A Quiet Place

The Bible records  that Jesus 

Often went off 

To a solitary place to pray .

Our Lord and Savior 

Took time alone 

To speak with God  .

That loving relationship 

Is open to me as well .

I realized that my devotional time 

Is not a routine 

That  I  must leave behind 

When I go on vacation .

It is a precious opportunity 

To thank God for all my blessings , 

Speak whatever burden 

Is on my heart ,

And I ask God for guidance every day .

                                           I Love You All

                                           By Brock

It Took Time

It took time ,

But I came to realize 

That though my prayers 

It did not reverse the outcome 

Of some situations in my life ,

My prayers did change me .

Prayers help me deal 

With the passing of loved ones 

And encouraged me to truly love 

Those who are here with me better.

Prayers  gave me the ability 

To open my heart 

And mind to more compassion 

And more hope 

And more happy possibilities 

Even after I cry .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock

Pray

Life is a mystery  .

You are in so much pain .

You may not be able

To do the things

You once did every day .

You can not talk 

You can not see 

What you once saw .

because of an illness .

You can not hear 

Like you did .

You can not do much 

Of anything  .

Do not be afraid .

 Remember 

You are never alone  

And no matter  what 

You can always pray 

With your mouth shut

Because  God hears everything .

There is no mystery in God 

So do not be afraid  to pray .

                      I Love You All

                         By Brock 

Time Of Uncertainty

We face uncertain times ,

We do not always receive 

All that we hope for .

Like all of us ,

By faith we possess a longing 

For a better country 

A heavenly one 

And God prepares the heavenly place 

Witch will ultimately satisfy 

All our longings .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock 

Friends

When God bring friends together ,

He always has something bigger in mind  .

It could be works of mercy ,

Service to the poor ,

An apostolate or vacation 

That will flow from the gift 

In His people  .

There is no telling what might ignite 

When interpersonal relationships

Are caught up in the flame 

Of the Spirit .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock

Each Person

Each person is distinctive and special .

Each of us has something special to offer ,

And each of us is missed

When our participation is absent  .

Our uniqueness means 

That we can offer something 

Fresh to our world .

What freshness is God calling us to bring 

To The lives  of those around us today ?

Could it be your special kindness?

Could it be your special smile ?

Could it be your special ability to listen ?

Could it be your special hug ?

Could it be your special touch 

That only you can give ?

Could it be your compassion? 

Could it be your special spirit 

That you share ?

Could it be that special love you give 

To the lonely and the sad 

With no questions asked ?

It could be that you always had

that special leap

Of faith  .

We should all give all that we have .

Let us all thank God today .

                         I Love You All

                        By Brock 

Complain

We complain and grumble .

We blame God for leaving us 

In the wilderness of our own sins .

God sends His only son to be the savior 

To the venomous poison of sin  .

Jesus bears our stubbornness 

And  grumblings , offering Himself 

For sinners .

He Himself is lifted up on the cross 

So must  the Son of Man 

Be lifted up 

That whoever believes in Him 

May have eternal life .

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock

Parents

Everyday parents lay down 

What they previously thought 

Of as living for their child ,

They take up the cross  at working ,

Putting food on the table

Their sleepless nights

Wisdom when the child

Does not want it .

Parents give up a lot of things .

It is in the sacrifice 

That parents 

Are gifted with the opportunities 

To know love and to grow with it 

And they love their child 

Then 

And love them in heaven today .

Remember  we want you

To always follow your heart

And your dreams always

Our child .

We will see you in heaven  .

We will always love you. .

                         I Love You All

                         By Brock

What If

When my what if questions become long 

And tiring ,

I begin to pray .

I do not want to dwell on those questions 

Which were not only  unanswerable 

But unhealthy 

And unhelpful .

As I began crying out to the Lord  for help ,

Suddenly I felt at peace  .

My heart felt the love of God 

And the love of my family .

Remember , God. hears our cry 

For help and  comforts us  .

When we pray ,

God will dwell us  closer  ,

Given us an awareness 

Of our  Creator’s love for us .

                                        I Love You All

                                         By Brock

My Prayer

When I did simply offer a few 

Quick prayers in the morning 

When I was young .

My prayers tended to skitter along 

The surface  like a flat pebble going

Across a lake .

However now that I am getting 

Older 

I spend my time in longer

Deeper prayer

I have become more eager

To reach out to God again .

Prayer then becomes a regular 

And meaningful part of my day . 

                             I Love You All

                             By Brock

We The People

We are people who worry ,

We are people who always 

Need to hold on to something  .

However if we live as though nothing 

Material was permanent 

We might find it may be easier

To hold everyone around us 

With compassion and hope

In our hearts  and gratitude .

Think about it ?

                         I Love You All

                          By Brock

Twinkle

A baby girl is born 

And she has a twinkle in her eyes .

When her dad picked her up 

For the first time 

Her twinkle in her eyes 

Hit her dad’s heart .

When the young girl got married ,

She showed her twinkle to her husband .

When she had her children  ,

And she became a grandma 

And got old ,

She always had a twinkle 

In her eyes for all her loved ones .

When ever she had trouble sleeping

She always had a twinkle in her eyes 

And love in her heart . 

                                    I Love You All

                                    By Brock

Trouble Seeing

So many people have trouble 

Seeing the Lord .

Maybe they are over come with worries

And doubts .

Perhaps they are beguiled 

By the world’s temptations  .

The question we must ask ourselves ,

Do they see Jesus in us ?

Do we who have been baptized 

In the Spirit live 

 As if we know and love Jesus ?

                                I Love You All

                                By Brock

Spiritual Energy

Our inner spiritual energy supplied

By the Holy Spirit 

Like wise can be diminished.

By the parasitic draw of distractions 

And Idols.

Difficult news , social media , pride ,

Grudges , greed , self sufficiency ,

Desire for recognition 

And success May all , 

That can steal our spiritual energy .

This can lead us away from our relationship 

With God ,

From fallowing Jesus 

And from serving others .

But prayer , praise and worship ,

Bible Study 

And fellowships with Christian Friends 

Restore our spiritual energy .

                                   I Love You All

                                    By Brock

I Believe

I believe in the mercy of God 

And I know that is never to late  

To make the best choice .

God gave me a king , his son 

To shepherd me .

Jesus placed the needs of others first 

And sent the Holy Spirit to be with me ,

To always help me to  love 

Serve and forgive one another .

I pray to choose to become 

A living example 

Of the Gospel 

In the world I pray .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

The Priorities Of Listening

A listening requires a shift in priorities 

It requires us to stop what we are doing ,

Turn in the  direction of the person 

Speaking 

And give them our full attention .

That is why prayer is more than just 

Our words .

Prayer is a frame of mind 

Oriented toward God .

It is enough silence and stillness

To rest our busy minds 

And better prepare ourselves to hear 

What God might be saying to us .

Remember ,

Prayer is placing ourselves 

In the best position possible 

To talk to God . 

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock

Hold Nothing Back

We want to pray ,

But it can be difficult .

Sometimes we bring our body to prayer 

While our mind stays busy elsewhere .

Or we bring our mind ,

But our heart stays away  .

We might be unaware of our hearts desires

Or feel unworthy to bring the deepest 

Part of ourselves to yGod  .

The saints tell us not to give up 

On prayer 

But keep bringing our bodies there ,

Even when that is all we can do  .

For in the end ,

The Lord wants all of us 

And will keep wooing us .

                     I Love You All

                     By Brock

Are You Sure

When we are not sure

Of where we are headed 

Or how God will lead us ,

We can choose to trust 

In Christ 

And focus on the illuminating grace 

Of his presence .

Christ’s light  can guide us 

Through the often tumultuous 

Waves of life .

                          I Love You All

                         By Brock

Oh To Reach Out

We are called to reach out to someone 

Who is like the bruised reed

Or the smoldering wick ,

Someone made especially vulnerable 

By illness or accident 

Or aging or diminishment 

Of any kind .

We are called to work to change 

The system and structures 

That leave out. Neighbors hungry 

Or homeless or oppressed .

                                I Love You You All

                                By Brock

We Ask God

We ask God to protect  

The hospitalized

Who are suffering 

And need healing .

We ask God to help those

Who are caring for them .

Tears filled my eyes .

Overcome with gratitude  ,

I feel peace filling my soul .

My loving Father has heard my cry 

And allowed someone else

To give voice to my need today .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

A Vessel Of Compassion

Sometimes I come to the point 

Where the only place left to go 

Is to go to my knees 

And cry out to forgive my transgressions 

And welcome me home 

Like the prodigal son  .

I spend my days trying to be the man 

God created me to be ,

Trying to use my experience 

And years of suffering 

To help others .

Today I take comfort in knowing 

That the Lord is using me 

As a vessel of compassion and love .

Today I allow God to use my life  ,

As an example of truth spiritual  

Transformation .

God will change me  with compassion  

For God has compassion to give

And to share anytime  .

                           I Love You All

                           By Brock

Action And Words

It is vitally important to know 

That we are loved. .

Especially to know 

We are loved by God. .

Sometimes I sit quietly outside 

And watch the clouds 

And birds go by 

With the Lord ,

I open my hands ,

And say ,

Jesus , I received your love .

Father , I received your love .

As I receive love from God ,

I open my heart 

To receive your love every day .

I can pass the love 

To others both through action

And words .

                             I Love You All

                             By Brock

Roadblocks

Life is full of roadblocks 

And we can become discouraged 

Thinking we have reached the end .

Remember God’s ways are different 

Than ours .

God’s perspective on our situation 

Is much different than our limited view .

We need to trust God’s perspective 

No matter the circumstances

And have hope that what seems 

Like an ending 

Might also be a beginning .

                               I Love You All

                              By Brock

Loss

We all experience  loss

Be it the life of a loved one ,

A broken heart ,

Or an unfulfilled dream .

Whatever we are going through  , 

God is aware of our situation .

Do not loss heart ,

For God is always with us .

In time , God will wipe our tears  ,

Open other doors for us

And bring new joy  to our lives.

Just as Jesus comforted the widower 

And brought him new joy and hope,

He will comfort us 

And offer us hope too .

                                I Love You All

                                By Brock

Angels Walk

It would be great to consider 

All people as God’s angels 

Who walk the earth .

And they have answered my calls

I have not walked alone .

As I write this 

Things are good  .

Not all days are easy 

But I know God’s angels 

Are always just around the corner 

Maybe with a smile  ,

A good morning ,a hug ,

I care , I love you  , a kiss ,

Or a delivery of food .

Angels walk the earth 

So watch for them .

               I Love You All

               By Brock

Words Carry Weight

Words carry weight  ,

How we use them deeply impacts 

The people around us  .

Oh to throw off bitterness ,

Rage and anger hurt  ,

Replacing them with speech 

That benefits and builds up others  .

Even when sharing different truths 

We can express ourselves 

With  appreciation , gratitude ,

 Friendship , compassion and love   

Each day brings opportunities 

To speak wholesome , helpful words 

To others  .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

A Wreck

No matter what we are going through ,

God hears our prayers  .

When we find ourselves  wrecked

By life’s troubles  ,

When we feel overwhelmed and hopeless,

We may not be able to hear God .

But God can and does hear us. .

God hears our cries of pain

And desperation 

And offers comfort and encouragement 

To help us endure  .

                                       I Love You All

                                       By Brock

A Wreck

No matter what we are going through ,

God hears our prayers  .

When we find ourselves  wrecked

By life’s troubles  ,

When we feel overwhelmed and hopeless,

We may not be able to hear God .

But God can and does hear us. .

God hears our cries of pain

And desperation 

And offers comfort and encouragement 

To help us endure  .

                                       I Love You All

                                       By Brock

God Does It

 

Life is like a maze .

Many times we ask God 

Why certain things happen to us .

We try to grasp difficult situations 

But are unable to understand them  .

We hurry here and there 

Looking for the right path .

Obstacles stop us in our tracks 

And we do not understand 

Why we must back track 

Or even face those obstacles 

In the first place  .

It becomes crucial to allow 

God to guide us 

Through the twisting 

And turning passage ways of life 

So that we can find the path

That will lead to the fullness of joy 

That only God can offer. 

                                         I Love You All

                                         By Brock

Writing

Writing is hard work sometimes  

It requires discipline and commitment ,

As well as a teachable spirit  ,

Rejection though discouraging ,

Are also a catalyst for continued learning 

And practice  .

So when discouragement threatens 

To derail my efforts it hurts me .

Why I write ?

It is an expression of my love for others 

And God .

Like when I call someone smiley 

It is never to hurt anyone 

Or when I give a hug 

It is my way of telling someone 

It will be OK  .

Whether or not my poems are published  ,

God is pleased with my efforts.

When God weaves within me

A divine purpose ,

God also equips me to persevere 

And so as my words flow on paper ,

I continue to answer God’s call .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

Honor God

Our prayers do not have to be 

Long and winded like me !

Short prayers throughout the day 

Strengthen our relationship with God. .

Remember smile rejoice away 

Pray without ceasing 

And give thanks in all circumstance .

This means not just praising 

God for the things

We are happy about  ,

But also for things that might 

Not give us joy  .

Rejoice , praising  , praying 

And thanking 

God are all ways we can include 

God in our day  

And I believe it is a wonderful way 

To Honor Gods .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

All Weekend

As we run , fished and hunted 

And swam ,

And enjoyed the outdoors ,

I could sense the fine detail

God has woven into creation .

I remembered how nature affects 

Our entire being and involves

All encompassing so that it 

Would command our attention .

The sun’s heat affects every 

Part of the earth 

As it circles the sky  ,

God’s love effects every part of us 

As we live every day 

In God’s presence  .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

Leading Today

The life  I am leading today 

Is a living witness to the words 

Of the psalmist ,

Though I walk through the valley 

Of the shadow of death ,

I will fear no evil 

For thou art with me  .

Through my experience  that day ,

I have seen the full promise 

Of the Lord who stayed with me 

All the time and walked with me 

Through the valley 

I thank the Lord 

For giving me new life .

I need to remember 

To always believe in hope

And that there is always a new day .

                             I Love You All

                            By Brock

The Birds

Seeing pheasants fly high today 

Reminds me of the time Jesus 

Was teaching us about worry .

He tells us that God takes care 

Of the birds in the sky 

And that we are more 

Important than the birds  .

As I pondered the scripture 

And its meaning ,

I began to appreciate somethings 

I had taken from granted  .

I felt God giving me much 

Needed inner strength .

I appreciate the quit message 

God did send to me 

In a time when I most needed it .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

God Is Kind

God is kind and helps us

With everyday situations 

Like lost household items .

But God is greatly concerned 

About people who are lost 

Those who have drifted away 

Or who have never been close 

To begin with .

God longs to bring all of us home 

And restore us .

When we have lost our way

In the struggles of life 

We can come to God

And pour our heart 

Out to our Father  .

God will always welcome us ,

Embrace us , love us 

And restore us .

                          I Love You All

                          By Brock

The Tunnel

While we travel in the tunnel of life 

There may be times when it is hard 

To see the light 

At the end because of all the twists 

And turns along the way .

But remember , Jesus has already 

Been through the tunnel 

Of sin , death and hell .

He has made a way 

Through it for us .

And He who is the light 

Of the world walks with us always. .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

Every Place Every Situation

The Lord wants to be close to us 

Through the work of the Holy Spirit ,

We can all be with Jesus

By simply opening the Bible 

And reading and praying God’s Word .

The Holy Spirit also brings us to Jesus 

In our Baptism 

And in Holy Communion 

As He forgives sins 

And strengthens faith  .

May we rejoice in the comfort 

That we are never alone ,

For Christ is with us. 

In every place and situation. 

                        I Love You All

                        By Brock

The Darkness

Out of the darkness of this world 

We are called to walk by faith 

As we face the uncertainty  of life .

We can be certain what God 

Has in store for us 

When someday our time 

Will be no more .

There will be a new heaven 

And a new earth ,

The resurrection of the body 

And life everlasting 

A new life with our Lord 

In everlasting glory 

God’s promises , found in His Word

Proceed us into this new world 

With new blessings yet to unfold .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

Without Him

Without Jesus , we know where  all the ways 

Of the world ultimately lead .

Deities of stone do us no good 

Addiction to drugs and other things 

In life leave us wanting more ,

Yet are never enough.  .

Human beings  have a way 

Of letting us down .

Man made philosophies 

Can not give us lasting answers .

Even if we could lump together 

Tre treasure of the world 

And give them to God ,

They would not put a dent 

In our debt of sin. 

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock

Easter Stone

Just as the Easter stone 

Could not hold 

Jesus in His grave so sin death 

And the work of the devil

Can not destroy us .

Our Baptism is our power source  .

Christ’s Word is our truth .

We are God’s beloved children ,

His precious loving stone ,

Is alive in Christ. .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock

The Morning Star

Jesus the bright morning star has come 

To make a bed in the chambers 

Of our hearts .

The light of Christ shone 

In the manger , on the cross, 

From the empty tomb 

Now it illumines our lives 

With Christ love  ,

Driving away the darkness

Of our fears and sins .

By faith , we believe that our Savior 

And our Lord our , our Immanuel ,

Our God , is with us forever .

This is the morning stat that rises  

In our hearts  and guides us 

Now and forever .

Thanks be to God .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock

Our Lives

We find that our lives are threatened 

By uncertainties .

God has a message of hope for us .

God lifts our hearts to remember 

That no matter what we see and experience ,

He still is in charge .

He is still reigning 

And His Word brings 

Hope for us all .

The good news is that God still calls 

Sinners to Himself .

Despite our sinful nature ,

God calls us into His kingdom  

And cleanses us .

God makes us His own .

He puts His seal on us .

                    I Love You All

                    By Brock

His Yoke

Jesus links us to what He has done 

And what He will do for us  .

He puts His yoke of peace ,

Comfort and rest on us .

He connects us to the cross

And the empty tomb .

He shows us how death 

Has no power over us .

He takes us to the waters

Of Holy Baptism 

And lifts us up from the Holy Communion

Table ,

Strengthened and renewed 

For ministry and missions,

Together in His name .

                       I Love You All

                       By Brock

Our Sins

Like a master gardener removing 

Dead wood from a tree or a bush ,

Through the cross ,

Jesus prunes us to cast our sins 

On Him so that we may grow more 

Like Him every day .

From His tiny manger through

The means  of Grace  ,

He powers us to true servanthood ,

That we might blossom 

And grow in daily acts 

Of love , enabling us 

To bear fruit in His name . 

                          I Love You All

                          By Brock   

The Door

Only God the Father knows how long 

He will give us on this earth 

Or how many saints will be added 

To the kingdom of heaven .

Until then , we have a glorious mission 

To seek the lost and find other sheep

For the fold .

As God’s doorkeepers in the house 

Of the Lord .

Let us fling wide the portal 

Of our churches , our hearts  and lives  .

Remember , Jesus is knocking  .

He graciously invites us all .

The narrow door is open. .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

Time Card

If we were to hand God our time card  ,

He would see many failures  .

No matter where we start in our relationship  

With God ,

Whether in the first , third or ninth hour ,

We do not deserve God’s blessings  .

But there is something quite generous 

And graceful about God. .

He takes our time cards 

And tear them up .

He has mercy on us all  .

What God hands back to us 

Is something greater than a full day’s pay .

God gives our lives meaning ,

Now and for eternity .

                                     I Love You All

                                     By Brock

God Is Looking

God is looking for you  ,

Not to terrify you  ,

Not to burden you ,

But to bring you back to His side 

He is never ashamed 

To call you His child ,

No matter where He finds you .

He will never stop seeking you .

He rejoices when you return .

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock

Terrible Effect

 

The United States is a melting pot of people .

From different countries  , languages 

And beliefs who seek liberty. 

We are blessed with the freedom 

To worship freely 

And share our faith with others .

However , things like breakdown 

Of the family  ,

The disregard of the Ten Commandments , 

The lack of concern for the sanctity 

Of life 

And senseless killings 

Remind us that while there is much 

 Goodness about America ,

We can not hide our heads 

From sin’s terrible effects these days .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

The Crowds

The crowds of the world 

Seek to make things  right 

On their own .

Those efforts will fall short  .

But what Jesus will bring life 

And eternal health for our souls  .

He gives us our daily bread  .

Jesus feels us with Himself  .

The very bread of life 

Nourishes us in His Word 

And Sacraments. .

In Christ  we will never 

Hunger or thirst again. .

                     I Love You All

                     By Brock

His Place

God’s love is open to all .

His Church the assembly of believers 

Around Word and Sacrament 

Is the place for forgiven sinners  .

In His Church , we have Jesus’ assurance  

That nothing can separate us from Him .

In His Church we have the Father’s 

Overwhelming love  .

In His Church , we have that precious 

Communion with Him 

And with one another  .

Jesus is in our midst  ,

As He has promised to be 

Providing gracious gifts

To all who believe  .

                                I Love You All

                                By Brock

I Promise

 

God makes His new creation 

Through His son .

He makes us holy Himself .

We do not obey God’s commands

In order to be saved .

We obey because we are already saved .

A holy life of good works is a testimony 

Of the grace of God that we live in .

Remember the Gospel enables 

God’s eternal will for creation 

To happen again .

God Himself empowers us to join Him 

With these words ,

The Lord is my portion

I promise to keep Your words 

                             I Love You All

                             By Brock 

When Questions Arise

When questions arise in our mind 

As we face illnesses , grief , pressures 

At work or school 

Or when the world seems  upside down  ,

May the Lord help us 

To be still , look only to God’s Word 

And know that our triune God 

Is in control.

For God helps us free from every need 

And holds the field forever .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

Terrible Effect

The United States is a melting pot of people .

From different countries  , languages 

And beliefs who seek liberty. 

We are blessed with the freedom 

To worship freely 

And share our faith with others .

However , things like breakdown 

Of the family  ,

The disregard of the Ten Commandments , 

The lack of concern for the sanctity 

Of life 

And senseless killings 

Remind us that while there is much 

 Goodness about America ,

We can not hide our heads 

From sin’s terrible effects these days .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

Sinners

As sinners living in a sinful world .

We might think God’s design is unrealistic  

Or out of touch .

But Jesus lived among us ,

Holding before us God’s design .

God designed marriage to be a picture 

Of the inseparable and indivisible

Union between Christ and His church .

He washed and cleanses us 

With His pure blood so that we may be

And remain righteous 

And holy in His sight .

                   I Love You All

                   By Brock

Holy Ground

The next time you go to church 

Or make the time for personal devotion 

Around God’s word ,

Think about it as being in God’s presence 

A place of holy ground .

Because of Jesus ,

You can take your sandals off 

In repentance 

And faith 

And come before Him in reverence 

As one who has been called by the Lord  .

Today Jesus is with us .

Because  He is with us  ,

We will indeed be on holy ground .

                           I Love You All

                           By Brock

Unworthy

You may feel unworthy .

You may feel to small and insignificant  .

You may think of yourself 

As a run down rickety 

Old shack .

But God sees something different .

He sees a beautiful gleaming 

Glorious dwelling place 

For his Son .

And he loves what he sees .

                       I Love You All

                       By Brock

Served By Christ

Having been served by Christ ,

We take up our towels 

Wash one another’s  feet ,

Dry one another’s tears ,

Hold the hand of the grieving ,

Fold our hands in prayer 

For one another ,

Take food to the hungry 

And tell someone else 

Of the precious story of Jesus 

And His love .

Help us to follow your example .

                               I Love You All

                               By Brock

God’s Wisdom

God’s wisdom is not a book ,

A philosophy not even a management  style .

It is a person Jesus himself .

He sees the crowds in your life 

And his heart is always filled 

With compassion for you .

He knows the challenges 

You are facing 

And he is always ready 

To help you and guide you .

                       I Love You All

                       By Brock

Your Love Will Flow

Your Baptism makes you a tassel

Of Jesus’ clock to the people around you .

Your words , your touch , your smile ,

Your patience , your hugs , 

your compassion 

Everything about you can introduce 

People to life changing encounters 

With the Lord .

Not because you are special 

In and of yourself ,

But because of your relationship with Jesus .

The closer you are to him ,

The more readily his life 

And his love 

Will flow out of you .

                         I Love You All

                         By Brock

Go To God

Praying may seem to be the least 

We can do .

But it is also the most we can do .

And there is no limit 

To what God can do .

Each need that arises 

Gives us a chance 

To practice 

Going to the Lord first  .

So let us resolve to involve 

Him sooner rather than later

And to seek his help

With every step of the way .

                               I Love You All

                               By Brock

Focus

To often we are so focused

On worldly cares 

That we forget that even in the midst 

Of the storms .

Jesus is still the bright star  .

It is good to remember that clouds 

Can not stop the light of the sun .

They can only obscure it for a while .

In about the same way ,

Christ never leaves us  .

He is with us through it all ,

Ordering our days 

And preparing straight paths 

When the clouds do lift .

                     I Love You All 

                    By Brock

When We Choose

When we choose trust rather than worry ,

Our days will be marked by confidence ,

Assurance and strength .

The important tasks will be done 

And we will finish the day satisfied  .

We will be able to lay our heads 

On our pillow and sleep in peace .

With the help of God’s word ,

Let us frame our days 

Not with worry 

But with peace .

                          I Love You All

                          By Brock

Be Open

When we pray  ,

We should be open to the gifts 

That God has for us in the present  .

Every good and perfect gift is from above ,

Coming down from the  Father 

Of the heavenly lights  .

God has a variety of gifts and blessings 

To offer 

And each one may be different 

Than the last .

We can anticipate them all 

With the excitement of joy of a child .

                                    I Love You All

                                    By Brock

Heal Me

We often think that Lent is a time 

When we do things for God .

But it is also time when God 

Wants to do things for us .

So ask Him to help you put away 

Unkind remarks and reactions  .

If and when you slip up , 

Think about what may have caused

You to act in that way 

Then ask Jesus to heal you 

And trust that he can,

Jesus  heal my heart 

So that I speak only 

Words of love , encouragement 

And caring and mercy I pray .

                         I Love You All

                         By Brock

Eternal Beacon

I have a life with Christ 

At times I am calm ,

with my green tea .

At times I feel storm tossed .

I have walked bravely 

Along a narrow path at times .

Jesus is my eternal beacon ,

If I listen carefully 

I can hear His voice 

Calming the waters 

And bidding me 

To keep the faith ,

Knowing that behind me 

Is the solid ground of forgiveness ,

Power and love .

A head of me unseen and awesome 

But certain lies eternity with Christ .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock 

The Story

Now in Christ ,our Sabbaths ,

Are filled with rest 

Yes rest in God’s Word and promises 

Christ , rest in the grave

Also hallowed  the graves 

Of all who belong to Him. 

And just as surely as He rose

From the dead

Following His rest ,

So shall we rise from the dead

Following our rest 

In our graves to live with Christ 

Forever on the Last Day .

This truly will be 

The rest of the story !

                    I Love You All 

                    By Brock

A Great Comfort

What a great comfort it is 

That Jesus’ word never passes away .

Change , corruption and decay 

Surround us and  assail us ,

But God’s promise of His love 

For us that nothing can destroy 

Supports and strengthen us .

God shows His love for us 

In giving us His only begotten son .

 Jesus won forgiveness of all our sins 

And make us heirs of eternal life .

We have His Word for it ,

A Word that will never pass away .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

Graciously Lord

Lord graciously blots 

Our bitter tears

From our eyes.

He forgives our failings ,

Heals our broken hearts ,

Comforts us in sorrow 

And gives us a new beginning .

With Christ we are given new hope .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock 

 

Thank You God

These are familiar aims .

They occurs not only at Thanksgiving 

But also in every Divine Service .

There , not only do we confess our sins ,

Import God’s forgiveness and mercy ,

And thank Him for His manifold blessings ,

But we also receive the riches of His grace 

That He lavishly and generously 

Pours out in Christ in Word and Sacrament .

He forgives our sins , strengthens us 

In faith 

And love and feeds us to life eternal .

We thank Him for these gifts 

In the Great Thanksgiving ,

Then joyfully receive 

Them anew in the Holy Eucharist .

Thanks be to God .

                                  I Love You All

                                  By Brock

Notions

How many of the notions  

we have about Christ are off target  ?

How many are driven 

By our thought and desired .

Rather than by what God has said 

And done ?

We and the world around us 

Need the Christ that Jesus is .

We need a Savior who suffers 

And died in our place ,

Bearing our sin and inquiry

And freeing us from guilt and condemnation .

He bore the punishment we deserved 

For our sin in order to free us 

From the curse of sin 

And to grant us forgiveness

And His name .

This is the Christ Jesus 

Came to be for us .

                           I Love You All

                           By Brock

Entitlement

We live in an age of entitlement .

People think they deserve to have everything 

They want ,

Even from God .

But before God , we deserve nothing 

But punishment .

Before Him , our only plea can be based 

Not on our merits , grace and mercy .

Like puppies under the table 

We hope for crumbs .

Yet in His mercy .

God sets before us the lavish 

Riches of His grace ,

Seating us at the marriage feast 

Of the lamb in His kingdom .

                           I Love You All

                           By Brock

From Christ To Us

In order to thrive and bear fruit  ,

Climbing plants depend on 

Strong central vine 

And require occasional pruning .

Jesus is our true vine 

And when we remain  connected to him ,

We can bear much fruit .

All we need to do is receive 

And rest in Jesus’ love .

Just as a plants nutrients flow 

From the vine to its branches ,

God’s divine love flows 

From Christ to us .

                  I Love You All

                  By Brock

He Comforts Us

God longs to comfort us .

In our most difficult moments ,

God whispers words of peace ,

Love , comfort and encouragement 

To our souls .

When I was deeply distressed ,

God brought comfort to my heart ,

Heard my prayers ,

And gave my parents strength to help me  .

Our good God desires our well being 

And is ready 

To extend comfort and peace anytime .

                                      I Love You All

                                      By Brock

With Our Words

With the words , we encourage 

And uplift those around us ,

Tell people we love them ,

And sing praise to God .

We also might complain  

About those who wrong us ,

Insult those we dislike ,

Gossip about others behind their backs 

And more .

We build up ,

But we also tear down 

As James points out .

This is wrong .

All people on earth are loved by God .

Why would we want to affect anyone 

With our words.

But thanks be to God .

He teaches us 

What to say to others ,

How to speak words of life 

Even to people we rather steer clear of .

He has the words of eternal life .

He also shows us how to forgive 

And love others .

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock

Work For The Lord

We are encouraged to work 

At whatever we do 

With our entire hearts ,

As if working for the Lord .

No job God has placed us in is unimportant .

When we commit whatever we do for God ,

Working willingly with everything we have ,

We honor God .

Whether we are working as a CEO ,

Custodian , teacher , secretary 

Or a stay at home parent ,

God can help us to bear fruit 

For the kingdom .

No job is small or insignificant 

Because  we work for God 

                         I Love You All

                         By Brock

When I Am Stuck

When I seem to be stuck 

In a barren situation ,

God is able to make water spring up 

And bring me renewed life .

Often times when we feel like 

We are dwelling in a desert

Our needs over whelm us .

When our work seems not to be 

Yielding anything good ,unfruitful 

But God is able and willing 

To cause waters to flow 

In the midst of our desert 

To give life , fruitful and productivity 

Even where there seems to be no hope .

So let us be encouraged 

By our powerful and loving God .

                                   I Love You All

                                   By Brock

I Raced

I raced through the store 

And found myself behind 

The same man in the checkout lane .

He turned smiled and began

Emptying my cart for me 

While the cashier scanned his items .

I stood amazed

I returned the smile and thanked him 

For both good deeds .

He shrugged and said ,

It does not cost anything 

To be nice .

I cringed and felt my face 

Go red as I remember Jesus 

Command , just as I have loved you  ,

You also should love one another 

I realized I was angry 

Over something trivial 

And a sudden rush at gratitude 

Swept over me .

I am thankful for the man 

Whose acts of kindness

Had an impact on my attitude .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

I Wonder

I wonder if God ever tires

Of my many request .

In the Bible there are numerous passage .

My prayers tell God of my true 

And abiding faith in God’s grace .

Paul said  it well in his letter 

To the Philippians .

Do not worry about anything ,

But in every thing by prayer 

And supplication 

With thanksgiving .

Let your request be known to God. 

That is what I am doing today .

God is love 

And I am most thankful 

For that and for God’s listening ear .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock

At The End Of The Day

I choose to begin and end my day 

In prayerful reflection ,

Paying attention to the goodness

Of God that surrounds me .

I review the day with gratitude

Even the parts that were difficult 

And deliberately name the joys .

When I choose to rejoice ,

Pray and give thanks ,

I can see beyond my circumstances 

And my heart is oriented 

Toward God’s purpose .

                      I Love You All

                      By Brock

God Does It

Life is like a maze .

Many times we ask God

Why certain things happen to us .

We try to grasp difficult situations 

But are unable to understand them .

We hurry here and there 

Looking for the right path .

Obstacles stop us in our tracks 

And we do not understand 

Why we must back track 

Or even face those obstacles 

In the first place .

It becomes crucial to allow God to guide us 

Through the twisting 

And turning passageways of life 

So that we can find the path 

That will lead to the fullness of joy 

That only God can offer .

                              I Love You All

                              By Brock

A Beautiful Tree

I want to be like a beautiful tree

When I am faced with hardship

I want to trust in God my Creator .

God has made good plans for us 

And can turn our struggles 

Into blessings if we persevere .

When hard times attack me 

I want to be strong enough 

To say to them  ,

You are helpless against me 

Because God made me 

 And I can overcome anything 

Through God’s power .

With this faith I can stand tall

Like the stead fast  green tree

In my front yard today .

                                I Love You All

                                By Brock

That Night

That night , I decided to pray again .

I did not ask for anything .

I gave thanks for all that I had .

And I felt blessed by everything 

On my list .

After this prayer of gratitude 

I had in my heart 

It was the beginning 

And looked hopeless 

In that bleak situation ,

God spoke light 

With that light came hope ,

God kept speaking ,

Forming the sky , sea and land  .

What God wants for the future ,

Day after day ,

God spoke into being 

Until it was all good ,

God spoke .

                       I Love You All

                       By Brock 

An Aging Body

 

An aging body is an amazing gift from God .

What if the drawbacks of aging 

Are actually tremendous blessings ?

What if our ailments are God’s way

Of slowly gently and lovingly 

Preparing us for eternity ?

Maybe our physical weakening 

Can lead to our spiritual strengthening .

Maybe this is God’s way of whispering 

Something incredibly joyful in our ears .

You are getting closer to me .

God may be saying 

Closer to my unconditional love .

Closer to being able to run 

And not grow weary .

Closer to being delivered 

From this mortal body .

                   I Love You All

                   By Brock

It Is Amazing

It is amazing what we do 

When we are in denial .

Nothing like problem avoidance 

To move us in the wrong direction .

What might we be avoiding today ?

Making a tough decision

Or scheduling an overdue 

Doctor’s appointment ?

Healing a rift with a loved one 

Or sharing difficult  news ?

What ever it is , rise up 

And call upon the Lord .

He will guide us through it .

                     I Love You All

                     By Brock

Knowledge

For information to become knowledge ,

It must be both retained 

And put into practice  . 

Otherwise  it is just information 

Replaced soon with other new information .

Spiritual knowledge is no different .

We can not just passively hear Scripture 

At mass 

Or read a passage in a morning devotion 

And move on .

That is the equivalent of chewing food 

And spitting it out .

You must swallow it 

And digest it 

To receive any nourishment .

Think about it and eat it 

And keep it all inside .

                   I Love You All

                   By Brock

Be Persistent

Let us recall that only truth is real 

And only Christ is the truth .

The truth he shares with us 

Is that we need to persist 

In prayer and in our relationship 

With God yes we must have faith .

We can knock on the Lord’s door 

At all hours he insists .

We can ask for everything we need .

Seek him and never give up .

The answer to our longing 

Is already given 

And it will not be taken away 

From us .

                     I Love You All 

                    By Brock

By Grace

By the grace of Jesus ,

You are more than His servant .

He has also called you His friend .

He wants to spend time with you .

He wants to be Involved in your life .

You can come before Him .

With whatever is in your heart  .

You will find no better listener .

He rejoices when you rejoice 

And He is patient with you 

When you fail Him .

It is this same tender love Jesus    shows  us 

That He desires us to share with others

And because of Him , we can  .

                                       I Love You All

                                      By Brock

Our Greatest Treasure

Jesus did suffer many things for us .

Jesus justified by His grace 

As a gift ,

Through the redemption that is in Christ 

Jesus .

He took our place before God 

As the sacrifice that would forever free us 

From our sins .

He became a man of sorrow 

And grief for us 

So we would have peace 

And new life in Him .

He is glad to have done this for us .

This undeserved grace is our

Greatest treasure .

       I Love You All                     

    By Brock  

Love

Let us adopt God’s love .

Let us cut through the  discord ,

Evil and wickedness of our world 

So we will go straight into the hearts .

Then may we be the ones

Who help put love back into those hearts 

So that they expand 

And grow for God’s glory .

                     I Love You All

                     By Brock

An Appointment

As the Great Dr Jesus Himself 

Is the only cure for our sinful condition 

And that means  we always need Him ,

The forgiveness He pronounces ,

The grace He offers .

But Jesus does not wait for us

To schedule an appointment  .

He does make house calls .

Jesus meets us where we are 

Broken by our sins 

And He abides with us .

He is pleased to dwell 

With those who are sick with sin .

                                I Love You All

                                By Brock

He Adores Us All

Praise God that no matter 

How many times we forget Him ,

He always remembers us .

More than that actually 

We are ever at the fore front 

Of His mind .

His thoughts about us 

Can not be measured 

They far exceed the number 

Of grains of sand in this earth .

The  Heavenly Father 

Has adored us for days without number .

He can not stop thinking about us all 

Or stop loving us all .

                                     I Love You All

                                    By Brock

We Wait

We wait for many things  .

A diagnosis , a job offer , a vacation ,

A promotion , retirement , a visitor

A smile and so much more .

Waiting in prayer is another form of waiting ,

One that calls for patience 

Because God’s timing does not always 

Coincide with ours .

It calls for trust that what we wait for

Will be worthwhile ,

It calls for hopeful expectation 

That the promise of the Holy One 

Will be fulfilled .

                                 I Love You All

                                 By Brock

A Work Of Art

Oh God , from the beginning of time ,

From our physical beginning to our end ,

Our lives are stretched out before Him .

He sees it all ,

The highs and lows ,

The good times and bad times ,

And it is a work of art ,

Made beautiful before God sees 

It through the lens 

Of the sacrifice of Christ .

We do not always 

 Know what is going on in our lives

Or why things happen to us .

But God does .

He is completing you 

As His master piece ,

A wounded of beauty with a smile .

I will speak for God today 

And say to you all

I love you 

And we all are God’s master piece 

Even if you do not believe it 

God does .

                            I Love You All

                            By Brock

Today

The fruit that Jesus ask for 

Is not worldly success .

It is not devoid of conflict and heartache .

Rather following in his footsteps ,

We are fruitful when we submit 

Ourselves to God’s will each day ,

No matter how difficult .

We are fruitful when we do our best

To love 

Others even when that love 

Is not returned .

These are the fruit that Jesus  wants .

May we bear such fruit in abundance 

Today and always  .

                                     I Love You All 

                                     By Brock