Oh To Teach

The responsibility to educating 

Our children What if I mess up ?

What if they do not learn enough 

As far as I see it ?

Not conceit or doubt helps 

Me teach my children .

Thankfully I have the example 

Of the best teacher who ever lived 

And recorded in the pages of the Bible .

One thing I would like to do is teach 

My children to pray 

And be good and to love 

And to trust and believe 

In God .

                  I Love You All

                  By Brock

Run Your Course

Life is like one giant obstacle course ,

As we are confronted with one 

Challenge after another ,

We do not run our race alone .

The Lord runs beside us ,

Gently guiding us through every challenge .

The affliction and persecution 

That we endure on earth is never easy .

Remember again Jesus is with us from our first breath

To our last and He will be with us always .

                                                                 I Love You All

                                                                 By Brock

Love Each Other

Jesus said , love each other

As I love you .

God's love will enable us 

To love others .

and share 

With Him in our limited ways .

My heart is full of joy 

When I share God's love .

I know my eternal joy 

And love comes from God ,

Who has loved me from the beginning .

                                           I Love You All

                                           By Brock

Are You Thankful

After my grandson was born 

I was so caught up in taking 

Care of things and the grandson .

I realized I was not making 

Time for my regular prayers 

But then I realized I had 

Been praying and rejoicing 

All the time .

The feeling of awe 

As I gazed into my grandson's features ,

And all the abilities that he can do 

that grandma and grandpa can no longer do .

I was praising God and being thankful 

For his life , my life and the love 

Of our family and friends .

                                               I Love You All

                                               By Brock

Give Thanks

What you take without gratitude 

Makes you a thief .

Remember , what you take for granted 

Can not truly bless you .

On Thanksgiving day let give glory and praise 

For the dew and the rain ,

The snowflakes that may come some Thanksgivings 

Are like kisses from heaven ,

The lightning and the clouds ,

The earth with all its gifts .

Remember , creation continually blesses 

God by being obedient to the divine 

Invitation to grow and to be of service to the universe .

Let us join in a joyful parade 

Offering glory and thanksgiving to God .

                                                         I Love You All

                                                         By Brock

A Fool

Fools fold their hands 

And ruin themselves .

Better one handful

With tranquility 

Than two handfuls 

With toil and chasing 

After the wind .

While the lazy 

Procrastinate 

Until they are ruined  ,

Those who pursue 

Wealth come to realize 

Their efforts are meaningless 

Like a miserable business .

The desire state is to relax 

From the toil of greedy grasping

In order to find contentment 

In what truly belongs to us  .

For that which is ours

Will always remain .

Remember , as Jesus said  ,

What good is it for someone to gain 

The Whole world ,

Yet forget their soul .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

Occupied By The Past

How many of God's blessings have I missed

Because I was occupied with things of the past 

Instead of looking forward in anticipation 

Of what God has planned for me .

Continuing to focus on past events ,

Whether they are joyous or devastating ,

Can prevent me from seeing blessings 

God has in store for my future .

                                             I Love You All

                                             By Brock

No Limits

If we do not have peace in the world ,

It is because we have forgotten 

That we belong to one another .

We seemed to have forgotten 

That we are connected 

Because we are all the same 

And beloved children of God 

How ever old we are .

We forget that God loves us all 

Thought we all disappoint Him 

All to frequently by our words ,

Action and inaction .

The bar has been set and it is high .

Our love for one another 

Should have no limits 

Because neither does God .

                               I Love You All

                               By Brock

My Uncle Jack

He showed me many things .

He showed me the process

Of sowing little tree seedlings 

That started new growth 

In the once open field of the city park .

I see them when ever I go to the park with Sawyer

These days .

The soil was rich in nutrients 

And the natural water supply 

Was more than adequate .

The seedlings have grown 

From saplings 

And the saplings became mature trees .

I am grateful for my uncle and all my family ,

Who planted in me the seed

Of Jesus Christ 

And provide for me the rich soil 

In which I could grow .

At this time of Thanksgiving 

I want to thank my uncle 

For some wisdom and some favor !

My uncle and I will always 

Have our traditions like playing cards with grandma

And playing BINGO with grandma  and she always

had to have O- 72 !

And our basketball games we played .

The many memories of just being together

In all kinds of weather !

                                              I Love You All

                                              By Brock (Brinnie )

Be Thankful

I need the love of Jesus 

To cheer me on my way .

To guide my doubting footsteps ,

To be my strength and to stay .

I know He will lead me 

Along the right path .

I know we will work together .

I know anyone who remains 

In the every day teaching of Christ 

Has a relationship with both

The Son and the Father .

Jesus thank You for walking 

Along side me as I grow 

In your relationship with You .

                          I Love You All

                          By Brock

God Talk

Talking about God can be normal

And a natural part of everyday life .

We should try to memorize His words 

And to display them in places 

Where they often can be seen  .

His law said to talk about God's 

Instructions for life with your children .

When you sit at home and play cards

Like 31 

And when you walk or run along the road 

And when you lie down and when you get up ,

God calls us to have a conversation .

Take a chance , rely on the Spirit .

And try turning your small talk 

Toward something deeper .

God will bless our family and friends 

As we talk about His words 

And practice them .

Oh start talking about God 

By calling someone smiley 

And God's love is on the way .

I would tell Uncle Jimmy

I had 31 he had 19

I won , he would say 

OK Brinnie !

                      I Love You All

                      By Brock

All The Way

The Lord will lead you .

He will always be with you 

And help you ,

So do not be afraid .

When you seek the lord 

And He answers and delivers 

You from all your fears .

Remember , He is the light 

Of the world .

Whoever follows 

Me will never walk in darkness ,

But will have the light of life ,

I know the Savior never forsake ,

I know my faith in Him will never shake

He will walk or run with me all the way .

                                    I Love You All

                                    By Brock

Trust

In the sea of life  ,

We can be calm 

And even take pleasure 

When we keep a hold 

Of our heavenly Father .

Jesus tells us to have faith 

like a child .

Whether we are happy or in tears ,

God loves us and we can trust 

That God will calm our tears 

And keep a hold of us always .

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock

Convicted

Have you ever been convicted by Scripture

That you read or hear 

But found it difficult to carry out ?

You are not alone  .

It is easier to read and listen 

To God's Word than to obey it .

that is why you do not merely listen 

To the word and so deceive yourself .

Do what it says .

Mirror illustration makes us 

Smile because we know what it means 

To observe something about ourselves 

That needs attention .

But we are deceived if we think 

That observing alone is enough .

God encourages us to do 

What we are compelled to do 

That is live it !

God's Word calls for it ,

And He deserves nothing less .

                               I Love You All

                               By Brock 

My Grandma

She was always old to me 

But in a special way 

She was always young .

Her smile was bright 

And her contagious love for Jesus .

She was a source of joy and encouragement 

To me .

Her life was vibrant 

Like a powerful runner ,

She did sprint across life's finish line .

Her life was like the budding .

Blossoming of a fruit bearing tree 

And rooted in a good relationship with God .

                                             I Love You All

                                             By Brock

What Is Good For Us

We can pour out our needs to God  .

Because He wants to hear 

What is on our hearts and minds 

He delights to give .

But being human and finite ,

We do not always know what is best ,

So it only makes sense to ask

For hope and help with a humble Spirit ,

In submission to Him .

We can leave the answer to Him ,

Confident that He is trustworthy

And will choose to prepare 

What is Good for us .

                             I Love You All

                             By Brock

Visiting Hours

Have you ever had a day or night

When you are hurting inside 

And you go out side 

And just stop and look up into the sky 

And you think of a loved one 

And you would like to see 

Just one more time .

I wish , heaven had visiting 

Hours for me tonight .

                          I love You All

                          By Brock

Have An Open Heart

I know I am compelled to pray 

For all those I know who need prayer 

Even those who caused heart break .

Our faith journey may takes us places 

We would not choose to go .

Our faith journey may causes us to experience 

Emotions that we would rather leave buried .

Our suffering can break us open ,

Enlarge our capacity to recognize 

And relieve the suffering of others 

Or it can leave us bitter and angry .

I can not think of a better reason 

To pray than to keep our hearts open 

When everything in us wants to slam it shut 

But I will keep praying .

                                    I Love You All

                                    By Brock        

God's Word

The word of God teaches us 

That temptations in life 

Often come to us disguised 

As our own needs .

These can distract us  ,

If we let them ,

From what truly matters .

Even in our prayers ,

We can be distracted 

By random thoughts and worries 

Instead of resting in God's love  .

Jesus reminds us to let go of life's 

Distractions and lose yourself 

In intimate moments of prayer ,

Embraced by the words of God .

                               I Love You All

                               By Brock

Persevere

I read where it said 

Thank God every morning 

When you get up 

That you have something 

To do that day ,

Which must be done ,

Whether you like it or not .

If you fall down get back up .

You will always have fear in you 

But when you die you 

Will have no more fear .

So stay in touch with God 

And you need to persevere 

With your faith 

And persevere with your work

And even when you run 

Or when you have fun 

And even when you love .

You need to persevere .

When the power of love 

Overcomes the love of power ,

There will be peace in the world .

So yes we all need to persevere 

In life .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

Guide My Steps

As I sit outside and talk to God .

I ask God please help me .

How will I move forward

And not backward ?

I need your support and guidance .

I need your comfort .

I need your counsel 

And I hope you provide for me ?

I feel paralyzed with fear and grief today .

Sometimes I face challenges 

Beyond my control .

When I call on You ,

For help in a time of distress 

I know You will hear me 

So I will keep praying .

                         I Love You All

                         By Brock

Twist And Turns

Mazes have often been to measure intelligence .

The faster one winds through confusing twist and turns .

Before escaping into freedom 

What about those of us who wander aimlessly through those 

Corn mazes in those pumpkin patches ?

Scientist do not have a high opinion 

Of the direction challenged ,

Our missteps say that we are in a maze .

Our path on earth is not usually 

A straight away ,

Or free of a bend or a rocky ravine .

In fact , we may feel so lost and alone 

On that path that anxiety and fear capture 

Our hearts and minds .

But we do not navigate this maze of life alone .

The Lord guides us , shelter us and provide for us ,

Even when we feel hopelessly lost 

We can rest in His grace .

He cares for us .

                                       I Love You All

                                       By Brock

What A Friend

You need one good friend 

And a few friends who has your back .

I have treasured the gift of friends 

Who have helped me pack

Houses and care for my baby 

Or feed me meals when I am overwhelmed .

Every day , I look at a cross 

on my wall in my basement by my bed

That says Faith , Hope , Love 

A gift from a friend who later lost hope .

It reminds me of the the need for lifting 

One another up , for catching a friend 

When he or she falls .

It reminds me to point despairing friends 

To the only true hope in this fallen world ,

Jesus Christ , who laid down his life for us .

Oh I remember the song I sing to my grandson .

What A Friend We Have In Jesus .

What A friend !

                                              I Love You All

                                              By Brock

Gratitude

Regular gratitude practice 

Makes us happier .

I am praying .

Pausing at the end of each day 

To identify what we are grateful for

Makes us more alert to what is good 

All around us .

There is always something to be 

Thankful for after all .

Our lives may not be perfect  

At any given moment  ,

We might be dealing 

With disappointment , pain or loss .

No matter what difficulties we face 

There are countless scourges 

We are spared .

There are countless blessings 

We enjoy as well ,

A loving touch , a gentle breeze 

And a comfortable home ,

                                    I Love You All

                                    By Brock 

Gone To War

I may never march 

In the infantry ,

Ride in the cavalry 

Or shoot with the artillery ,

I am in the Lord's army .

I am a Christen solder 

Who battles an enemy 

Bent on the destruction 

Each day .

I take heart that the Lord's army
Is lead by Jesus 

And He is always on my side .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock

Victory

  

Victory is not without 

The absence of struggles .

It is the presence 

Of God in my struggles .

I wish , I did not have 

So much worry going on .

I am grateful 

God helps me 

Get through it all .

I know I struggle 

To trust God 

And God knows that to .

I am grateful 

God helps me .

I know God 

In uncertain situations 

But when I do 

Surrender my worries ,

I know , God can heal 

And provide for me

So I pray every day .

             I Love You All

             By Brock

All In The Family

The love of the family 

Is one of God's greatest

Blessings on earth .

Yet how often we snap and snarl .

Against those we love .

Our mothers and fathers 

Should be honored 

With kindness and respect  .

Our great gifts our children 

Should be nurtured 

With love and patience .

But we often bring 

 Pride , resentment 

And hostility into those

Family relationships .

Family relationships

Are never easy 

The family cycle repeats its self 

And the family 

Knows it to be .

                  I Love You All

                  By Brock

What Is Good For Us

We can pour our needs to God ,

Because He wants to hear 

What is on our hearts and minds 

He delights to give .

But being human and finite ,

We do not know what is best ,

So it only makes sense to ask

For hope and help with a humble Spirit ,

In submission to Him .,

We can leave the answer to Him ,

Confident that He is trustworthy

And will choose to prepare 

What is good for us .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

No Words

We all want to be heard 

And to be understood ,

But in the age of social media ,

We are more likely to mistakenly 

Believe that words are always 

The most powerful form of communication 

On the contrary ,

There have been times when a knowing

Nod or a simple smile or just a wink 

Have communicated a depth of understanding .

To me that surpasses any words similarly 

Just look to the heavens 

Can fill us with a sense of the Creator's power

And wisdom that no other form of communication can convey .

                                                                         I Love You All

                                                                         By Brock

My Dad Speaks

When I run or sit quietly or pray

Or just listen to the wind ,

Or just think of my dad ,

I can hear him talking to the Lord .

You made the way for me 

To draw near to my Father .

He would say ,

I surrender my life 

And those I love to Your care .

Thank you Jesus , for the faith 

You have given me .

I still carry my rosary 

In my pocket even today .

Now I see you face to face 

When You and I pray for my family .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

It Is Awesome

What can be awesome 

About finishing last in a race ?

Finish !

It can be difficult but to have had 

Accomplished it .

The Bible honors hard word 

And diligence ,

A concept often learned through sports .

I am a coach and I know the awesome feeling today !!!

                                                                 I Love You All

                                                                 By Brock

Your Hands Are Full

Have you ever heard someone say

Oh you have got your hands full ,

Yes , thank God for the children 

That fill the hands .

Thank God for the blessings 

That cause the chaos .

Oh when you think of the exhausted mother ,

A lonely nursing home resident 

There there so much good to be done .

Let us not grow weary of doing it .

There are so many burdens to share ,

 Let us lend shoulders for our neighbor's load .

Jesus did not stop at lending 

His shoulder for our burdens .

Remember , like the children 

Of our mothers 

It is our turn to have our hands full too ,

                                      I Love You All

                                      By Brock

Oh To Be Afraid

There are days when violence and evil overpower us ,

Leaving us without hope and terrified .

However God always renews His unrelenting presence 

With his people .

He is always with us .

Never again will we fear any harm 

Even when our catastrophes 

Result from our own rebellion ,

God will still come to our rescue .

No matter how alone we feel 

No matter what fears ravage us ,

God assures us that He is by our side always .

                                               I Love You All

                                               By Brock

Stay Focused

Have you ever noticed how intently 

A dog sniffs everything !

Let the hunting dog roam 

With his head down to the ground 

Focused totally on finding the pheasants 

Finding them will make the hunting dog happy .

I wish , I could be that fixed on sniffing 

God out in my life 

I know if I stay focused on what I desire 

I will not give up the chase  before me today .

                                                I Love You All

                                                By Brock

Forgiveness

Jesus told us to bless those who curse us ,

And pray for those who hurt us .

We need to focus less

On our hurts and more on other people's needs .

My heart was prepared to listen when a friend told me 

That to know true peace of mind 

We need to forgive those who curse and hurt us .

I need to think of that person as being in Jesus' heart

And Jesus is always watching that person .

As I struggle to speak the words 

I forgive you ,

Yes I do see Jesus embracing you .

Now when I think of you 

I picture you in Jesus' arms .

I realize that you need God's love too .

God accepts us and love us 

And that love changes brokenness into wholeness .

                                                     I Love You All

                                                     By Brock

He Is Always

We may experience pain 

That feels like an endless 

Bad situation that appears hopeless 

Or the waiting seems unbearable .

We may endure moments when the odds 

Against us are stacked high and wide .

We may not experience the healing 

We long for as we continue trusting Christ 

But even then Jesus invites us to keep reaching 

For Him .

To trust Him and never give up on hope 

And to believe He is always trustworthy ,

And always within reach .

                                        I Love You All

                                        By Brock

His Eyes On Us

Sometimes we walk around blind 

And we can not see beyond our self-righteousness ,

Prejudices and stereotypes , 

We may label people or call them out for past mistakes .

Jesus , however sees the human condition of people .

As followers of Christ ,

We are called to witness 

To all people and to reach out to them regardless 

Of their condition .

Remember , Christ fixed his eyes on us 

When we were not at our best 

And redeem us with love and grace .

                                     I Love You All

                                     By Brock

In Silence

 

In my basement I can find silence .

I discovered in my silence of being alone.

Plenty of noise and chatter inside my head .

I hear again complains , criticisms ,

Bitterness , regrets ,self-doubts and old hurts .

The silence teaches me to let it all go 

The inner clutter and find a true space for quietness .

My soul became still like the water on the river 

In the early morning 

And in the silence I knew I was not alone .

I know . if I turn my head to the right 

Or to the left ,

My ear will hear a voice saying 

This is the way walk in it .

                                       I Love You All

                                       By Brock

Oh To Be Afraid

There are days when violence and evil ,

Overpower us 

Leaving us without hope and terrified .

However God always renews 

His unrelenting presence with his people .

He is always with us .

Never again will we fear any harm 

Even when our catastrophes result 

Even our own rebellion ,

God will still come to our rescue .

No matter how along we feel 

No matter what fear ravage us ,

God assures us that He is by our side .

                                            I Love You All

                                            By Brock

Oh To Share

We can never assume 

That someone will help

When you get home 

Or that people can always cope 

Under difficult circumstances .

We all can act as God's 

Hands and feet to bring solace 

To those who are hurting .

Today , I will share with others 

What God has given me .

                                I Love You All

                                By Brock

A Heavy Burden

I have become an expert in hiding

My emotions .

Eventually , I acknowledged that I 

Was unable to handle things 

Alone and allowed God to carry 

My burdens .

God loves each of us 

As we read the Bible 

And devote time to praying .

We can sense God's presence with us .

He will give us strength and rest .

                                           I Love You All

                                           By Brock

The Banquet

When you have a banquet ,

You invite the poor , the crippled .

The lame , the blind . (J.I .)

You will break down barriers 

To form a new humanity .

You love all things 

That are and loath nothing 

That you have made .

Mighty warrior God I need you .

Mom , I need a mighty warrior

To stand with me and overwhelm my fears .

I am choosing to trust You 

And pray that You will bless bless me 

Even with my inability to repay you

At the banquet today .

                                    I Love You All

                                    By Brock

The Company Of Saints

The weight of the 21 century world is heavy .

Our personal burdens combined with the collective troubles 

Of humanity .

That are shouted nonstop from news outlets and social media ,

Temp us to despair .

But this temptation is not unique to this century .

Yes , the saints who went before us may

Not have navigated the land mines 

Of social media ,

But they endured weighty troubles 

Of their own times .

So let us keep praying 

For better times for us all .

                                         I Love You All

                                         By Brock

I Am Getting Older

The older I get , 

The more kids I see !

Oh those kids look so unbearably young .

I can not ignore the changes .

Yes , the nature of life are inevitable .

I miss many aspects of my youth .

I would never go back. to it .

With the experiences I have had ,

The things I have learned ,

The wisdom that I have gained ,

The expressions of life and love 

That I have received over the years !

Oh the first wrinkle and the gray hair 

And the grey beard that is on my face today ,

The creaking knees .

Yes , I am getting older each day 

And I continue to change 

And to grow and even grunting 

And not even knowing that I am doing it !!!!

                                                 I Love You All

                                                 By Brock

Distraction

In our survive to the Lord  ,

It is important to avoid becoming distraction .

The every day demands can divert our attention 

From our relationship with God 

And ambitions can distract us from our purpose .

Through out scripture we find reminders 

To keep our focus on God's purpose ,

As well as practices that can help us 

Maintain our focus .

                                       I Love You All

                                       By Brock

Hope

We are motivated by hope 

A longing for justice 

moves us outward , close to Christ 

Because hope burns in us .

Hope helps us notice how God's 

Power is found in the tiny and mighty ,

Just as Jesus taught .

The tiny mustard seed grows .

Shelter to birds ,

The smallest of mighty yeast 

Expand dough and feed the hungry .

From those ordinary things ,

We learn to expect transformation .

From Christ , we learn how to be signs of hope ,

How to give life to those in need 

By giving ourselves 

So you know what do to 

With motivation .

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock

Return For Deposit

In a time when people 

As well as things seem disposable .

It is good to remember 

That God has placed a deposit 

In our hearts .

The deposit is the Holy Spirit .

It is a guarantee of the good things to come .

You should always try to have a soul of a clown 

And smile every day and count your blessings .

Remember , God will not toes us to the side or forget us ,

No matter how empty we might become 

God's Spirit fills us and points us to our future .

We can be assured that while we 

Can know God's Spirit now , 

We will also live in God's presence for ever .

                                             I Love You All

                                             By Brock