Psalms+of+Paul

A New Thought
And yet again you have shown me another portion of myself. I am laden with greed and self pity “Why is there no one for me, Oh Lord?” I ask Who was there for //You// my Lord? For one truly believed until You were risen up. We follow yet hide an ounce of doubt in our hearts. That is weight enough to keep our spirits from ascending in faith. I can sense Your own heart Seated on my words. “if only there was one who truly loved me/” My Father, we praise Thee yet turn our back so quickly. My Father, You taught me how to love With tenderness, kindness and with sweet gentle pursuit. O Father may I apply these lessons of life to Thee always, For if my heart is found not loving Thee, then what purpose does it serve? I say relationships are meant to train our spirits how to love You better. Therefore, love is to be expressed and shared and treasured, Never stifled or mistreated, or taken for granted Love is not to be mixed with commonsense, for logic does not fully apply. Love is spontaneous and it is free and it comes from You And should be returned to You. Thank you Father for Your peace.

Accident
I give my first accident to the Lord. He humbles me. I pray that I learn from Him. That my foolishness fades away. Please keep me from failing you. May I learn from you every moment. Let time not waste. Thank you for breaking me.

And So My Heart
And so my heart has met its end Watch as treachery is now afoot The pain has come and settles in With lack of friends who dare to look

Why, love when is not returned? Why care for those who can care less? She has blindly left a bitter burn Wherein my sadness finds no rest.

Foolish heart why do you love Do you not see she has gone aloof? She stands in joy while you still hope You are a weak and sad, pathetic fool

But I cannot fight against this irony Here happiness makes me smile She does not love me In fact, she hardly cares

She has left me for another man Who has not agonized for two years time Nor suffered a former loss Nor walked a mile to grant a smile

Father, why do you stand And watch this game? You’ve seen my heart break twice Why do you manage still to keep her away? What have I done to earn this pain?

I was there to see her flirt, To give herself away a second time While endured a chary eye When time with me would make her sigh

She truly abused my heart oh God, Took residence and left vacant without a trace My approach did not win the race The slow and steady, gentle diligence.

Had I stepped down, not washed her feet Pauper, she would be mine My diligence has been rewarded with defeat My patience baffled with obscurity

But I will still declare Him good Only on him can I rely For you, my heart has met its end O loved one, forevermore I say goodbye.

Forevermore, goodbye my love

Anxiety
O Lord forgive me for I am nervous. Father again I face a situation that demands a great exhibition of myself. But who I am without you Lord? I am nothing my God without You. What have I to show? I am afraid my Lord, for how can I impress a queen in pauper’s form? I am a mass of emotions who is highly self-conscious And uncomfortable in social settings. But I will recall Your Grace. You have saved me You have placed me in a work environment where I am respected and admired. You have established value in me by simply thinking of me. You have given strength to my words. You have crafted my ideas and given me passion to create them. Most of all You have entrusted me with a car, a home, Finances and a holy love that knows no ends for a beautiful, Godly woman. You have established value within me my God. How can I withhold my love from Thee my Lord? Everything belongs to You; even this unbridled love is Yours. You keep these treasures securely in Your Hands. My spirit delights in the magnitude of Your elegance and Light.

Aral Sea
If we redirect the water away from the Aral sea. It will soon dry up Thousands will be battered by the salted winds and poisoned soils But focus your stream of energy not on yourself For Him and for others Then your waters will be replenished and they will not run out

As I Woke Up
As I woke up this morning And saw the band of light peek through the shades There this light revealed to me infinite particles of dust. Such are the distractions that obscure our view, Always in the path of our sight to Him. And blind we are to them without the light I must move to the mountain that I might purely find the light, And there I will dwell Where my Father stays.

Beauty
O the beauty of Your glory! How great is Your love for me Dear Father that you for your grace. Love? Why have you given me love? I don’t deserve it, and yet Great One You share your heart with me. Thank you for the beach and traveling. Thank you for your gentle pursuit. O the beauty of this cauldron of love in my soul. So elegantly it burns.

Boring
Don’t respond to anything out of boredom Lest you, like the moth, jump from the safety Of His hands into the fire.

Chasm
I have crossed the fjord, The chasm between deception and righteousness. I shall walk along the straight paths And bring joy to my Father.

Clear Vision
After the downpour of rain, I noticed how clean m windshield became. I could see the light pierce through the clouds. More clearly was my perception He had intended for me to see. He sometimes sends the rain So that you may see the rainbow.

Conversation
Every question posed triggers a timer Wherein the counterpart must respond with succinct Yet intricate detail. “What are you doing?” Such a simple posit with an infinite array of answers. Which one is the best? The initial response is generally detailed "Working on the D6 projected for Glascow.” Leaving the receiver with an option: continue with deeper questioning if interested, Or if bored, retire from the conversation.

Crutch Tips
I asked many once lame No one claimed to have one I needed to fix my lens: a crutch tip “Try the infirmary.” I grew skeptical with each step. But I was surprised they took my request seriously And gave me //two// for free. Do as He says, and you will never be dismayed.

Early in the Morning
Early in the morning I shall praise Thee my God. Before the sun rises and greets the firmament I shall give thee honor, For you have restored my soul And have brought sustenance to the bones. You shed light upon my eyes that I might see Truth. You have blessed me with good friends and sound company As the waters flow from the mountains, So my peace comes from Thee. Your blessings are like calm waters. I shall not be dismayed. Blessed are Thee Most High Father.

I look upon Thy people, On those who possess Your Heart And I am delighted. I am filled with loved. I look into their faces and see your glory shine about them. Then I see the one who have fallen away, Those who have tipped over from shallow roots. I weep for them my Lord for I once knew their hearts and loved them. Now they are distant and chasing nothingness. Guide them safely home Great Sheppard. Then I see the ones who do not know you, Yet have hearts to please the saints. They are like infants in their understanding. Teach them Master that they too might share in Your perfect peace. Destroy the unjust, and plague the indignant. Mock the mocker and scorn the scorner. Rebuke me not like my enemies O Lord in wrath, But speak to me in love that my heart might be glad Amen.

Fading Friend
Where were you friend Can you not see Deceived by your safety When all others fail you Here I am waiting Where is the close connection of love Seasoned 15 years? Why am I alone? Why do you patronize me and pretend to appreciate me You hesitate to return my calls You never call me nor seek me out Even though I have sought after you always I bare your pains I’m tired of carrying your burden Your sad disposition in my heart for so long Only to be ignore by you, My "best friend?" How is this so? Have I done something to deserve this? Have I offended you in some way? Why are you so distant? Why do you choose the world and not something better? I don’t know how to reach you If you hurt, why don’t you come to me? I am willing and able to balm your discomfort You won’t share yourself with me But your heart burns for people who hurt you, Who abandoned you I don’t want the dressings of friendship without substance But how can I tell you?

Finest Zeal
Oh Father, you who have given me everything Grant me joy by grace the clams my soul So long have I chased other things So long have I traveled away from You Oh how I miss you Father! How foolish am I to neglect Love? That I should choose anyone else but You My heart cannot contain the strength on Your love

Distract me not, my heart, For thou knowest not the strength that draws me towards His presence

Friend
Your friendship is a gift A long treasured jewel that ages with the mountains And is patient like the desert I love it, for within it God dwells He is a part of its beauty.

Guillotine
You counted your talents You complained about your situation You decided not to endure change but only recall the way things used to be Now your wife despises you Your children laugh at you You have realigned your destiny for failure Slowly you reached this point and with time you will be undone. You refuse to put in the time required to set things right Licking your wounds in the enemy’s camp They surround you with knives thirsting for blood They will kill you if you do nothing But you have selected the knife for your own neck By ignoring the true problems By choosing what you want and being selfish You are miserable that your wife ignores you Have you forgotten your children? They long for their father Though in their presence, you are so far away Do I ignore the signs O Lord? Am I selfish? Do I refuse to change? Help me

Hard Work
How is it that when I have worked diligently, I am still subject to failure? And yet when I can care less, My works are equal if not better than my hardest attempts? Perhaps in my own efforts pride settles And slowly chokes my triumphs like a vine while in my apathy All hope is tossed to the wind And into His hands. Either way shows us, that He ultimately guides our success.

Let nothing precipitate in me like pride. Here is my test. Like a prophet, I have been rejected by my own people. They see me as foolish whilst all this time I have kept the peace. Now the light of truth begins to dawn on them, But I will blot out my pride and count all things lost. For in this trial when anger in me brewed, His lessons of trust sang true. I see them now not in anger, But with eyes of an old man watching children grow into understanding. The Father has blessed my sight to see the very things He sees. And He sees our hard work and the pain of stinging failure. He, when we turn back to Him first before our brothers. Consider it a gain and a cloak to shield you from the cold that comes When you face trials, for now it is God’s own hand that keeps you.

I Am a Yam
Young American women are interested in men, who simply tantalize their emotions, Yet often lack the basic skills required to nurture a relationship. Women like squid and steak, escargot, champagne and all things exotic. I am a yam. I am the potato. I am dry wine. The corn husk and the milk. I am all things ordinary and plain, Yet I supply nutrients that make the body grow. I am easily overlooked yet mistakenly underestimated. He made me this way. And with that I am well pleased.

//Olympic Medalist Usain Bolt was known for eating yams during his training.//

I Wonder
I wonder why I dream of her Now after all this time You kept her heart away from mine And saved me from much pain. She did no love me as I loved her. That real kind of love that only You can manifest The strength of my emotions withered with time. My love an empty shell.

Then she called again one year later She told me she missed me And I knew it was true But those words I so longed to hear from her Cannot compare to the grace I’ve found in You

For in that time When she abandoned me with broken heart Only You remained Only You loved me. And even still today: Only You remain Only You love me

In the Eyes of a Child
Oh Father, there are days Lord when my heart arrests with Your Glory And in those times I deeply yearn for Thee. Only You understand me. You alone love me. If I could but reach for Thee my God! Come down if only for a moment that I might embrace my Father. Only you can truly see the worth of my heart. You have blessed our children with discerning eyes That see through our masquerade And know us well. Thank you Father, for you have blessed my heart With the free embrace of You child. I have passed her suspicion, And I am now accepted in the eyes of a child. You have accepted me through your children.

//Suffer the little children to come to me,// //For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.//

Into the Fire
Into the first were tossed my hopes When anxious I awaited the bus I dreamed perchance to make class on time To spare the wrath of my instructor

Alas as time drew nearer still My heart did boldly declare “if it be the will of God, by Grace I will make it there.”

By faith I departed from the bus Not fearing the wrath that waited me For I said, “even if He does not save, I shall declare He is good.” I gripped my sword, entered the door Readied though challenged by fear And to my soul He delivered me For my threatening opponent was not there.

Glory to the Father.

Leaves of Green
It is so hard for me, seeing you For when my mind revisits you, My heart is quick to follow. Was it love at first sight? No. More like love at first breath Growing deeper as I drew you in, Wanting to know more of you. We shared such similar supple hearts Only challenged by such separate rugged paths When I pursued you, life got in the way And when you called for me, My cell phone would die, Always missing you. You and I always missing each other.

Then finally I drew the line in the sand. I wanted “more of you” I wrote you letters. I declared my heart’s song. You did not sing along. Your heart sang for someone else. Again, always missing.

I may not be destined to have you, But just as the lea-ves of green cry out your name, I will thank my God for showing me the true meaning Of what it is to love.

Lost Man’s Prayer
Then will come the day When no longer his prayers are calloused with fruitless utterances But he too shall say unto God, “O Father, You have restored my broken soul. When I was lost, only you tended to my weakness And lonely hours. Your presence is calm against a storm of trials. My God, great is Your power, unfailing is your mercy! You have delivered me my God! O Father how I adore Thee.”

Lowly Spirits
Father, I don’t know why I feel this way. Everyone beautiful has a vice There are few who have it all. I am like a child in the candy store. I see treasures my soul desires, But unlike money or foolish things, My heart craves joy, peace and love. She is good. She is my heart’s desire. I seek after her as one who seeks a blessing. If not she, then who else is worthy?

My Lord, You are my right-hand Your name shall be first from my mouth I shall cry out and You shall hear me For you will not withhold good things from those who love You. I shall liken myself to David whose whole desire was to honor You I too shall be a man after Your own heart For we care for ourselves, but who is there to oblige God? There is no one, and no one like You. My spirit is at peace in the glory of thy presence. I shall set aside my hopes that I may bring honor to Thy Name.

//A man of lowly spirits gains honor.//

Me and My House
Oh Sovereign God, the world may not know you, But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I thank You Father for my children who will sing. My children will sing joyous songs, And their lips shall ever praise thee, For by Thy strength shall they know that You are God. Multiply their joy my Lord. May they grow old with Thee renewed in lasting Faith. Your teachings promote wisdom. May we always remain Thy humble apprentices.

Mind
Pull away at the overgrowth and tell me what you see These are the walls of my mind Once white washed and clean in childhood Now cracked and corrupt in sin Where is the hallowed place of my youth Where is the peace and wisdom which once lay See the cracks that line the sides Though the foundation is strong there is weakness all around See the creatures that permeate the lines Debauchery, and cursing even covers that here Let me wash away the dirt and grime Let us scrub away until it is clean Let us seal the cracks and heal the wounds And when it is done, let me rebuild the wall to protect it again.

Morning Glories
I look up to the sun today Seated on the heights of heaven I give thanks for the warmth it brings For the Father has given me this day. Let it burn up the dew of evening’s disparity. May it prompt the bones to battle sleep. Continue now in the way of glory, And there within help me find peace.

My Father’s Grief
My Father and I are alike in that we share a similar pain. My troubles are a reflection of the grief I have caused Him. I am sorry Mien Vater! Oh Lord, please help me that I might not cause you any further pain. I have finally realized my error. My disobedience has hospitalized me and injured my body, mind and spirit. You tell me to "move," but I sit. You tell me to "think," but I sleep. You tell me to "LIVE!," yet I choose death. Even still you wait by my side and nurse my wounds. But my heart is bitter, and my tongue is ready to lash out. I am ready to appeal to You, to ask You to turn Your wrath from me, But You were in fact disheartened when I chose these paths, Paths that stray from Your intention. I take matters into my own hands and say, “This way is simple and better.” That hard road You intended for me, That I might receive understanding on matters unknown to men. You have once led me up the mountain where I journeyed through brook and glen, scaled crag and gripped rock that I might reach the top. But at the summit there was no surprise, only isolated civilization. My hopes were not dashed because that lesson was in the climbing not at the top. I am learning very slowly. I hear Your voice calling from Sinai. I am alone. Towards you I go. Lead on O great Father

My Love
Father, once again you have shown me Grace by answering my prayer. You have spoken to me through Your prophets. You have promised me that You have heard my heart’s desire. Not only have you bestowed friends unto me, But you are preparing my bride in the wilderness. Though my eyes have not seen her, I can sense her beauty, for your have chosen for me a spirit who loves You. What greater bond is there than to joyfully love the One who loves? You have prepared my spirit that I might lift her up and treasure her as one who treasures his own body. You delight in our understanding and in those who trust in Your ways. She is beautiful my Lord. You have made a fine creation in her. May we prosper as one in honor of Thee my Lord Always praising Thee for the good You have done. You have broken my long-suffering with hope of blessings to come. Reside within us both O Lord. May Your strength be evident in our life.

My Sorrows into Joys
I will praise the Lord for He is good. He turns my sorrow into laughter. Forgive me Father for blaming You, For You are always with me and come to share in my grief. There is no one else Lord! I have no friend who calls my name. My loved ones only hurt me. Even my mother turns her head from me. But You are always there. During my weakest hour, all I have is You As it was with Adam before Eve And David in the Sheppard’s fields. O Father the pain is so great this time. She does not flee from my mind. The heart is in such agony, The grief of losing before I’ve gained. Yet daily You speak to me and comfort my pain. Only You, for no one else knows nor cares. There is only You O God; No man can I trust. For this I will honor Thee, for seeking me when I was lost. O Father, only You are Good.

New Song
There is a place within my heart To which one holds the key You may have thought that one was she, But Lord belongs to Thee There is so much Lord that she deserves, If asked I’d wash her feet There is a song within my soul A joy I can’t repeat

Recreate
Father create in me a new song One the sings that I may dance One that hums away the sadness And grant happy hopes a second chance

Create in me a new thing I am tired and worn you see Create in me a vibrant life That quells shut the dull in me

Create in me a new fire That burns with mighty proclamation As your Son did upon the mount Through His glorious transfiguration

Create in me a simple heart Whose sole and simple creed Is to follow you with all its strength That You may be pleased with me.

I run in circles Lord for my foolishness. Help me Father. Save me! Though I am thankful that You are good. In my own strength, I will never be the man You intend for me to be. For so long I have cried out while life has passed me, Mourning and weak in spirit. Recreate me Father. Let this not be the end of me. May I now build myself upon the rock.

Restore Her
Father my heart swells with aching for my friend I long to see her happy and whole Show me how to love her well She needs You and I want to see her torment fade away Remove her depression Remove her obstacles Purge her from her troubles Build her up with strength to guard against the stragglers That steal her joy. Please God restore her to want to know the peace Of knowing You. My heart bares her burdens. It is weary and running low Please Lord let her know the plans You have to prosper her Give her self knowledge of the beautiful creation You have made in her My wonderful friend how I long for her to know You God please let this happen.

Strength
O Lord give me strength The body says, “no,” but I know I must. The eyes are wary from sleep. Yet I have no rest. Supply me Lord. Dwell here and let me smile, for I have longed for Thee. Now is the time. For in my weakness Thou art strong Like one who stretches in the sun Feeling good and warm all over.

There is a Glory within My Soul
There is a glory within my soul A wealth of unending grace Bestowed and marked by heaven’s own Omega, Ancient of Days.

My gladness rests upon Thy heart, Hush sweet glories, incline thy ear, Partake in what was broke apart Set free from shackles taut with fear.

Behold almighty again arose From death the fabled trush did flee Profound! The gracious moment posed To save a helpless wretch like me.

I am free! Oh, I am free! The prison guard has fallen, lo The gates are open and I a welcomed To precious freedoms in Christ alone

Pronounce what glory my soul beholds Displayed by goodness to save a boy. Trampled vagrant, ungrateful servant Newly resurrected with heavenly joy.

There is much good that fills that heart. Of which I am convinced this time Will place me safely in His loving arms. Where all things good meet all things fine.

How do I pronounce the ways of riches Thou hast bestowed to me My lips must simply utter praise To God alone, the King of Glory.

There is fruit in my basket. I am filled.

Thumb
We cut ourselves and come to You For only You are the physician who wraps and heals our wounds. We take our hurts and dwell on them Infecting them, hurting deeper and longer. But You wait for us and heal us. With You there are few times times greater than when You are cleaning my wounds and healing them. You who take me in after I have worsened by my own doing. Why should I bruise Your soul with iniquity? Why do I cause You grief and shame? You who delivered me from the flames. I am seeking Your help to keep me from cutting my thumb again.

United in His Service
May I rise up to greet thee with the morning sun my Lord. May I rebuke my stubborn flesh into submission Awaken my spirit that finds sleep, but is weary from slumber.

Unworthy
I am, myself, unworthy Lord. Who is worthy? I want to meet him That I might learn from him and gain Your favor. When I see him, how will I know it is he? Will he be arrayed in glory, Or shall he be guised In a pauper’s garb? Will my heart contain his methods, Or my eyes behold him? No, I will not see him, but my spirit may sense him. For He is Thy great son Jesus, who alone is worthy of your Glory! Where is He? Why He dwells here in my heart That I too might become worthy. He has walked far beyond the extra mile to save me. Thank you my Lord! I who once was deemed unfit And unworthy am now vindicated by Your boundless Grace and Flawless display of Love. Every word of my mouth, every song I sing give honor to thee O Lord.

Waiting
I’m waiting for my instincts to change And my life to try something new I wait for You For your approval, for your entrance and eternal presence in my heart But how will You stay if I keep pushing You out So subtly You stay I wait for grand awakenings yet find some peace Father please take what I have and make something great But everything I have You put in place Are You waiting for me? What do I do? You have told me a thousand times to obey My ledger of debts grows longer I am ashamed of the sloth I’ve become I wait in idleness like a man who waits to be fed While starving himself Why would I do this? You have given me a chance long ago And by waiting forfeit action I don’t want to commit to senseless action But you made me work What is work that profits nothing? Only a waste. I doubt myself. I am discouraged by my uselessness Maybe that is why You do not act Help me to use my mind Please

What is Love?
What is this love that will not let me go? Why does it hold fast and grip me so?

You have captured me as a child yet still You translate your love through her. I’m filled.

I am filled, my cup runneth over. My father O this love for you alone. I am bothered.

Every moment she screams my name. I turn away. God give me strength to face another day.

When You Lose the One Love
When you lose the one you love There are few who sigh with you. There are few cry with you When you lose the one you love.

There is no one quite like him. Who else can fill his shoes? Who else can fabricate love with ease? Other than the one whose heart you love?

If only time could change its stance. Conditions made to fit your view. Then there would be nothing else. Just you and he in paradise.

Why Father do you grant us love That in Your eyes cannot come through? We bear these harsh and lonely times Oh Father, have mercy for we are faint.

It is an overwhelming thing To love so strongly, then set it aside. It is such a harsh and terrible thing When you lose the one you love.

Where Are You?
Where are you Lord? The enemy attacks. I am debased and made low. My peers are baffled by my ignorance. I have put myself to shame. I am not happy with myself nor the ways by which I go. I am selfish, prideful, stupid, worthless A lame arm to the body. I offer nothing meaningful to this world, For my hopes are met with failure. Forgive me Father, as I am far from your statues Which were formed to save me from the flesh. Guide me Lord. I do not want to be mine anymore. Only Yours.

Where Do I Go?
//Father I thank you for placing me in a paradise amidst my heartaches and woes.//

Father where do I go? How can I escape this pain? Why do these troubles plague me so? Since there is no one with whom I can relate, I try to forget. But she revisits me everyday. It is maddening fleeing from thoughts you long to chase. Being tormented by the one you care for. Why am I this way? Why can I not forget? My body writhes in anguish. My eye twitches though all around me is calm. My boiling voice cries out to thinking of her with other men. I clench my fist, then beg forgiveness. I am constantly reminded of my impending sadness. I don’t want to be this way Father! Restore unto me the joy of my salvation Lord That I might walk in peace, joy and love. That I might not grieve Thy heart with my sorrows.

May I once again find the fruit of a blessed relationship O how I’ve longed to share one with her. So much in place. All of the sacrifices for your sake Lord Hoping that I was keeping Your will. That You might be central before, during and after Any relationships were ever formed. Our foundation built upon the Rock of our God. What have I done wrong Lord? How have I displeased you? You need only speak and everything I’ve ever longed for would be made complete in her. But Your will be done.

She is on a worldly course much too fast to pay respect to me. She will engage someone else to whom She supplied her heart freely. All the signs point east and I stand west with flowers in hand, Only to be denied rejected, unrequited once again. Were she my enemy I would pray for Your wrath to avenge my bruised heart. But as I am bound to love her, I can only pray that she finds the happiness I intended to give and prayed endlessly for her to have. Oh Father, in humility and brokenness I lift these psalms to You. For only You great God will hear the poor in spirit and those who weep, Lacking strength for tears.

Psalm 45
Do you know the strength of power by which God loves? It is bold enough to set the earth in motion perched carefully among the stars. He graces your every breath and ungracious heartbeat He adorns your frame with elegant beauty and places His treasured Spirit within you. His love is preceded by sacrifice, immortalized through faithfulness. For you, the same power lives in me.

Psalm 46
Before You, O God, who dares to stand In pride, in honor, in fame All beauty and pride of life All success and lust of flesh Falls faint to the floor equally As bodies prostrate Before the one true glory To humbly and reverently fear The God of our fathers. May the words that I sing Exhale praise to You By the very breath of life you grant to me.

Psalm 47
I live in a world that is constantly disappointing. The small treasures I gather here I strive to hold on to, but these pleasures simply fade away with time. Not before too long, I am again unsatisfied. No woman, no friend, no fame or sense of accomplishment Can requite this overwhelming feeling that “everything is in vain.” This constant pursuit of happiness is the bond that shackles our humanity to this world That hopes constantly for heavenly freedom. Lord, every step I take is short lived. Every attempt is meaningless. Somehow it is the sum of these steps, the accumulations of our efforts that projects our hopes onto a higher glory, One that is aimed for the marked blessings of our Creator.

Psalm 48
Who can compare to You, Lord Most High? What friend? What family? Can give love like you. Though time and time again I beat against the wall of your grace. Pressing against Your patience. But You, dear God, abound in mercy. I do not deserve Your love. I, like a harlot shamed and disgraced, am only accepted by You. Pour out Your light on me Father. Simply gaze upon me that I might renew my strength. Remind me of who You are. Never let me turn away to any idol. Remove all iniquity and temptation that separates me from You. Mercy! You are full of mercy! How great is that gift! Let my eyes cast upon the truth. Let my heart beat to the sounds of righteousness. Let my mind think upon holy things. Let my spirit, my will, yield to my Maker. Gracious Father, thank You. Never let me go, I pray.

My Arms
My arms of love stretch wide for you Cleft in the rock, your earthen refuge They keep you safe; they shall not move When torrents rage 'gainst hopes anew

My arms of love stretch wide for you To pull you in when foes abuse To cover sin with love and truth Forgiveness reigns while mercy rules.

These arms of love stretch wide for you To soak up tears when smiles are few To comfort pain should love flee soon My arms of love were meant for you

Give Thanks to a Stranger
I give thanks to those who give light to my soul. They calm my heart, and grant a sense of home. In troubled times they balm my groans From labored loneliness and helpless hope.

Their smile bubbles up from a warm place They encourage me to continue the royal race And even as I steadily lose my pace, My spirit is renewed when I see their face.

Joy self-assembles as they greet No other countenance would I rather meet Than theirs; in this moment, I feel complete. The peace of true fellowship is often sweet.

They see something in me I refuse to see myself Where my eyes claim poverty, they insist there is wealth They profess great things about me, this broken, empty shell Yet their words inspire me to climb out of my cold, dark well.

I give thanks to those who give light to my soul Who offset, through kindness, life's mundane tolls 'Tis so sweet for the desperate to know There truly is a love that helps make men whole.

This Distance
This distance that separates you from me I cannot see I cannot see Why?

Where is the joy we shared The hopes and dreams we dared Let's try Let's try

Again I long to smile with you My friend I wish you knew How I cry How I cry

Inside there's nothing more, nothing new I pray your heart renews Lest I die Lest I die

Dear Friend
Father, please do not let me lose a friend so dear What if we die and all that separates us is fear Of what we'd say, maybe harshly that pulls a tear All I want is for each one of us to draw near together

I need this friend almost as much as I need You No one else I've ever met can do what she can do To this broken heart, and beat up soul she knew Yet still by Your love and through faith we grew as one

She reminds me of Your love for us A living light, a selfless sacrifice A beautiful soul, a true blessing, and so I must Appeal to You my God for my dear friend I've lost

Father, oh great God, please don't let me lose her too! You have taken away all my love, all my pride. Everything I have or have accomplished is Yours. Please spare me just one friend To grow old with and share joy until life's bitter end. One to share in deep care with You between us drawing us near. This is the love I've longed to know. A passionate love for one, with You, to bind two souls.

Psalm 53
No longer should you view yourself as a woman with a scarlet letter. Rather, I see you as one with a scarlet heart. My friend, I know the beauty of your soul... Full of love, kindness, compassion, ready to serve, willing to give. I believe it shall always be so granted you keep the dogs of bitterness and frustration at bay.