Mountain Reflections: Poems From My Heart

My newest book…

Writing prose and poetry has long been a rich place for me to mine for the truth of things and explore hidden depths of emotions. Inevitably, God teaches me as I hold up my thoughts in the light of His Word, the plumb line of truth…all things are measured by it.

Throughout my lifetime, coming to know God personally through His Word and His Holy Spirit teaching my spirit, I have come to know a Righteous God who is also a Loving Father. I see evidences of Him everywhere, from the microscopic to the vast wonders of nature. More importantly, He has given me His “peace that passes all understanding.” The peace of knowing His deep love for and acceptance of me…through Jesus’s propitiation for all the things that separated me from God, my sins.

Mountain Reflections: Poems From My Heart is a collection of poetry written over several years. It is an offering to the Father, a reflection back of things I have learned as my heart becomes more and more open to Him, and of the delights I see. I hope this book might bless you as you trek through this world, find awe in nature, and wrestle with internal mountains and valleys of your own. Perhaps we have traveled some of the same trails.

Here’s the book link:

https://a.co/d/9xDIYGC

God bless and keep you in every way!

Living Lights: Poems From The Heart

Love poetry? 

I’m excited to be included in this inspiring new anthology, Living Lights: Poems From The Heart, published by David Lee Martin. Take a look! 

https://a.co/d/2AXmjsf

Blessings! 💞

Pastoral Praise

Sun has wended cross the sky
Dipped below to mornings new
Before the moon and starry lights
Crested up into view
I saw through lowly window frame
A glorious pastoral sight

What’s so grand of porch light stream
On trees and leaves and darkened day
Stillness like a comforter
Pulling close the night our way
Nature holding breath it seems
Before the moonlight beams

‘Tis in these times of in between
Seconds till next breaths are taken
When stillness offers open
doors
Minute glimpses into heaven
And gives us pause at beauty rare
Streams of pastoral light

Oh, Abba Father, give us eyes
In the hubbub of our days
To see your presence everywhere
In loneliness or disarray
Light within our darknesses
And give back pastoral praise

With all nature’s beauty seen
That stirs our hearts to hope beyond
Come close, LORD, and whisper please
Let us hear Your welcome long
In the stillness and the breeze
Hear Your pastoral song

~~~

Thank You, LORD, for the beauty of Your love and grace. Open our eyes to see You, Jesus. To behold the glory of Your holiness. In Your name. Amen.

Job 19:26-27 NLT
“And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!
I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!”

Adrift in the Sea — “It’s OK”

What’s this lonely languishing 
As I drift on endless waves 
No port in sight 
No winging birds 
Just endless endless sea 

Beneath me churns those hidden things 
What might come to snatch me whole 
While sun beats hot 
And thunder booms 
And lightning strikes repeatedly 

Missing those who’ve turned away 
Rejecting still my poured out love 
Will I ever leave this place 
This sea of endless grief 
That wants to deaden me 

My raft is gone 
I feel alone 
Is nothing left to hold onto 
A test again of faith, dear LORD 
Help me to believe 

Reminders come that ocean waves 
Are part of God’s creation too 
Assuring me I’m still secure 
As I float precariously  
Bobbing, wondering listlessly 

Father God see me please 
Isolated in my grief 
Help me embrace 
Your suffering too  
The grief You’ve borne for me 

Let me not lose Your hand 
Knowing LORD, You’re holding mine 
And if I slip beneath the waves 
Even there You’re still with me        
Beyond the deepening deep 
 
~~~

Father, thank You for never leaving nor forsaking me even when my capricious feelings challenge Your truth. Thank You for the innumerable times You have saved and strengthened me, tangible reminders of Your presence and Love. No matter my loss, help me to respond in faith and trust. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

***
Addendum:
Later in the evening, the same  day I wrote this poem of lament, the LORD brought encouragement to me in a totally unexpected way. Dear husband forwarded several America’s Got Talent reels to me, and after the last was another: a choir from South Africa singing Nightbirde’s song, “It’s OK.” 

Intrigued with the story, and wondering about Nightbirde (Jane Kristen Marczewski, an AGT contestant who sang her original song, “It’s OK,” received a golden buzzer, had to later drop out of the contest as she battled cancer, then passed away not long after), I listened to her AGT audition as well as her funeral on YouTube, then looked up the lyrics of her song about it being ok to feel lost at times.  

Jane, a Christ-follower, and mentor to many young people, also said, “It's important that everyone knows I'm so much more than the bad things that happen to me...You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy.” 

Copy this into your browser to find the words and listen to her music: 
“It’s ok lyrics nightbirde” 

Thank You, LORD, for Jane’s honest sharing throughout her journey; for blessing us still with her joy, faith, and encouragement.

Magnolia’s Run: Walking Through Walls

Hi, friends! I’m excited to announce my new Teen and Young Adult novel, Magnolia’s Run: Walking Through Walls.

In 1952, nine-year-old Magnolia is abducted from her Idaho family and transported to Kentucky for purposes beyond her understanding. Desperately clinging to the hope of returning home, she faces years of entrapment before deciding to flee.

Magnolia’s Run is a story of abduction, physical and emotional abuse, hope, courage, forgiveness, and redemption.

– Will Magnolia ever regain the past freedoms of her happy farm life?

– How will she face betrayal and grief?

– How does she survive years of entrapment and hardship?

– What must she overcome to reconnect with her past?

– How will her choices affect those who have harmed her?

Come join Magnolia as she finds hope, faith, and courage to walk through walls.

Here’s the link for both print and e-book: https://a.co/d/adYFdmo

~~~

A little backstory: 

In 2021, Magnolia’s story began from a group prompt to write about “walls.” A week or so after that initial two page scene, God gave me an expanded version of the story. Now, three years later, I have been able to write those deeper, more emotional and difficult parts of Magnolia’s journey.

Opening myself to Magnolia’s confusion, hurts, and unending questions, I saw God helping her find courage, strength, and faith to walk through walls. Magnolia’s questions “Will I ever get out of here? Who will help me?” are deeply rooted questions most of us face, knowingly or unknowingly, in the midst of our own painful challenges. 

Several days after publishing Magnolia’s Run, God brought to my attention an easy-to-read nonfiction book about healing hurts God’s way: A Wound From My Father: Healing Childhood Trauma When You’re Still Hurting and Not Sure Why (Christian Counseling Series) by Dr. Rosnell Simmons.  Link: https://a.co/d/aBie1dD

Though written for women, its precepts apply to men’s hurting hearts, too. No matter how superficial or deep, intentional or unintentional, hurts a child receives (or perceives) from parents or others may fester a lifetime.

I hope Magnolia’s story (and Dr. Simmons’s book) will encourage readers to turn, again, to the One who is their Sure Rescue, no matter how impossible or foreboding their walls. 

All praise to LORD Jesus who bends down to us with unending Love. Who strengthens us to walk through walls. Who heals our hurts. Who has the power to make all things new!

God bless you, and all who are hurting.

Romans 15:13 NLT “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Isaiah 60:18 NKJV “Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.”

An Aspen Serenade

Look up look up 
The aspens bid 
Silent sentinels 
Waiting expectantly 
To quiver once more  
On unseen breeze
Abandoned unto joy
Tiny clapping cymbals
Hung on slender petioles
An airy symphony 

For whose ears
This silent tinkling 
For creatures here 
Or those with angel wings 
Is the breeze itself 
The wake of joyous cherubs 
Chasing amongst branches 
Tempests and raging wind 
Evidence of angels 
Battling principalities 

Is this leafy dance
Inspiration for human song
A quiet display
Of creation rejoicing 
Look up, my soul 
Let cobwebs sweep away
Please, leaves, quiver again
Tremble as the violin
Carry me to Heaven’s place 
Of endless glad refrain  

~~~

LORD, thank You for the beauty of Your creation. For evidences and reminders You are here. For the ceaseless praise lifted to You by bursting blooms and quivering leaves, branches reaching upwards to Your light. May my arms, my being, lift in praise, too, LORD. Thank you for the bounteous reminders to rejoice in You always. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Isaiah 55:11-12 NKJV
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth. It shall not return to Me void, but I shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 
For you shall out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

Relinquishing Self

Why does this irritating trait  
Rise within my soul 
Though crucified 
Through Christ’s blood  
Is self-love reigning in my heart
Hard to let me go

The warp and woof of daily things 
Interrupted by my thoughts 
Hasty words only bring
Correction when I ought 
To patiently forebear 
Quietly forebear

Irritants a crucible 
Reveals the stubborn dross 
A fire burning ugliness 
A holocaust for selfishness 
If Christ is LORD
Then I must 
Nail all me to His Cross 

LORD, help me please 
With contrite heart
Die to self-love’s plea 
Let others have their say
Conform me to Your grace
Let my heart bow humbly 
Give my all to Thee

~~~

LORD, forgive my wrongs. Help me forebear with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thank You for promising to produce these things in me as You sanctify my soul. Be a guard over my emotions, thoughts, and words, please. Let my self-love die and be replaced with Your divine love. Resurrect Yourself in me. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Galatians 5:24-26 NLT
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”

James 1:19 NLT
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”

When Stretched

Have you ever been to PT? Had strength training after an injury? Or, like my dear relative, experienced painful exercises after knee replacement surgery?

“I have a deep respect for those who have chronic pain,” my relative said to me…the exact words I confessed to my physical therapist a few days before.

What about chronic pain? Wounds refusing to heal? Things beyond our control that remind us we are not invincible?

Chronic pain, whether physical, mental, or spiritual, calls our attention deeper when doggy teeth, imbedded and clamped, refuse to let go. How do we wrestle with unrelenting relational pain, bodily injuries, aging, grief, and other challenges, past and present? I’m reminded of my least favorite PT stretches…stretching no matter the pain…the ones for strengthening. I’ve never relished that “no pain, no gain” concept, applicable as it might be in some cases. Could it be beneath the ongoing pain we experience, benefits await…and we may truly turn the pain to gain?

How does that translate to unseen spiritual things? Could the painful waiting, the repetitive prayers, the endurance required to keep on keeping on, grasping hope with each breath, be building and strengthening us though it feels like we are being destroyed?

We all experience pain. Still, the spiritual application intrigues me. No experience is wasted. All behavior is meaningful. How deep will we dive to find the hidden purposes of our pain? Will it leave us hobbled, or strengthened? How can we progress through to become stronger in the end? How can we release our pain, when the release itself is painful? How will we continue when our strength is gone?

My mother often said of those doggy, naggy things…“This, too, shall pass.” Yes…please. And may we embrace all the goodness God reveals to us as we seek Him, invite Him to walk with us through our pain, and experience His amazing love and grace.

~~~

LORD, may the Holy Spirit refill our flagging ones…stretch us to grow stronger in You through the hard and painful things. Thank you for the strength You provide to help us overcome. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Isaiah 41:10 NLT “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Romans 5:3-5a NLT “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment.”

Hebrews 12:11 NLT. “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

A Gift of Gratitude

A writing friend recently invited me to keep a thirty-day gratitude journal. To identify every day what I am grateful for, notice the surprising lessons and blessings, contemplate life minus those good things, and journal for about twenty minutes each evening to give praise and thanks to God.

How do I view God and the daily blessings He showers on me? Is God a vending machine? No! He is the living God in Three Persons Who has created humankind in His image, Who also enjoys and responds to each simple and sincere, “Thank You.” Could it be He hurts as I do when a costly gift given in love is not accepted or acknowledged? Does God, Who has given ALL for me, and does so every day, deserve to be completely ignored, or treated in blasé or rude ways?

Gratitude invites me, battle worn from my own and others’ trials in a seemingly imploding world, to step into a refreshing pool, wash free (entrust to God) the weight of negative naggy things, and see beyond the smoke of conflict. It helps me pivot, to “think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” To tap into the positive emotional aspects and actions of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Specifically contemplating daily blessings head-wise (analytical), allows me to experience heart-wise (emotional and spiritual) the beautiful pouring of God’s truth, personal forgiveness, and great love. To receive courage and transformation as I rest and trust more in my LORD—the Prince of Peace—Who has already won the war.

What will you experience when you make a habit of giving God gratitude?

What hidden blessings will you discern as you sit quietly before Him, journaling and contemplating each day, and listening for His thoughts?

God is waiting and is always available. What a Mighty Living God we serve, Who is more than worthy to be praised!

~~~

LORD, thank You for blessing me with this gratitude challenge, for helping me slow down to notice and more deeply embrace Your presence and care for me. Forgive me for being blasé. Help me to seek and know You in every incident of my life, to listen to You, and to thank You, LORD, for Your great Love. May my gratitude honor and glorify You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hebrews 13:15 NKJV “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

My friend’s gratitude journal will be published in the near future. Here is the link to her prayer journal—Time with God: https://a.co/d/5NGfj7m

Beneath the Mask

Who am I beneath the mask 
Of daily said requirements 
The me whose soul is languishing 
Searching for the happy face 

Has carrying burdens overwhelmed 
Am I too tuned to inward self 
Not yet dead to temporal 
Searching for the joy 

Forgive me, LORD, for wasting time 
Or is this not a waste at all 
Put boundaries ‘round my heavy heart 
Lest under all I fall 

Take away the idols there
Grasping at my spirit’s heart 
Forgive me LORD for stewing in 
Distortions, shadows grim 

Teach me again Your lessons rich 
Diamonds dug deep in the dark 
Spilling now into Your light 
Your presence purely there

Fill me please with renewed life 
With hope while in this labyrinth 
Let this lament win its prize 
To pour Your victory’s praise 

~~~

LORD, thank You for understanding and for giving us permission to be honest. To bring before You whatsoever state we’re in for Your solution. Every time we do, You are trustworthy, able to lift, restore our hope and peace. Transform us from our soulishness, whatever pall of gloominess. Bring instead encouragement. Lift us up again. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Matthew 26:38-39 NLT
“He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’”

Luke 6:21 NLT
“Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.”

~~
If you are wrestling with sadness, sorrow, or grief, I suggest looking up those words in the Bible. My quick go-to is the ‘Discovery’ option in the YouVersion Bible app. There are hundreds of verses. Jesus the Man of Sorrows is well acquainted with our grief, and has overcome all suffering. We are never alone or forgotten. 

Psalms 126:5 NLT
“Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.”

Psalms 43:5 NLT 
“Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!”

“Question Prayers”

After a serious discussion recently with a loved one, a series of “question prayers” arose as I wondered more about the heart of things…questions I’ve asked before, and lift up now again.

Whatever has you fearful, bound, or confounded, may God empower you to overcome, and bless you with His presence through your journey.

~~~

LORD,

Has fleeting time brought me to a place I feel ill-prepared to face? Help me, please, in my infirmity and my weakness.

Have I despaired or felt I am a failure because my expectations were different than reality? Show me Your truth, who You say I am, and Your purposes for me.

While yearning for answers to repeated prayers, will I trust Your promises, God? Give me patience as I wait on Your perfect timing.

May I let go and press into Your unchangeable truth, Father, and claim You in this moment as my plumb-line?…no other reference point or anchor is secure…Give me a heart of belief, LORD.

May I have a lightened heart in this world full of heaviness and decay?…Give me eyes to see true joy and dwell in it.

May I trust, though humans have given reasons to be wary and alert, that You, God, are indeed in control?…Be my strong tower and protector, LORD.

Can I let go day by day, let the earthly fetters fall and learn to soar in true freedom? Catch me, LORD! Raise me up. You are the lifter of my head, the very air I breathe.

It’s easy to say or to ask these things…will I actually walk today in faith with You, God…or fall back into worldly despair? Renew my heart and mind, LORD. Let me praise and honor You.

Let me press into Your truth, God, and let go of all that binds my heart to futile things…You have never failed or lied to me, LORD. Show me the better way.

Help me let go of my fears and accept the friendship You offer me…relationship with You…Thank You, LORD, for offering Your life for mine.

As my earthly life is changing or fading, let me rest in Your assurance and provision, and Your promise to walk with me every step of the way…in this life, through death’s door, and into eternity…I trust You, LORD.

Wash through me, Spirit of Truth. Cleanse me from the rubbled way. Make my crooked paths straight, my vision clear, my heart secure in Your hands. Safely hold me in Your embrace. Thank You for always being greater than anything I face, and for hearing my prayer. You alone, Holy God, are Almighty and Good.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Proverbs 3:5-8 NIV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

Psalm 145:18-20a NJKV “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The Lord preserves all who love Him…”

Escaping Depression’s Tomb

The tomb of depression, my little room of despair, has threatened to squeeze life’s light out of me. Chinks of sadness, slowly mortared into repressive stones, attempt to close off the door of joy, oppress my spirit, and obstruct my desire to scoot out into the vibrancy of life. Looking beyond the shadowed portal, I remember the world full of colors, sounds, the thrum of heartbeats, glorious vistas to gaze upon, hopes and dreams. The laughter of children, family gatherings, celebrations of joy, shared memorials. Community, fellowship, team effort, hands stretched to serve. A place where peace illuminates faces, and flows on the very air we breathe.

Then, depression pulls the shade, dragging in hopelessness and despair. I find myself disheartened, realize I have been clothed in the same nightgown for seventy-two hours. Why change when, but for nature’s call, I stay planted in the recliner? Feet hurting if heels rest flat on the bed, shoulder hurting if positioned on my side, I have long made peace with the reclining chair. A soft pillow, covering the metal rod I can feel in the old footrest, cushions and yields to my foot’s weight, relieving the annoying discomfort.

Pain aside, why am I driven to cocoon in this place of respite? Where has flown the joy of engaging with life outside my office walls? Depression has been a place of deep soul work for me. Trusting the Good Shepherd to walk me through the twists and turns, the light He shines on my path brings joyous surprise. It’s not about doing religion or religious things, but unmasking the full neediness of my wretched self while trying to grasp the fulness of following Jesus. It is a process, a personal one-on-one interaction with the living God. Miraculously, He has not obliterated me for my impertinent or repetitive questions, my failure to buck up buttercup, or falling short of performing all the things. The LORD continues to love me, cradle me, and sets me on my feet again. He lets me be me, yet does not leave me languishing. Through His ongoing power, care, and love, He is transforming me, allowing me to overcome, learn and grow, live beyond those depressive things.

I slipped Lauren Daigle’s “Look Up Child” CD into the player, pulled out the insert of lyrics, and sank into her words. I sang along, felt the desperate longing in my soul, cried out the pain of my heart, dug deeper exploring why I was reduced to living in my recliner. Lying there, splayed like a water lily in my pool of tears, I felt a new low in my being. Have I reached the bedrock of my despair yet, LORD? Dug deep enough that I can dig no farther? At the same time, I felt I was being held not only by my dear mother’s old recliner, but by the hands of God. LORD, I trust You to lead me through this excavation. No matter how deep we go, underneath me always are Your everlasting arms.

I realized in that moment I was wrestling not only with nagging physical pain, but again with the grief of estrangement and rejection by dear loved ones. Relational conflicts, failed expectations, regretful shortcomings have thwarted forgiveness and reconciliation. As scabs covering raw physical wounds and burns need to be removed to allow full healing from the inside out, so too emotional and spiritual wounds need attention and debridement in order to fully heal. God’s provisions of confession and forgiveness are balms for healing. He already knows what cures I need.

I know I am made new in Christ. Why after a lifetime of walking with Him am I still battling these things? Yes, transformation is wrought in wrestling against my wretchedness, submitting to God’s close inspection of the festering mess, and enduring the necessary, painful scraping away of the refuse lest it poisons my whole being. (Interesting, the word refuse and refuse…waste and denial.) I invite and allow the Great Physician to cleanse me of my refuse when I do not refuse Him. “I’m losing my religion,” Lauren laments to the LORD…”to find You.”

Dear husband’s face peeks around the doorframe. He has gifted me the space I need to process my grief. His presence insists I engage with life, a gentle reminder this tomb is not sealed. I must get up and walk into next week. Decay is the fragrance of a sealed tomb. My body reminds me it’s time to wash off the stench, stand in the Light, and begin again. Thank You, LORD, for never abandoning me. Your Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness flees. You are my hope, truth, and life…my Savior amidst my pain and depression, the sure and healing way out of my tomb.

~~~

LORD, thank You for Your unfailing mercy and grace. Lift, please, those who languish in sorrow, error, or sin. Thank You for repeatedly rescuing and growing me up from depression’s slough and setting me on Your never-ending, unchanging, firm foundation. You are Love. I want to find You. Help me love like You love, even in small measure. Let me sing of Your glory, dwell in Your presence, and move through this hurting world as You lead. Let my being and my doing, LORD, fulfill Your will for me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Psalm 34:18 NLT “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

Matthew 11:28 NLT “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Link to Lauren Daigle’s lyrics: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/laurendaigle/losingmyreligion.html

Easter Blessings

Where e’er your road might lead you 
No matter the twists of your path 
May goodness and mercy go with you 
Encourage your every step 

Through cloudy days or bright ones 
Whether dim or glaring strong 
May the truth of Christ’s Resurrection 
Wash you in new song 

May your weary soul be lifted 
And whisked to lofty heights 
Freed from earthly burdens 
Soar with wingless flight 

Where streams of Living Water 
Quench a parched dry land 
Praise God! He has risen! 
Come, receive His outstretched hand


Connecting Passover and Easter

Carol Neelands (a Canadian writer friend) recently hosted a podcast with her guest Lamb Baker, about their play, The Passover Connection. Watch members of their small country church enact the first Passover story – God saving the Jewish people from the angel of death; New Testament Jewish believers pondering the significance of the death of Jesus Christ and His resurrection; and modern day believers celebrating the Seder, the Passover Feast, during Easter.

Carol has offered a (free) script to those who would like to replicate the play with members of their own congregations. Unveil again the wondrous significance of Christ’s blood shed for us, and God’s redemptive plan.

You can watch their podcast here:

https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/v8u9wl6qd4frhxr0rqksghzxpd8ll/z2hghnh3075966sp/aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9VNVVxSWRuWnduRT9zaT1LR0VaNkExMGctVDRzV1dw

Listen to the audio of the podcast here:

https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/qdukw9v307h7h7pwpxvflhnpxowkk/qvh8h7hrqvevdzcl/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnV6enNwcm91dC5jb20vMjI5Mjc1OC9zaGFyZQ==

Watch the full play here:

https://click.convertkit-mail2.com/v8u9wl6qd4frhxr0rqksghzxpd8ll/p8heh9hz8drk6osq/aHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS8wRTN1UnpqRFdFQT9zaT1VRUd5U0c5RS14MDNSUVZt

May God bless and keep you, and give you resurrection peace and new life. All praise to our LORD! He is alive!

~~~

Thank You, most gracious Heavenly Father, for Your deep love, grace, and mercy towards us. You are the Almighty, the Creator of all, the One who knows intimately the details of everything: the large and small; the past, present, and future; the desperate needs of mankind. Thank You, Abba, for Your power over death, for showing us how Your Word proclaims Jesus and Your plan of redemption throughout all of the Bible. Bless these and all who share Your Word that others may come to know You. Open all hearts, please, Father, to receive You, that none would perish. Thank You, LORD Jesus for Your redeeming grace and eternal Life! In Your name, Amen.

Hebrews 11:28 NLT “It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.”

John 11:25 NLT “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.’”

A Changing Firmament

The swirling snow obscured the frozen lake and mountain view before us. The last few days, temperatures dipped to single digits, then soared to mid-forties. Yesterday, puddles appeared on the snow packed gravel driveway. Would they freeze and turn into a patchwork of tiny skating rinks? Or seep into depths below?

Streaks of sun pierced the velvet gray sky. Fat drops of snow, melting from the roof, hung precariously from tips of large wooden beams, then flashed rainbow fireworks, diamonds set afire, before dropping to a glad demise. Heavy, spear-length icicles, thudded one by one and buried themselves in the mounded snow.

Silently, clouds waltzed above, hints of blue opened by the shafts of light. Then, in a crazy pirouette, our view was filled with more snowflakes falling. Snowstorms came and went throughout the day, an ongoing quick-step, eager to gain top billing in today’s kaleidoscopic firmament.

Not to be upstaged, sun streaks like Jedi swords flashed across a frozen stage, jousting with gray velvet fortresses, both light and shadow refusing to concede. Within minutes the scene changed again, and my head swirled to keep up with the complicated choreography of today’s winter dance.

Why does this capricious environment remind me of man’s interior mental place? Perhaps this is a visual reminder. We, like the firmament, are created things in an existence far beyond our understanding. Peace then storms, darkness then light, all jostle for center stage, requiring surefooted sea legs for one to stay upright.

Today, light pierced my spirit as I read reminders of God’s faithfulness. He knows the storms that rage in me, the capricious and shifting moods, the want of silent brooding days to soothe my tired soul, and the need for pristine quenching waters to refill my empty well. Why am I astonished that my mind is a stage for jousting play? When the curtain rises on velvet gray, just as mountains across the lake peek in and out from backstage, I, too, can rest and stand firm knowing there are indeed strong mountains that will come into view again.

No matter where the environment, outside my window or deep in me, beyond time and my small universe God holds firmly in His hand all environments, all firmaments, all universes, all dancing scenes. He knows everything about me, yet invites me to ask Him to again search me, to calm my stormy sea, and to set me on the everlasting way. And, as unexpected as snowflakes cascading once again, His blessings come and never cease.

~~~

LORD, thank You for Your mighty power. No force of nature nor spiritual foe can thwart Your presence and command over all creation. Thank You for the silence, the space, and place to recover from a noisy, anxious, burdened world. No matter the color of today, nor the bleakness of future days, let me rest, Abba God, in Your promises and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalm 139:1-3, 23-24 NLT “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

A Listener’s Lesson

Opening just a little 
To reveal a precious thing 
Even to beloveds 
Might crush a wounded wing 
If reins are rudely taken
Converse torn away 
By overeager listeners
Intent their words to say 

With surgical precision 
They wield an upper hand 
While tumbling o’er each other
In exuberance so grand 
Diverting in a tangent
Though parallel in kind 
They flood the other’s dry wash 
Leave all else behind

What’s left amongst the rubble
As the flood recedes 
Have they heard the wounded 
Listened to their needs 
Left them in their gasping 
Drowned there with them too 
Will their eyes look upwards
LORD to gaze on You 

Make me a patient listener 
Though I too want to share
Hear gently with forbearing 
Keep wide a heart of care 
Assist in lifting others 
Bring solace in some way 
Hear and then enliven 
Shine courage on their day 

LORD, cause me please to listen 
With time to lend ear well 
To hear another’s heartbeat 
What they’re trying to tell 
To see beyond words spoken 
Into the soul beneath 
To listen with Your heart, LORD 
Then with Your love speak 

~~~

LORD, forgive me please when I too quickly respond or react to another’s words without letting the patience of wisdom guide me. Take my eyes off myself so that I may hear the heart of another. Give me courage to wait through the silence, allowing conversation to slowly unfold. Help me listen and love well, the way You listen to and love me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

James 1:19 NLT
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”

Proverbs 20:12 NLT
“Ears to hear and eyes to see—
both are gifts from the Lord.”

The Little Man

Delicious aromas wafted through nostalgic oldie songs, the growl of grinding coffee beans, and buzzing octaves of conversations. Within this happy cacophony, a tiny, blonde boy swayed to his own tune, his sneaker-clad feet carrying him towards a glass door. What did he see? A bright grin lit his face, and his eyes sparkled. Absorbed in his own adventure, the little man marched with an air of confidence, seemingly unaware of his father’s close footsteps behind.

Sitting in a plush chair a dozen feet away, the boy’s mother watched. Suddenly, the young one pivoted, boomeranged straight back to her, and climbed into her lap. After his father spoke a few words and strode towards another part of the coffee shop, the little man abruptly slid from his mother’s embrace. Unwilling to be left behind, he pattered after his father, and his mother shadowed him.

The coffee shop brimmed with patrons mingling and chatting as they waited for their orders. Some precariously balanced rimless plates of quiche or bags of pastries as they sipped frothy drinks and claimed cushy chairs. Others settled at small round tables, or sat working at designated computer stations. Every few minutes more people came through the door, and though the little man bobbed like a cork through his engulfing sea of tall folks, few acknowledged his presence.

Undeterred when his father disappeared from view, the boy focused as if searching for his daddy’s invisible footsteps. Each time he veered off course, his mother gently turned his shoulders to redirect him. Always without fuss, he’d swivel and traipse on, grinning with anticipation. Then, with his mother in tow, he wobbled around the corner out of sight, following in the wake of his father.

What joy to watch this delightful family and their wonderfully intent, curious, obedient child. A microcosm of love, protection, and trust, they reminded me of God’s ever-present love and care for His children, of one journeying in faith through this busy world, and of the inherent joy found in simply following the Father.

When I consider my own journey I’m curious about yours. How has God shown up in your life? Where have you seen evidences of Him? Though we might struggle and wobble trying to follow our Father, He abides with us. We are never alone.

~~~

LORD, thank You for Your amazing love and grace. For Your personal care, provision, protection, and guidance every day. Thank You for being close, no matter where we are. For rejoicing with us, and for comforting us in our distresses. Thank You, Abba Father, for Your patience, the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit, and Your Son to show us the way. Grant us, please, hearts of obedience, anticipation, and gratitude as we follow after You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalm 32:8 NIV “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Psalm 23:6 NLT “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

Receding Snow

Day after day sparkling white blankets covered the world, and gave the earth permission to pause. Now the pristine mounds of white are nearly gone, soaking silently into the earth, and chasing soiled slush down grated drains. Is winter melting away, the long-awaited snow too soon relinquishing its place, receding and signaling the earth to slowly turn from its needed rest? Are these disappearing mounds the last moments of this winter’s dream?

I’m reluctant to let go of this beautiful blanket. Its familiarity, the precious memories it brings are being jerked from me, leaving me exposed to lifeless, ugly, hidden, weedy things. Will winter snows return and cover me, insulate me again from my present griefs? Or from winter’s repose will I, too, be yanked into high gear, forced to race speeding lawnmowers as the earth pushes and the sun pulls tender grasses higher? Will I, too, be pushed and pulled, and then beneath life’s whirling blades, be cut off, thrown aside, left as mulch, thrown away? With the world’s ever-increasing clamor of a falling sky, will I, too, find myself barely escaping Foxy-woxy, fleeing to my Henny-penny nest to fulfill my simple purpose?

Leaving me flat, like the spent Hosta leaves splayed under the junipers, the evening’s grey fog sucks more air from my flagging mood. Gazing at the truth before me this late-January week, hope slowly lifts me to see through my losses and the loss of the beautiful, long-awaited snow. There are lovely things peeking up. Greening grass, the promise of flowers, and the unseasonal appearance of flocks of robins. Rising warmth and gently soothing rains are washing the streets clean again. So what if ugly raises a hoary head or weeds begin to grow? New beauty proclaims life, and hope still wins over the unlovely things.

Holding the blessings of this brief winter’s dream, I’ll remember with the earth…rest and snow will come again. God holds the earth, the sky, the snow, the rain. He is my rest, my hope, my safety nest, and the One who tends my everything.

~~~

Thank You, LORD, that we may find our rest in You no matter the busyness, demands, losses, or challenges of our days. Thank You for being with us every moment and for teaching us to trust You. Transform us, please, to walk in Your ways, rest in Your peace, find safety in Your everlasting arms, and share Your Hope and Truth in this hurting world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Job 37:6-7 NIV “He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ 7 So that everyone he has made may know his work, he stops all people from their labor.”

Exodus 33:14 CSB ‘And he replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”’

1 Peter 1:24-25 NIV ‘For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”’

Psalm 4:8 NKJV “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

A Snowflake Lesson

January’s weeks of storm watch, snow on the ground, and arctic freeze has kept much of the Northern Hemisphere poised for winter’s worst. Recently I stayed up late, anticipating the huge blizzard predicted for our area. Remembering picturesque winters from the past, I couldn’t wait to see beautiful, large snowflakes fluttering down. While putting away our Christmas decor, I left the white lights and angel on our artificial tree. Their cheer and ambiance warms these long winter days with prisms of promise, like snowflakes.

Finally the blizzard arrived. From our window the flakes were minute, only rain-like movement proving something was falling to the ground. What happened to the magnificent Snowflake Show? Disappointed, I trudged off to bed.

The next morning’s sun exposed unexpected blessings. Dazzling diamonds sparkled everywhere in the powder, more so than after previous snowfalls. And when the K-3 Patrol (our grandchildren and son-in-law) graced us as sidewalk and driveway keepers, the deep, powdery fluff was easily pushed and scooped with their shovels.

Considering snowflakes (the quantities, sizes, and unique designs) inspires me to consider the abundant blessings God showers on His creation. Blessings, individual like snowflakes, may be expected – like the sun rising every day – or surprising; are of different sizes; are innumerable and beyond our control; are unique, pristine, and reflective of God’s light; are a covering, insulating, and transforming; and melt deeply into our soil of need.

When the heavy drudge of chronic sadness and weighty concerns, like unrelenting dreary weather, takes a toll on hope and joy, gratitude can become buried. Yet, beneath the heaviest snowpack, the Light and Water of Life are working.

Does eclipsed gratitude prevent me from rejoicing in the myriad blessings God provides every day? Am I looking for evidences of God’s blessings, even when they’re hard to see? Am I desiring relationship with the Giver more than His gifts? As I battle disappointment or waning gratitude, I’m reminded to keep my eyes on the Giver of Blessings rather than on my wants or expectations. God is good all the time. May I have spiritual eyes to see how incredibly blessed I am. There are innumerable diamonds of joy hiding, waiting with promise to be revealed. Look! See! There are some right there glistening in the snow! And in God’s timing, crocuses will bloom.

~~~

LORD, thank You for Your unfailing Love. For knowing us better than we know ourselves and caring for our needs. Your gifts are far beyond what we could ask or imagine. Forgive our grumbling and disappointment as our understanding or expectations fail. Thank You, Creator of Forgiveness, for Your patience. Give us eyes to see the blessings You give every day, and grant us hearts of gratitude for Your great Love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Isaiah 55:10-11 NLT “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”

Leaving Lo-debar

New Year’s Day 2024 dawned with the promises of new starts and resolutions. Yet, as I reflected on the state of the year left behind, I wondered at that growing, kicking child of strife and unrest silently waiting to emerge from the world’s contracting womb.

A glance out the window revealed a fog of environmental inversion graying the bright day. Trapped cold and polluted air dimmed the light and dulled my view, painting a misty picture…much like the world’s shifting from community to isolation to disconnect silently tries to permeate our lives.

Could it be the brightness of the New Year has been tarnished by a type of crippling, everyday PTSD from contentious political and media voices, the fracturing of families, the pressures of trying to stand and see clearly how to proceed in a challenging and laborious world?

In 2 Samuel 9, Lo-debar (meaning “not a pasture”), was a town east of the Jordan River where Mephibosheth, the crippled grandson of Israel’s King Saul, lived, not in his own home, but in the house of a son of a powerful Transjordanian tribal chief. King David, appointed by God to succeed King Saul, sought to restore Mephibosheth’s inheritance to him after his grandfather and father, Jonathan, died in war. David also offered him a permanent place at the king’s table.

Mephibosheth, considering himself “a dead dog,” was amazed the king would show him such kindness. Yet, to eat at the king’s table like one of the king’s sons, Mephibosheth had to leave Lo-debar, a place of desolation and turn his eyes towards the king.

When I try to catch my breath from the tiresome traumas of the past, and long for that place of everlasting peace, reconciliation, and the healing of whatever ails me, I, too, am called to leave my Lo-debar to come to the King’s table. Only then can any crippling of my soul, or the strife of the world, find healing, resolution, and relationship through the King’s invitation, made available through His only Son, Jesus Christ.

Can I let go offenses? Brave the steps through the fog? Leave my familiar cocoon of isolation to share community with other healing souls? Leave whatever diminished place I might be and take my seat in a place of favor? Accept such grace from the King? And dwell there? Or, do I choose to live as a spiritual orphan, refusing to come to God, my Father, who has provisions for every need?

In an increasingly messy milieu of a hurting world, the KING ABOVE ALL KINGS offers His presence. May each of us have the courage to accept His offer of kindness and saving grace. And like Mephibosheth, leave whatever is our Lo-debar to dine permanently at the KING’s table.

~~~

Thank You, LORD, for rescuing us! Still our arms from flailing as You save us from drowning in our personal or worldly infirmities. Let us rest in the strength and assurance of Your embrace. Lift us from desolation, oppression, and offense into reconciliation, freedom, and acceptance. Thank You, LORD, for Your amazing Love and Grace, and for lifting us from every Lo-debar. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Samuel 9:7-8, 11b, 13 NLT “Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!” Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”

11b “And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons.

13 And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king’s table.”

*Check out this inspirational read by Chad Norris (that prompted this post) for leaving your Lo-debar and coming to the King’s table. God bless you!

Your Mess is Your Message: How God Can Use Your Brokenness to Help Others.

https://a.co/d/1GAqRpw

Christmas Repose 2023

Lights on a slim Christmas tree illumine the darkened room, a pyramid of white stars cascading from beneath shimmering angel wings. To the right of the tree, a small vintage cane-seat rocker cradles two new black-red buffalo plaid blankets. To the left, from the speaker beneath the television’s silent image of a Yule log’s dancing flames, mellow Christmas carols, hymns, renditions of the Nutcracker, and instrumental seasonal tunes fill the air. Listen! Do you hear what I hear…the drums, the flutes and horns, the piano and organ, the strings? Can you feel the warmth of the virtual fire washing over dear hubby and me as the furnace, in seeming synchrony, offers its welcomed whoosh?

Now later, in the wee hours of Christmas morning, I linger, happily caught in this ambiance of Christmas, the angel-star-Yule log glow. Having just enjoyed Christmas Eve with family celebrating the amazing gift of our Savior and of one another, I am not yet sleepy.

Imagine that dark, silent night so long ago, when shepherds warmed themselves before fires, were amazed by the Star of Bethlehem, were awestruck by the hosts of angels singing. Tonight a tiny reflection of that Holy Night has reached here to this lowly living room in a small city, in a large country, in a century far far away…the warmth, the starry light, the angel music.

Like the televised old dog struggling to keep his eyes open while basking in the warmth of the fire, I, too, must give in to sleep. Yet, I’m reluctant to leave this cocoon of Christmas peace. Then comes a thought as gentle as that Holy Baby’s breath…though decorative lights and music of the centuries fade, the blessings of Christmas, God’s gift to all who would receive Him, never cease. May the glory of the Light of Christ shine into and warm our hearts every day. And may we forever join His angels’ songs of praise.

~~~

Thank You, LORD, for the gift of Jesus. For times of reflection and rest; for Your presence and peace; for being with us through all we face. Thank You, Immanuel, for dwelling in our past and in our present, and for being the Life and Light and Hope of our future. In Your name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Matthew 1:23 NLT “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

John 16:22 NKJV “Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”

Hebrews 10:23 NKJV “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

Christmas Lights

While quiet stillness reigns about 
In the dark of night
Lights a’glimmer everywhere 
Shine with all their might Twinkling, twirling, flickering
Some a steady glow
The Christmas lights all colors bright 
Reflecting in the snow

Ambiance warms outside 
And deeper cold within 
The shining lights beckon us  
Look here, look here again  
Trees wrapped red- or green-and-white 
Down the streets do march 
And firmly stand guarding close 
Decorated yards

Reindeer, snowmen, Santas tall 
Frolic then harken 
Limos driving people by  
Photographing them  
Snowflakes dance across the walls
Of festive houses lit 
Lawns display nativities 
And giant ornaments 

No matter soon our sleeping hour 
We drive on and on 
Mesmerized by Christmas lights 
Rejoicing season’s songs 
Then around the bend we see
A form of Christ the King 
Arms outstretched for all to come 
He lights Eternity 

Rejoice oh lights with us now
Remember why you glow 
Commemorate, n’er forget 
The Star of long ago
Light guiding still 
Through dark’s despair 
Calling while we plod
Illumines paths, brightens hearts 
Lights our way to God

~~~

LORD, thank You for bringing and being the Light in this darkened world. Amidst our busyness please draw us into Your presence, peace, and rest. Give us hearts of hope and trust in You as we celebrate You this Christmas time. With praise and thanksgiving we pray in Jesus’ holy name. Amen. 

Psalm 119:105 NLT
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

John 14:6 NLT
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

John 8:12 NLT
“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’”

The Melting Snowman

When it feels like life is melting
Despite sunny days 
When storms and rains lash fiercely 
Drain strength fast away 

‘Tis then our God our Father 
Creator of our days 
Is catching all the drippings 
Tears coursing in a race 

And like the melting snowman 
Whose face beams joy and play 
In blessing or in melting 
There’s hope and cheer always 

~~~

Thank You, Father, for holding us in every way and circumstance. Turn our heart’s eyes to You, LORD, and let us see You in every moment. Bless us as we trust in You today.
In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV 
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

Holiday Book Gift Guide 2023

Hi, friends!

An author friend recently compiled this Holiday Book Gift Guide 2023. Numerous Christian authors of Fiction, Nonfiction, Kids Books, Inspirational, and Journals are included.

Check out the link below for book info and links to purchase. My two books are listed in the Kids Books section: Little Bit in the Great Wide Forest and Buckie the Bull and Other Short Stories.

May you find nourishment for your heart and the hearts of your loved ones!

Blessings to you and yours this holiday season!

https://yourauthorhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Holiday-Gift-Guide-2023.pdf

A Tiny Ember

A sweeping illness blew through me 
Snuffed near out my candlelight  
Yet in my fainting heartsick low
A tiny ember glowed in sight 

Breathe oh Breath of God on me 
Gently fan anew my life
Bring once more Your steady flame
Let my soul again burn bright 

Tamp not out this lantern’s use 
Hover healing Breath o’er me 
And others wounded in this fight 
Bring life back to their souls please 

Help us shine Your tending ways 
Let nothing snuff or cause the fall 
In us or lanterns where they be 
For You’re the One Who lights us all 

~~~

LORD, You are the Source of Light and Love. Only in Your mercy and grace may we recover from mistakes or assaults, weather life’s storms, see clearly the way to proceed. Only You can restore one’s breath, flame to life one’s brokenness, stitch and heal gaping wounds, resuscitate dying relationships. Thank You, LORD, for giving us Your light and strength to wait on You, and to overcome. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

“Oh God our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

“O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home”
           -Isaac Watts
                          

John 12:44-50 HCSB
‘Then Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in Me believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. 45 And the one who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects Me and doesn’t accept My sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should say and what I should speak. 50 I know that His command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”’

See full Hymn here: 
https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/O_God_Our_Help_in_Ages_Past/