Getting Old

Getting old is not as much fun

As I once imagined .

My knee well they are mine .

I can not run the way I did 

When I was young 

But I am still running early 

In the morning .

Remember , when we let God's 

Word guide our imagination ,

We can gain a new perspective 

Of life and eternal life .

It will be exciting to imagine seeing 

Jesus as he really is ,

Oh to look into the face 

Of the one who loves us 

With an everlasting love .

How exciting to think of being 

More like him than we have ever been 

Getting old can be an exciting 

Experience when we focus 

Our mind on things way up high 

And the life that awaits us .

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock

                            keep smiling

                            Smiley

The Runner

Some people will see me 

Run early in the morning .

They discount the dedication 

Of me when I finish the race .

I look at my placement

Of my run as a sign of my dedication 

But more of my perseverance 

In finishing the race .

It is not where I place 

When I cross the finish line .

I know my cross the finish line 

Pleases God and that is the one

Who truly counts besides me .

When I run I talk to thee 

And I feel free .

                       I Love You All

                       By Brock

                       keep smiling 

                       all you Smileys

Who Is In Control

You will relax on a plane

Even though you do not know the pilot .

You will relax on a ship 

Even if you do not know the captain .

You can relax on a bus 

Even though you do not know the driver .

If anyone takes you some place ,

Remember the people 

Who are in control 

In their own way love you .

Remember the one who loves us all 

Is truly in control .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

                                   keep smiling

                                  all you Smileys

My Dad

My dad loved to sing .

He truly loved to sing in church .

He would sing to me 

To calm me down 

And we would even 

Sing a song together .

He always told me to listen .

He loved to call kids Smiley 

And he would touch a child's ear 

And make it squeaky .

Dad always loved to share 

The music he made with love .

I can only imagine the day 

When we will be together with God 

And with all those who have put their trust 

In Jesus .

How amazing it will be to hear 

My dad and my heavenly father 

Sing songs for and with me 

And,experience His love ,

Approval and acceptance .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

                                  Keep Smiling

                                  Smiley

Aging

My body is aging , my strength ,

Energy and endurance lessening .

I need to accept aging 

With humility and grace .

I do not have to do great deeds 

To make a difference .

So these days my mission  

And its impact are clear .

Every time I pray for justice 

To reign , every act of mercy 

I show and each time I choose 

To put another ahead of myself ,

The world shifts a tiny bit for the good 

And God loves me .

I hope some day He will call me a kid

And Smiley too !

                                      I Love You All

                                      By Brock

                                      Keep smiling 

                                      Smiley

To See Everything

God invites us to see everything 

Including ourselves as new .

We thrill to the new knowledge 

That we are fully loved by God ,

Despite our sins .

Our newness lets us see afresh 

Treasure of the world like a sunset ,

Raindrops , a warm piece of toast 

On a cold morning , 

Holding hands with an elder 

Or holding a child's tiny hands .

Rising a new in God brings new perspective 

Like seeing life through a child's eyes .

Much of what we once valued 

Holds less importance 

What used to seem small 

We now embrace as precious .

God's gift of grace in Jesus Christ 

Supersedes all other gifts .

                                       I Love You All

                                       By Brock
                                       keep smiling

                                       Smiley

The Challenge

Help me Jesus , to truly see 

That You are bigger than any 

Problem facing me today .

I try to follow You .

I may find my self in some dicey situations .

I may risk my reputation and perhaps 

Even my security 

Because I have determined to do what is right .

I may lose sleep wondering how it all turns out .

I know I am not alone .

I do not need to be stronger or smarter 

Than any challenge before me .

Jesus is with me .

His power is greater 

Than all of my challenges .

I love and trust you Jesus .

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock 

                            keep smiling

                            all you Smileys

Bearing Blessings

Gardening is a job that takes time

In the same way integrating into our lives 

Like the mandate of Jesus 

To go and bear fruit that will remain 

Is an ongoing process .

It is a call to faithful and constant tending .

It needs to be enriched by the practice 

Of praying and reflection .

It ripens as we cultivate a deepening 

Awareness of God's presence 

Within and around us .

As we enter into this work of our inner soul ,

May we with God's grace , bear continuous 

Blessings for our time and place together .

                                                I Love You All

                                                By Brock

                                                keep smiling 

                                                all you Smileys

Living

We put our hope in the risen Jesus .

We believe that like him we will be 

Part of a life after this one .

We share the Divine world view 

In which no act of love is ever lost ,

Forgotten or wasted .

Every act of compassion 

And service ,

Every breath of prayer 

Or of healing ,

Is an emphatic statement 

That Jesus is alive in our midst .

May we live what we believe .

                             I Love You All

                             By Brock

                             All you Smileys 

                             keep smiling

Solitude

Some people do not enjoy

Being along ,

But a little solitude can provide 

An opportunity 

To reconnect with our spiritual life .

Jesus knows that solitude would 

Renew us .

For He is a healer and also a teacher 

And He can perform miracles 

And heal us and give us strength .

Remember , solitude is not something 

To be dreaded or feared .

It is an important time to rest 

And renew our spirit 

So go with Jesus and get some rest .

                                        I Love You All

                                        By Brock

                                        Keep smiling 

                                        all you Smileys !!!!

God Is Joy

Slowly you will find small

Windows of joy .

Reminding you that God 

Is with you .

God is the joy of your salvation 

And values 

And loves all of you ,

Even the broken parts .

Grief can rob us of many things ,

But it dose not have to rob you 

Of God's joy that enables you 

To walk through your deep valleys .

                                     I Love You All

                                     By Brock

                                    All Smileys

                                    smile

It Is So Long

It can feel like an eternity .

An eternity of waiting ,

Of grieving , of longing .

An eternity of washing hands 

And other things .

Time is passing 

And to many doors 

Are closing to you and me .

Remember , when Jesus 

Shows up 

And says peace be with you .

                             I Love You All

                            By Brock

                            keep smiling 

                            Smiley

God Is Working

The gift of God working in me 

Can take me by surprise .

When forgiving someone 

Who wrongs me or show patience 

To someone I find difficult .

I feel Him at work as He helps 

Me face each new day .

To face challenges while giving me joy .

God stays near and works in me 

Because I love Him .

God working in me 

Is a wonderful mystery .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock

                              keep smiling

                              now Smiley !

Oh To Rest

In a group of people

Good manners demand that we 

Listen . make eye contact 

And respect .

Jesus offered the people 

He encountered and sees 

More than good manners .

He offers healing , forgiveness

And grace no wonder he with drew 

From the people to rest .

                                     I Love You All

                                     By Brock

                                    Keep smiling Smiley

My Prayer

How often do I expect my prayers

To be answered on my schedule ,

Rather  than on God's ?

God's timing differs from ours 

As we are being brought along .

The path that God has laid before us .

Our path forward may not be easy 

Or clearly visible ,

But we can trust our loving God 

To keep his promise .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

                                 all you Smileys 

                                 keep smiling 

Keep The Faith

Keep the goodness of God

Manifest around you .

Keep alert to the beauty 

Of love in your midst ,

Which is the Holy Spirit 's presence .

keep alert to how Jesus comes to you

In surprising ways.

Remember this sort of keeping alert 

Sometimes requires removing 

All devices like cell phones and TVs

That shield us from seeing 

What is right in front of us !

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

                                 the sun is out here

                                 so call someone Smiley

                                  No matter their age !!!!!!!!

At Times

At times I may feel like everything

Around me is in disarray .

I may be confused , disappointed 

Or oh so discouraged .

Even when I feel like I am on the brink 

Of perishing ,

I can find comfort when I 

Remember that Jesus is with me 

And will see me through the storm 

When my life feels turbulent ,

I do not need to fear .

I can pray and call on Jesus 

Who can calm whatever seems

Unsteady for me .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

                                   keep smiling  

Healing

We may not fully understand why

Or even how much wisdom 

And encouragement brings strength 

And healing to our daily lives .

The cheers and guidance of our parents ,

Grandparents , coaches and friends 

Seem to help us endure difficulty 

And steer us toward success .

The Bible brings us encouragement 

When we face trials ,

Equipping us to bear up under 

Even the most unthinkable circumstance .

God helps us to be strengthen 

By his wisdom and within turn 

Offer the healing and hope of gracious .

Words to those You have placed in our lives  .

I hope and pray that we all listen to the wise .

                                                     I Love You All

                                                     By Brock

                                                     Keep Smiling

                                                     Smiley 

No More

You did not tell me good by .

I remember that night 

I layed by your pillow 

And you never came home 

And I cried all night long .

I can not wait for when .

I am getting myself together .

I changed the game 

To get over you .

I do not have to think it over .

Yes , my heart let you go for good .

I no longer have the bluest heart ache 

Of the year no more .

My heart is finally free and OK .

                                             I Love You All

                                             By Brock

                                            Keep smiling

                                            Smiley

To Do List

We all have a to do list 

Or tasks that must be done .

How we accomplish them is just 

As important as completing them .

Do we have a positive attitude ?

Are we thankful for the health 

And abilities to do these things ?

There is also the love 

We should show in every thing we do .

You should be grateful for the blessing 

Of owning and maintaining a home .

When other people see me working 

Joyfully and calling them Smiley ,

They may ask why 

And I can take the opportunity 

To say that Christ is working 

With me as I smile with you .

                          I Love You All

                          By Brock 

                          to all my Smileys

                          keep smiling

                          for the state of SD

                          with  Pride !!!!!

As Children Of God

As children of God ,

We should remember that the Father

Has much to teach us .

God knows our weaknesses 

And is patient and loving 

In teaching us .

Yes Jesus is patient .

God helps us to overcome 

Our daily challenges 

As we grow in our walk with Christ .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

                                   To my Smileys

                                    keep smiling

                                    and stay inside

The Light Of The World

Jesus is the light of the world ,

He is the gate for the sheep .

He is the bread of life .

He fully knows he is God's son

Doing God's work

And in his case ,

The plan is not to evade harm 

But to lay down his life for the world .

                                    I Love You All

                                    By Brock

                                    happy Easter

                                    you all Smileys !!!!

COVID 19

Looking beyond COVID 19

We can fix our eyes on new life 

And hope of beauty to come .

The same is true of our personal 

Experience of pain and sorrow .

We should hold on to God's promises .

That is faith .

At the same time ,

We keep looking 

For the buds of new life .

That is hope .

With hope and faith ,

Our pain and suffering 

Will end in new life 

That is God's promise 

On Easter .

                       I Love You All

                       By Brock

                       Happy Easter

                       to all of my Smiley

                       keep smiling !!!!!!!

Watch Paint Dry

I watched some paint dry  .

I watched the second coat 

Initially looked to be 

A completely different shade 

Than the original ,

But as the time passed the colors

Melded the texture smooth out ,

But I did see a change ,

Jesus told us we should love one another .

But does it matter ?

In our daily life the impact of obeying 

That commandment can be hard to discern .

Like what we are painting .

And you are patient 

And really look ,

You can indeed see change .

Life becomes somewhat different 

When forgiveness and mercy reign .

Slow in coming perhaps ,

But still very real .

                           I Love You All

                           By Brock

                           Happy Easter

                           Paint your Eggs 

                           and smile 

                            All Smileys !!!!!!

Happiness

Happiness is the best teacher 

Of good manners .

Happiness is not a station 

You arrive at but a manner of traveling .

The happiness of your life depends 

Upon the quality of your thoughts .

Success is getting what you want .

Happiness is wanting what you get .

Happiness consist not of possessing much ,

But in being content with what we now possess .

People who want little always has enough .

Remember , happiness is a perfume 

You can not pour on others 

Without getting a few drops on your selves .

                                               I Love You All

                                               By Brock

                                               Happy Easter

                                              To all my Smileys

                                               keep smiling

                                               thank God

                                               for the Joy !!!!

                                               in children

Saturday Before Easter

On the Saturday before Easter 

I woke up in tears ,

Feeling completely overwhelmed  .

I knew it was time to go for a run .

I could not understand why God 

Felt so far off and silent

And I was anxious and confused .

I can not always see how God is working 

In my life .

I know how the story ends .

Amid my confusion , anxiety 

And waiting ,

I may experience during 

My dark Saturdays

I can be assured that God 

Is at work in my world ,

Giving me hope on Sundays .

                          I Love You All

                          By Brock

                         Smile Smiley

                          On Easter for me

No Doubt

Jesus wants to show us 

How to practice real love 

How to love our children 

And our grandchildren .

When they fuss or disobey 

To love friends and partners .

Even when they annoy or disappoint 

To love those who practice and empower 

Injustice ,

For Jesus loves them all .

                             I Love You All

                             By Brock

                             All you Smileys

                             Smile and love 

                              today and every day

The Truth

The truth is , most days I do not know

Where I am going .

I do not mean while riding my bike 

Or driving but in life .

Life's travels do not typically 

Come with a map or a GPS .

I do know , through , that Jesus 

Urges me to navigate life by his light .

I pray each day that I walk in the light 

Of the Son of man ,

Following God's way as my path 

Through this sometimes confusing life .

                                          I Love You All

                                          By Brock

                                          OK for Easter

                                           Smile OK Smiley !!!

It Is A Fools Game

Some people will expend immense energy 

To amass wealth in an effort to secure their lives 

Whoever loves money never has enough 

Some will work themselves to the bone .

They will strive and push ,

Comparing their possessions 

With others and straining to achieve 

Some economic status .

Yet even if they gain supposed financial 

Freedom ,

They will still be unsatisfied .

It is not enough .

This is meaningless .

                               I Love You All

                               By Brock

                               call someone Smiley

Even Today

To this day I give thanks 

To God for protecting my child  .

By reading the Bible regularly 

Has shown me that we 

Can seek God not only when we

Face difficulties and fear 

But in every situation good and bad .

God's word in scripture 

Gives me comfort and hope

For my life's journey .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock

                              Hi Smiley

The Carpenter

Jesus Christ was a carpenter 

And probably understood this experience .

As a wood worker looks at timber ,

Jesus sees each of us 

Not just who we are 

But who we can become .

Before we meet Jesus 

We are like a rough 

Piece of timber .

The carpenter's planes 

Away our sins ,

Sanding and shaping us 

With gentle and loving hands 

Until we become beautiful .

                         I Love You All

                         By Brock

                         Do not forget

                         to call someone

                         Smiley today

He Prays For Me

I saw someone I have seen

But I never knew .

I could not recall ever having 

A conversation with him .

He said I have been praying 

For you 

Sense you were a little boy .

He is much older than me .

I have spent my life unaware 

Of that man .

He cared enough to pray 

For me all these years .

I am so grateful for this beautiful blessing .

I know Jesus prays for me .

I know we are all one family 

And we can show our love by

Praying for one another 

Without telling them 

But Jesus knows 

We are all special 

In our own way.

                 I Love You All

                 By Brock

                 Hi Smiley !

Mercy

I realize that my love of justice 

Is more like a love  of retribution .

But when I long to see someone punished 

I know I am to love mercy as God calls me to do .

When we all love mercy ,

We can rest assure 

In knowing that God 

Is the perfect judge 

Who will make things right .

As Christians we can show 

God's love and grace 

To the world by being 

In the business of second chances .

Loving mercy even when it is painfully

Difficult to do so ,

It is an opportunity to show

Someone else God's love for us .

We should reflect God's gracious love 

When we show mercy every day .

Even during these tough times 

Let us not make a fuss .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

                                   Smile everyone

The Moments

There are those moments 

When we do not understand 

What Scripture is saying .

Often , we run into the issues

Where we look for the wrong message 

Or do not receive what God's Word is saying .

When we search through God's Word 

With a preconceive thought ,

When we do a search or study 

To prove a point we have already concluded ,

We are following human wisdom .

                                                  I Love You All

                                                  By Brock

Trust The Lord

I trust in the Lord with all my heart .

I lean not on my own understanding ,

I submit to Him ,

And He will make my path straight 

And has done amazing things .

God has done very merciful to me .

When facing trials that I do not understand ,

I can lean on God who understands me 

And because of Him 

I can trust everything that comes my way .

I can acknowledge God's power 

And strength through the good things 

And bad .

My merciful  God can walk me

Through anything .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock

                              Hi Smiley

Entrusting Our Love Ones

Entrusting our loved ones 

To God's guidance ,

We can affirm the good we see 

In them and overlook the imperfect .

The Savior who loves us 

Enough to endure the cross will lead us 

And those we love ,

Into lives yielding a harvest of righteousness .

                                                  I Love You All

                                                  By Brock

                                                  Smile Smiley !!!!

Conflicted

Some of my relationships

Feel oppositional right now ,

Which makes me sad .

Some of the hurt comes 

From old scars .

Other wounds are newer ,

Still longing for healing .

These relationships remain 

Dear to my heart .

These loved ones 

And I are all of one mind 

For the faith of the gospel .

We all embrace God 

As a God of love .

I want both my suffering 

And theirs to be heal 

Through that love ,

Jesus who came to heal

Relationships and make joy complete .

What does it look like to stand side by side 

In the love of God 

With people from whom we feel distanced ?

Remember , we all are the same .

                                                  I Love You All

                                                  By Brock

                                                  Smile this weekend 

Cheer

We often hear emphasis 

On the last word word

In the phrase 

God loves a cheerful giver .

Our giving has a specific quality 

It should not be done reluctantly 

Or under compulsion ,

We are called not to show sparingly .

In a word , our giving is to be cheerful 

While each of us will give a little differently 

Our faces are places for telling 

Evidence of our cheer 

So smile Smiley !

                          I Love You All

                          By Brock

                          Smile today

Oh To Walk On

I sometimes behave like a bird 

At times I have attempted to move ahead ,

Following my own dreams and desire ,

But obstacles block my path .

In such times , like the tweets 

Of a bird ,

I Complain to God asking why 

My way has been blocked .

But when I look back on those times ,

I realize that each obstacle 

Had a purpose .

Those closures led me to where

I am today .

God has always protected me 

Even when I experience difficulties

Or obstacles ,

I do not have to worry .

I can walk on with hope 

In my heart

Knowing that God is always

With me .

                          I Love You All

                          By Brock

                          Hi Smiley !

The Little Things

The simple miracles enshrines a profound  truth .

God cares about the small stuff of life 

Like lost keys , lost glasses , lost phones .

The little things that cause us to fret .

He does not always restore what is lost  ,

But He understands and comfort us in our distress .

Remember , next to the assurance of our salvation ,

The assurance of God's care is essential .

Without it we would feel alone  in the world ,

Exposed to innumerable worries .

It is good to know He cares 

And is moves by our losses 

Small as they be 

Our concerns are his concerns .

                                     I Love You All  

                                     By Brock

                                     Hi Smiley !    

A Cloud Of Hope

I have had days I felt discouraged 

And wonder if I would ever get better .

I continued to believe that God would heal me .

When I started to get some severe pain ,

I turned to scripture , faster and kept praying .

I imagined myself being well and whole again 

And thank Jesus for the healing 

I trust would come one day ,

The pains suddenly stopped .

It was my little cloud of hope 

A small but significant sign of loving 

Assurance from God that healing is coming .

Since then I have been getting stronger every day .

God pours out great blessings 

It all started with a little cloud of hope .

                                               I Love You All

                                               By Brock

                                               Oh Hi Smiley !!!