To Prune

I was going through a rough patch you see

In my relationship with someone very dear to me .

Angry and resentful I knew that I would either 

Shut this person out or lean on God .

As I prayed , cried and read the Bible .

I experienced God's comfort .

I was reassured of God's deep love for me 

And reminded to find my worth in God .

But something else was at work 

That I was not prepared for at all .

God gently helped me to see 

My wrong attitudes and action toward 

The person who had hurt me 

And showed me how that had caused

Some of her behavior .

I felt God was using this experience to prune me .

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                                                        By Brock

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To Be Heard

You came when I called .

You told me do not fear .

If you believe ,

You will receive 

Whatever you ask for in prayer .

Be strong and courageous .

Fear not do not be dismayed .

Remember , all who call on God 

In true faith earnestly 

From the heart ,

Will certainly be heard .

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                By Brock 

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Going To School

As a man's grandson had been

Faced with some challenges in school

And in life ,

Grandpa began to teach him a pledge 

To recite each morning before school .

I thank God for waking me up today .

I am going to school so I can learn 

And be the leader that God 

Has created me to be .

The pledge is one way 

That the grandpa hopes to help 

His grandson apply himself 

And deal with life's inevitable challenges .

In a way by helping his grandson 

To commit this pledge to memory ,

The grandpa is doing something 

Similar to what God commanded .

Remember , each new day ,

We all can commit to allowing 

Scripture to guide our hearts 

And minds as we all live 

In gratitude to him .

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                       By Brock

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All Kinds Of People

Jesus invited all kinds of people 

To come into the kingdom of God .

It does not matter if onlookers 

Misunderstand or gossip .

Everyone needs God's grace .

If we are followers of Jesus .

We all look for ways to extend it 

Even in unconventional ways .

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                              By Brock

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Life

Life may be unpredictable

And sometimes filled with pain .

Your Spirit will come to your aid

Of your weakness .

You can take heart that everything 

Takes place under God's gaze .

We can enjoy life 

And treasure the moments 

The good and the bad 

For our loving God 

Is with us always .

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             By Brock

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Oh Smiley

A smile can bring encouragement 

To someone who is lonely or sad ,

A way of saying to someone 

Who is heartbroken .

Oh to wait on the Lord .

God loves you and so do I .

A good deed paired with a smile 

Can assist the vulnerable ,

The aged , the children without parents .

A smile can give support to the local vendor 

Who works diligently to supply fresh 

Fruit and vegetables !

Remember , a passing smile to those 

We encounter might be just enough 

To offer hope .

Do you know what does God's smile 

Looks like ?

It will look like the smile we bestow 

Oh all those around us .

It will look like joy 

We bring to others 

In our words and deeds .

When I call someone Smiley

And return a smile ,

I know my dad and God 

Are smiling upon me

So today call someone Smiley .

                     I Love You All

                     By Brock

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Do Not Forget

Do not forget what is right .

Do not forget do not fight .

Do not forget the pain .

Do not forget to pray .

Do not forget to love .

Do not forget to look up .

Do not forget justice .

Do not forget kindness .

Do not forget happiness .

Do not forget to rest .

Do not forget to go 

At your own pace .

Do not forget the fun in life .

Do not forget the memories .

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                            By Brock

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Look Up

When I sit outside at night ,

I marvel at God's heavenly high .

When I consider your heaven ,

The work of your fingers ,

The moon and the stars ,

Which you set in place .

I am at awe in perspective 

When I think of all that you 

Have created for me .

I know I can experience 

Your heavenly light now .

Simply by seeking Christ 

The light of the world 

I think we should look up

More often ,

And as we do we may see God .

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                              By Brock

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Help Me

Father melt my heart along 

With my fears and anger .

Show me what is good .

You tell me that you can forgive 

And heal me .

Lord help me grow into the person

That you know I can become .

Help me to follow you closely 

When I face rejection ,

help me find strength in the knowledge 

That You are always with me .

Lord help me to see 

You as a priceless pearl 

Help me to reflect your love ,

Wisdom and order in my life .

Father help me to tune out the clamor 

Of barking dogs as I run in the early morning 

To just get away from everything 

So that I might see the vastness of Your kingdom 

And rejoice in your kingdom .

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                                                      By Brock

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Oh To Feel At Peace

I am amazed at the sincerity 

Of a little child's heart .

Oh the ability to simply trust God .

After he prayed he truly believes 

That God has listened to him

And would guard him .

As an adult I have often 

Recalled the moment when 

Fear and uncertainty cost me .

In those times ,

I remind myself to trust God 

With all my heart and to worry less .

Oh to believe that God watches 

Over me in every situation .

Over the years I have learned 

To let God take over 

When I can not control what I want .

When I do God grants me peace .

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                                 By Brock

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The Birds And Me

The sparrow finds a home ,

The swallow a nest for her young ,

The pheasant a nest in spring .

I come to your altar O Lord 

Of host , my king and my God .

Blessed are we who dwell 

In your house ,

For we are ever singing your prise .

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                                 By Brock

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Just As I Am

I know that my outgoing personality 

Gives me opportunities to initiate conversations .

Knowing who I am with God helps me 

To speak to others who feel rejected ,

For I know God is there for me .

At my age today ,

I have now more fully experienced 

Love from God .

The One  who accept me 

Just as I am 

What an encouragement 

To know that the Lord can be glorified 

Even when we are misunderstood 

And misjudged .

We all can come to God 

Just as we are today .

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                By Brock

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The Storm

A severe thunderstorm has blown 

through the area with vengeance ,

But now the sun is shone 

More radiantly than usual .

I felt as broken as the tree limbs 

I was collecting .

The weight of the world pressed on me 

Concerns over family health issues ,

Finances , fractured relationships .

I tried to banish these issues 

From my thoughts .

I try to focus on the blessings

I have received and for those 

Yet to come .

A joyful trill of birds filtered 

Through my disdurbed thoughts .

As I listen a male cardinal 

Landed on a limb directly above me .

He threw back his head 

And serenaded me with gusto

It is now a beautiful day for all .

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                            By Brock

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The Greatest Thing

You came when I called .

You tell me do not fear .

I believe you will hear 

Whatever I ask for in prayer .

I should be strong and courageous 

And not worry and do not be dismayed .

I believe the greatest thing 

I can do for me and God is to pray .

I believe I can do more than pray 

Until I have prayed .

I need to pray and take one day 

At a time and to thank God 

For what he has done for me .

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                         By Brock

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Jesus' Way

Because of the way Jesus lived 

He was able to build personal 

Relationships with many people .

He shared wisdom with tax collectors 

And fishermen , Jews and Gentiles , 

Men and women .

Today , when we show warmth 

To those around us 

We reflect the perfect type 

Of love that Jesus modeled .

My grandma and mom and dad

Taught me about Jesus 

And the  gift of His life 

As a human being .

Jesus modeled a way for us 

To live as friends and family 

Of all other humans 

And gives us hope that we 

Will one day see 

Both Jesus and our loved ones again .

                                      I Love You All

                                      By Brock

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No Matter What

Friends and family have foibles and flaws .

We can always hope in God's hope 

And trust in God's holy name .

No one and nothing can snatch away 

The protection we have in God 

Because God's presence depends not on others 

But on God .

On days when God's presence is harder to perceive 

By being  mindful that God's faithfulness 

To you does not depend on you .

It is about what you believe 

Or feel , see or sense .

Even when everything including God 

Feels uncertain ,

God is still with you providing care 

And guidance .

God is our help in times of our troubles 

And our shield of protection 

No matter what .

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                                            By Brock

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Burnout

Burnout begins with weariness .

Let us stop it from going further .

We serve others best 

When our lives include both worship

And rest .

We can beat burnout 

When the weary soul is renewed 

When it hopes in the Lord .

We need to rest in God 

Trusting Him to work 

Rather than pushing on in our 

Dwindling strength .

God renews us by satisfying 

Our desires with good things ,

While this includes forgiveness 

And redemption , provisions of joy 

And play comes from Him to .

When you reworked your schedule 

To include more prayer , rest 

And hobbies like making photos

Going fishing and hunting with your grandson,

Family and friends ..

You will begin to feel healthy again .

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                                           By Brock

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Sadness

I can not take away your sadness .

It is something that you have to work through 

In your own way .

At times like these ,

Nothing I say can make all the pain go away .

Sometimes just me being present 

As hard as that may seem

It is enough for you and for me .

I will offer my presence ,

My comfort and love .

Remember , God is always 

With you in your sadness and also your joy .

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                                               By Brock

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My Struggles

My struggles have shown me 

That I need to trust God's strength 

Because my own strength can fail me ,

But all along my Christian journey 

That God has picked up and mended my pieces .

I am a beautiful creation of broken pieces ,

Mended by God's love and grace .

Remember , at times we all feel unloved , dejected or lonely .

God is greater than our brokenness .

Broken lives and broken hopes are precious 

In the sight of God ,

Who can use every broken vessels 

To carry our great plans .

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                                       By Brock

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The Thunder

The thunder is the voice of the Lord 

That shakes the wilderness 

And flashes forth flames of fire .

The power is often followed

By a sense of calmness .

The storms of life can and do occur ,

The Lord will give strength to his people .

The Lord will bless his people with peace .

When these storms happen 

Figuratively or literally ,

We should pray to God for help 

And deliverance 

Even as we give thanks for God's power ,

Majesty and ultimate assurance of peace .

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                                         By Brock

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I Pray

I pray to You God 

Because You will help me  .

You will listen and answer  

My prayer 

When I cry out in the morning ,

Noon or night in my distress ,

I know the Lord hears my voice .

I lay my requests

Before him and wait expectancy 

Because I believe and trust thee

I know in the morning ,

Prayer is the key that opens to us 

The treasure of God's mercies 

And blessings in the evening .

It is the key that shuts us up 

Under His protection and safeguard 

So I will keep praying and crying .

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                                     By Brock

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We Are Infants

Sometimes we are like tiny infants  .

While in church we focus on the Lord .

When we pray , while reading the Bible 

Or when we meditate .

But when such activities cease ,

Our focus on the Lord is often 

Directed to other affairs .

We are not alone 

In concluding that God has stepped

Out of our lives 

Whenever we go in different directions 

And God would no longer be in control 

Of his life .

However this provided not to be true ,

And in the fullness of time 

We all indeed come face to face 

With God once again .

God is still there for us ,

Still interested in us 

Though we may have temporarily 

Lost interest in God .

God is always with us .

                                    I Love You All

                                    By Brock

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What Matters

Every day and night lives matters .

Caring for someone matters .

My life matters .

Your life matters to me .

When you are happy life matters .

When you are hurting 

Your life matters .

When you can not sleep

Your life matters .

Your tears matter .

Yes , black lives matter .

White lives matter .

Oh yes , the color 

Of your skin matters .

You matter to God .

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                    By Brock

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Your Reminders

We can always rejoice because

The everlasting love .

The Psalmist sang about 

Is the same continuing love 

Our all powerful creator 

And sustainer 

Pours into the lives of His children today .

No matter what we are facing ,

The One who made us 

And remains with us 

Strengthens us by asserting 

He loves us unconditionally 

And completely .

Remember to thank God 

For the countless reminders 

Of Your endless and life transforming love .

                                            I Love You All

                                            By Brock

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His Wisdom

God has wisdom and might .

He can counsel and understanding .

Wisdom is like honey for your life 

If you find wisdom 

Your future is bright .

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge 

And the ears of the wise seeks knowledge .

Remember , wisdom offers you a long life

With riches and honor ,

She will guide you down delightful paths .

We should thankfully confess 

Thy wisdom , trust and power and love .

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                                             By Brock

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Some Days

Somedays it takes everything 

I hope to lead with love .

Instead of with revenge or hatred 

Or bitterness .

Somedays I take a deep breath

To calm my spirit  .

Sometimes my inclination

Is not love ,

But I do want love 

To be my guide .

                         I Love You All

                         By Brock

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Temptation And Trials

We learn that temptation and trials 

We face do not have to be without purpose 

Or merely a treat we endure .

Although giving in to temptation 

Can bring heartbreak and devastation .

When we turn to God with humble hearts 

Seeking His wisdom and grace ,

We find He gives generously 

To all without finding fault  .

Through His power in us ,

Our trials and struggles to resist sin 

Build perseverance ,

So that we may be mature and complete ,

Not lacking anything .

As we trust in Jesus ,

There is no reason to live in fear .

As God's clearly loved children ,

We can find peace as we rest 

In His loving arms 

Even as we face temptation .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

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