 

When it is a struggle to maintain 

Our basic needs of food and shelter .

God calls us to trust in the Lord 

Do not be afraid 

Daily life confronts us 

With moments of anxiety 

About the future .

Jesus encourage us to rely

On God's loving care

And protection 

And to always trust God .

                         I Love You All

                         By Brock

To Stretch

You need to stretch out sometimes

To get somewhere .

You will feel fear

But have strength .

You will never know what God

Has in store .

God will push you out of your nest .

You will stretch out .

When you feel over your head ,

You will discover your wings 

And you fly with the eagles .

You need to keep the right feeling 

And you will go on 

After each battle .

Remember what God has done for you

And put in your heart .

Always take a stretch 

And take a step of faith .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

Like A Child

Whoever becomes humble 

Like a child is the greatest 

In the kingdom of heaven 

As I was about to get up 

Out of my chair in pain ,

To my surprise a child 

put his hands on my knees 

And said Jesus loves you 

And He will make you feel better

And will see .

I was deeply touched that a child 

Took the time to reach out to me .

I wounder how often have I avoided 

Reaching out to a hurting person ?

When could I have shared words 

Of hope with someone in need ?

This child's faith has inspired me 

To take the time to talk with others 

About Jesus' love .

                                         I Love You All

                                         By Brock

It Is Not Just Waiting

I have not simply been waiting 

I have been preparing 

As I am waiting for God.

It does not mean doing nothing
Or impatiently rushing for word .

I pray , worship and enjoy 

What fellowship I can find ,

I do anticipate what God will do for me .

The waiting prepares my heart , mind 

And body for what is to come 

When God tells me to wait ,

I can sure be excited knowing 

That I can trust Him 

And the plans He has for me .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

No Easy Life

We are not promised ease in life 

But we are promised that He will abide 

With us in the strength and bring us through them .

It is in the witness of what He

Has done through out history for his people ,

In the witness of what He did at one moment 

In history on the cross ,

And the witness of what He continues

To do in the lives of His Saints 

And that I and all of us 

Share the good news of His love 

With the world .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

My Father

I loved my father 

He was an ordinary man to most .

He did not have great wealth 

But he made us kids feel special 

By calling us smiley .

Dad always worked hard 

And struggled with his health .

He never gave up on hope .

I loved him and was amazed 

How he made it day to day .

I loved him so .

Even so I know

There is a father in heaven 

Who loves me 

More than my earthly father .

After all God showed his love for us 

All through Jesus his son ,

Who suffered and died for the sins 

Of the whole world .

By God's love through Jesus 

We are saved for abundant living 

And eternal life .

As much as I loved my father ,

God's love goes far 

Beyond that .

God's love for us can not be measured 

Just experienced .

I thank God for the love of my earthly father .

My gratitude is deep for God's never ending 

Love For Me ,

                                                       I Love You All

                                                       By Brock

Rest And Peace

With rest in quietness

And with trust you shall have strength .

There will be a special rest 

Still waiting for the people of God .

All who have rested from their labors 

Just as God did after creating the world .

                                               I Love You All 

                                               By Brock

The Armor Of God

You can not receive God's promise

If you do not follow his instruction

God's way .

Put on the whole armor of God ,

So that you may be able 

To stand against the wiles of the devil .

For our struggle 

Is not against enemies of blood and flesh ,

But against the rulers , against the authorities ,

Against the cosmic powers of this present darkness ,

Against the spiritual forces 

Of evil in all heavenly places 

Every night and day always .

                                I Love You All 

                                By Brock

Prayer Is A Gift

Prayer is a gift of grace 

But it always presupposes

A determined response 

On our past .

Because those who pray 

They battle against themselves ,

Their surroundings and especially 

The tempter who does all he can to turn

Them away from prayer .

The battle of prayer is inseparable 

From progress in the spiritual life .

Yes , we pray as we live 

Because we live as we pray .

                                     I Love You All 

                                     By Brock

I Can

We all have weaknesses 

But we do not have to let

Them become an excuse 

To refuse the work 

That God calls us to do .

God does not rely 

On our weakness 

But our willingness to trust 

In God's strength .

This can give us full confidence 

To aim our best efforts 

Toward doing great things 

To the glory of God .

                          I Love You All

                          By Brock

Thank God For Healing

God is present when we fail to notice 

That God is with us always ,

Yet we continue to search for signs .

We question God's presence 

When we are struggling with hardship 

Or regrets .

We all have dwelt in some difficult places

Where shame , guilt , consequences ,

Neglect and the fears that haunts us .

Through all the sins and life draining moments ,

Our real , honest and up - front prayers 

Are reconciled thoughts .

The acknowledgement of God's mercy 

And forgiveness .

The gift of unconditional love 

Produces great joy in our lives . 

It is a joy worth acknowledging .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

A Star

God has made each of us 

A star 

In His image and we were created

For God's purpose .

We are called to shine the light 

Of Christ in some pretty dark places .

Each of us has been given the ability to shine

The light of Christ to those around us ,

Collectively the light that shines 

Through each of us can change the world .

                                            I Love You All

                                            By Brock

Visiting Me

A friend dove over an hour 

To come and see me .

When he was late ,

I asked why he was late ?

He said , he had to stop 

A deer for direction .

We did sit and talk 

In my back yard .

The air was clear .

I talked about my pain 

And my anger .

I talked about my history 

Of alcoholism and the wrong turns 

I have made in my life 

And the pain that I carry deep inside .

A friend who just mostly listen 

And just needed to be heard ,

He is a true friend of mine ,

I love him dearly .

                    I Love You All

                    By Brock

The Green Shoot

Open my eyes to see

The potential in others .

When I look at people ,

I can so easily miss the potential 

With in them even after they hurt me .

Thankfully our God looks at our hearts

And sees all that I can do .

With God's encouragement 

And the love and care of others .

I can become all I have been 

Created to be .

With God's help and guidance 

I can learn to look at others differently .

In stead of viewing them 

With a critical and judgmental eye 

I will try to find the tiny 

Green shoot with in each person 

Especially the difficult ones .

I want to be someone 

Who encourages them 

Not only to grow but to flourish .

                                    I Love You All

                                    By Brock

Dawn Will Break

When a grandchild could not sleep ,

He would come into the bedroom crying 

Saying he did not want to be alone .

He wanted to stay with me .

I held him , and told him 

Do not fear for I am with you .

Eventually he fell asleep .

Several times he woke up crying 

And saying he wanted it to be morning .

The final time he awoke dawn was breaking .

This time I pointed out the window 

To show him that morning was coming .

He then slept peacefully into the morning hours .

God holds us all and reassures us all .

Through all the tears .

God is with us .

Eventually dawn will break 

And with it comes the peace and joy 

That God promises .

                                         I Love You All

                                         By Brock

It Is Miraculous

God provides for me in miraculous ways .

God encourages me to offer

My resources and my efforts 

So that God's power and loving care 

Can be shown through me .

Where you and I see deficiency ,

God sees an opportunity 

To show love and kindness to us .

Trusting God with our energy

And possessions is one way 

We can exercise our faith .

What a comfort and blessing it is

To know that whatever we offer ,

Whether little or much ,

Is made miraculous in God's hands .

                                          I Love You All

                                          By Brock

My Weakness

Whenever I complain to You Lord 

I know you are always fair .

I need to rejoice in my insufficiency 

Knowing that Your power is made perfect

In my weakness .

It is amazing how perfect God provides .

I look to the sky ,

The breath taking rainbow ,

The fragrant flowers ,

A true sincere smile ,

I look to others .

Yes , I have a great need for Christ .

I have a great Christ for my needs .

                                        I Love You All

                                        By Brock