GOD IS NEAR
When the bell tolls.
For you and me.
It tolls for all,
Who hear.
The time has come,
At church to be.
Each peal says,
God is near.
When the bell tolls.
For you and me.
It tolls for all,
Who hear.
The time has come,
At church to be.
Each peal says,
God is near.
THE CANDLE
The flame of the candle
Leaps high and bright,
Ethereal vapors
Surrounding its sight.
Above the wick rises,
Strong, the flame,
Arched in white heat,
Fencing, not without aim.
The flame’s tongue devours
Candle and wick,
Away they melt quickly,
Under its lick.
But the flame does its work,
In a most positive way,
And is not discouraged,
When put out at the close of day.
Eager to work,
It begins anew when lit,
Its profit is light,
For our keen benefit.
Flame is fast moving,
And stings to the touch,
But the candle right handled,
Has helped us much.
The candlelight dances,
Shadowing my bedchamber’s length,
While I on my knees pray,
Asking God for his strength.
A WALK
I’m out for a walk on a winter’s day,
All of my thoughts behind me I lay,
Not yet has the snow fallen on the ground,
Delighted I am, just to look around.
How many times have I walked in this way,
To come near the water and woods to stay,
And always with the same idea in view:
To deny self and spirit to renew.
By denying self we’re given a chance,
To gain in sight and insight to enhance.
From all of my walks, I expect one thing:
My freedom to gain from life’s common sting.
Say to your heart every day that you live,
Today is the best that God has to give.
See with your spirit and listen with your heart,
If you’ve learned nothing else, that’s a good start.
Come along with me now, and join in on this talk,
That’s what I like about taking a walk.
I’m out for a walk on a winter’s day,
All of my thoughts behind me I lay,
Not yet has the snow fallen on the ground,
Delighted I am, just to look around.
How many times have I walked in this way,
To come near the water and woods to stay,
And always with the same idea in view:
To deny self and spirit to renew.
By denying self we’re given a chance,
To gain in sight and insight to enhance.
From all of my walks, I expect one thing:
My freedom to gain from life’s common sting.
Say to your heart every day that you live,
Today is the best that God has to give.
See with your spirit and listen with your heart,
If you’ve learned nothing else, that’s a good start.
Come along with me now, and join in on this talk,
That’s what I like about taking a walk.
A SLOWER WAY
I yearn for a slower way
Of life to spend,
Of time with my books,
My way to wend.
Of thoughts to think,
When taking my ease,
Of paths through the woods,
To walk as I please.
I think of the trees,
As I pass by,
The wondrous variety,
To instruct the eye.
I don’t expect much,
Being slow of thought,
But to thank God for being here,
I think I ought.
I yearn for a slower way
Of life to spend,
Of time with my books,
My way to wend.
Of thoughts to think,
When taking my ease,
Of paths through the woods,
To walk as I please.
I think of the trees,
As I pass by,
The wondrous variety,
To instruct the eye.
I don’t expect much,
Being slow of thought,
But to thank God for being here,
I think I ought.
ON OUR HOMECOMING
When we get to heaven,
I think we’ll see,
Some familiar faces,
You and me
Not everyone we’ve known,
Will be up there.
There’ll be some surprises,
I’m sure, for fair.
But when you see that person,
You haven’t seen since, when?
Pure hearts will flow with joy,
Known only to you, then.
THE GOLDEN KEY TO LIFE
A fervent prayer upbound from me,
For heaven’s eyes to readily see,
God’s salvation is the golden key,
For self, for soul, for life, for thee.
Thy royal visage showing pure,
Comes now hourly to visit me.
Thy image strongly founded, sure,
Now my mind doth clearly see.
Sometimes God’s richest blessings,
We are prevented from receiving.
Perhaps it’s our brand of faith,
That bluffs us into misbelieving.
Let’s look to Him for guidance,
In what we choose to love,
In hallowed principles, unchanging,
From the Word of Life above.
It’s better to be together,
Than it is to be apart,
Together in the spirit,
As well as in the heart.
My lasting hope for thee,
In the future days and hours,
Is for thy heart overflowing,
With joy’s fairest flowers.
Strangely now thou flowest,
Through my daily thought,
Riding high and center in
My battles daily fought.
My prayer, when thou art tired,
Used up, spent out, old,
Thou shalt come through life’s fire,
As the finest, purest, gold.
When we get to heaven,
I think we’ll see,
Some familiar faces,
You and me
Not everyone we’ve known,
Will be up there.
There’ll be some surprises,
I’m sure, for fair.
But when you see that person,
You haven’t seen since, when?
Pure hearts will flow with joy,
Known only to you, then.
THE GOLDEN KEY TO LIFE
A fervent prayer upbound from me,
For heaven’s eyes to readily see,
God’s salvation is the golden key,
For self, for soul, for life, for thee.
Thy royal visage showing pure,
Comes now hourly to visit me.
Thy image strongly founded, sure,
Now my mind doth clearly see.
Sometimes God’s richest blessings,
We are prevented from receiving.
Perhaps it’s our brand of faith,
That bluffs us into misbelieving.
Let’s look to Him for guidance,
In what we choose to love,
In hallowed principles, unchanging,
From the Word of Life above.
It’s better to be together,
Than it is to be apart,
Together in the spirit,
As well as in the heart.
My lasting hope for thee,
In the future days and hours,
Is for thy heart overflowing,
With joy’s fairest flowers.
Strangely now thou flowest,
Through my daily thought,
Riding high and center in
My battles daily fought.
My prayer, when thou art tired,
Used up, spent out, old,
Thou shalt come through life’s fire,
As the finest, purest, gold.
MY BREATH IS IN YOUR HAND
Full many a time I’ve come to You in the past,
For this one more chance, my thanks to You Lord now at last.
Each time I have promised You that I would not forget.
From my soul each prayer, with answers needed, You have met.
But every time an answer, as soon as I received,
The request that I in desperate need of believed,
I have then gone off with careless airs, and soon forgot,
The more than terrible position of my hopeless lot.
Have I not promised You almost everything and a day?
Oh grant Thou me my most instant need, do I now pray.
And then thankful for Your answer, I run with sheer delight,
My promises I heed not, forgetful of my plight.
Not this time Father, this time I will not forget,
I remember each request with faithfulness You’ve met.
I exalt You for Your faithfulness and all of Your love,
You’ve never, ever failed me, my help comes from above.
I ask You forevermore, to daily guide my life.
From now on, I’m wholly Thine, in thick, in thin, in strife.
I can’t forget what You’ve done, my breath is in Your Hand.
My compass and my charts I’ve set, for Your Holy Land.
SIN COMES LAPPING
Sin comes lapping, tapping, knocking,
Brightly, lightly, muted, faintly,
Not as sin but as suggestion, mocking
Softly, with things unsaintly.
Beating, repeating, entreating entrance,
Tolling, lulling, cajoling, imploring,
Dulling awareness and inducing a trance.
Rapping, sapping, trapping and drawing,
The soul is captured and enraptured as
The fish by the worm on the hook is baited. Biting
Into our passion, we are wholly enchanted. Sin has
Lit a fire of hot desire, burning brightly, hearts delighting.
Minds a’craven, eyes a’blazin, adinfinitum, give me more!
Taken, shaken, false from the start, not by any truthful meanings!
Now comes the silken fantasy that we prayed and paid for,
And in the end, death, sin’s net net gleanings.
Full many a time I’ve come to You in the past,
For this one more chance, my thanks to You Lord now at last.
Each time I have promised You that I would not forget.
From my soul each prayer, with answers needed, You have met.
But every time an answer, as soon as I received,
The request that I in desperate need of believed,
I have then gone off with careless airs, and soon forgot,
The more than terrible position of my hopeless lot.
Have I not promised You almost everything and a day?
Oh grant Thou me my most instant need, do I now pray.
And then thankful for Your answer, I run with sheer delight,
My promises I heed not, forgetful of my plight.
Not this time Father, this time I will not forget,
I remember each request with faithfulness You’ve met.
I exalt You for Your faithfulness and all of Your love,
You’ve never, ever failed me, my help comes from above.
I ask You forevermore, to daily guide my life.
From now on, I’m wholly Thine, in thick, in thin, in strife.
I can’t forget what You’ve done, my breath is in Your Hand.
My compass and my charts I’ve set, for Your Holy Land.
SIN COMES LAPPING
Sin comes lapping, tapping, knocking,
Brightly, lightly, muted, faintly,
Not as sin but as suggestion, mocking
Softly, with things unsaintly.
Beating, repeating, entreating entrance,
Tolling, lulling, cajoling, imploring,
Dulling awareness and inducing a trance.
Rapping, sapping, trapping and drawing,
The soul is captured and enraptured as
The fish by the worm on the hook is baited. Biting
Into our passion, we are wholly enchanted. Sin has
Lit a fire of hot desire, burning brightly, hearts delighting.
Minds a’craven, eyes a’blazin, adinfinitum, give me more!
Taken, shaken, false from the start, not by any truthful meanings!
Now comes the silken fantasy that we prayed and paid for,
And in the end, death, sin’s net net gleanings.
READ AND PRAY
Why do you rush forward to meet the day,
Without reading the Bible this beautiful morn?
Can you tell me why you will not stop to pray?
Won’t you for a little while with God stay?
THE DESIRE OF ALL AGES
We’ve worked for years, our mouths to feed,
Nothing left now of our life to show,
And prayed in tears, our God to heed,
Spirit sick, so wounded and low.
Our body and soul all wracked in pain,
Soon life will itself, begin to aright,
But now all is naught, all is vain,
Look to His Word for salvation and light.
Read to live in the Book of Life’s pages,
And learn from Wisdom what truth’s all about,
Hear now the Desire of All Ages,
Of the Word’s inerrancy, do not doubt.
God’s will is perfect, our will is not,
Let His will be yours, perfection’s begot.
THE BIBLE
The Bible is my closest friend,
To me it doth its wisdom lend.
The Word has charged my soul with life,
Its course avoids all worldly strife.
Why do you rush forward to meet the day,
Without reading the Bible this beautiful morn?
Can you tell me why you will not stop to pray?
Won’t you for a little while with God stay?
THE DESIRE OF ALL AGES
We’ve worked for years, our mouths to feed,
Nothing left now of our life to show,
And prayed in tears, our God to heed,
Spirit sick, so wounded and low.
Our body and soul all wracked in pain,
Soon life will itself, begin to aright,
But now all is naught, all is vain,
Look to His Word for salvation and light.
Read to live in the Book of Life’s pages,
And learn from Wisdom what truth’s all about,
Hear now the Desire of All Ages,
Of the Word’s inerrancy, do not doubt.
God’s will is perfect, our will is not,
Let His will be yours, perfection’s begot.
THE BIBLE
The Bible is my closest friend,
To me it doth its wisdom lend.
The Word has charged my soul with life,
Its course avoids all worldly strife.
THE PUDDLE CLEAR
I’m looking in the puddle clear,
The image of a cloud draws near.
The wind is up, the air is cool,
The clouds look like they’ve turned to wool.
I’m grateful God, that I can walk,
And through the Bible hear you talk.
All is colored for us to see,
It’s better to have variety.
The sun is warm, I feel its heat,
To walk today, a joy, a treat.
A walk is free, it’s full of health,
If one can walk, he’s filled with wealth.
“What kind of wealth is this?” you say.
God’s gifts are free. Use them today.
Talk when you walk, troubles will flee.
Freed at last, at last I’m free.
A LITTLE JOURNEY
This walk I take is not too long,
My load is light, my legs are strong.
The night is clear, the moonbeams wax,
Across the brook and railway tracks.
Sometimes I look up in the sky
And ask of God for his reply.
His answers masked in subtleties,
Yet just as plain as evening’s breeze.
I sing a song that’s in my heart,
That’s reassuring from the start.
We’re not here without good reason,
God is grooming us each season.
Is God not with us step by step?
Not once, his Word, has He not kept.
I see my house just ‘round the bend,
I’m home again, my journey’s end.
I’m looking in the puddle clear,
The image of a cloud draws near.
The wind is up, the air is cool,
The clouds look like they’ve turned to wool.
I’m grateful God, that I can walk,
And through the Bible hear you talk.
All is colored for us to see,
It’s better to have variety.
The sun is warm, I feel its heat,
To walk today, a joy, a treat.
A walk is free, it’s full of health,
If one can walk, he’s filled with wealth.
“What kind of wealth is this?” you say.
God’s gifts are free. Use them today.
Talk when you walk, troubles will flee.
Freed at last, at last I’m free.
A LITTLE JOURNEY
This walk I take is not too long,
My load is light, my legs are strong.
The night is clear, the moonbeams wax,
Across the brook and railway tracks.
Sometimes I look up in the sky
And ask of God for his reply.
His answers masked in subtleties,
Yet just as plain as evening’s breeze.
I sing a song that’s in my heart,
That’s reassuring from the start.
We’re not here without good reason,
God is grooming us each season.
Is God not with us step by step?
Not once, his Word, has He not kept.
I see my house just ‘round the bend,
I’m home again, my journey’s end.
THE ISLAND CHURCH
In Splendors Past, she sits awaiting,
Guarding dead in church yard sleeping.
Her dress and coat, clapboard framing,
Stormy weather, church bell ringing.
Down Ages Past, whilst wars a’raging,
Midst of Peace, most fragile being.
Lighthouse saving from shoal and shallow,
In all her days, GOD be hallowed.
In Splendors Past, she sits awaiting,
Guarding dead in church yard sleeping.
Her dress and coat, clapboard framing,
Stormy weather, church bell ringing.
Down Ages Past, whilst wars a’raging,
Midst of Peace, most fragile being.
Lighthouse saving from shoal and shallow,
In all her days, GOD be hallowed.
LISTEN
Father in Heaven,
Please speak to me.
My sin before thee,
Plain to see.
Silence, Silence, say the sounds,
Focus not where noise abounds.
Listen for the voice above.
Down comes wisdom, pure with love.
Father in Heaven,
Please speak to me.
My sin before thee,
Plain to see.
Silence, Silence, say the sounds,
Focus not where noise abounds.
Listen for the voice above.
Down comes wisdom, pure with love.