Thoughts From A Christian Woman 5f5t6y

Thoughts from a Christian Woman

Sharon D. Herron

Copyright © 2011 by Sharon D. Herron.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011910996

ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-4628-9761-2

Softcover 978-1-4628-9760-5

Ebook 978-1-4628-9762-9

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Contents

Turning Around

New Life

Roughness Of Life

You Can Be

Prayer For Peace

Minding God

Feeling The Spirit

Blessings

Thinking Ahead

The Altar

Freedom

My Prayer Closet

War and Peace

Seasons of Time

Guardians

Changing Power

Game of Life

Prayer For Direction

My Broken Heart

Thinking Things Over

Worthy Life

Moment of Time

Back in Time

Future Vision

Listening

Emotional Hurt

Missing Happiness

Faithfulness

Mother’s Day

Father’s Day

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Christmas

Christmas Morning

Christmas Visions

Christmas Choir

Frosty Visitor

Snowflake

Lens

Mountain Sights

Awareness

Mom’s Okay

Who I Am

Teenage Message

Thoughts of Yesteryear

Special Woman

Special Man

My Grandfather

My Aunt Jeannie

My Pastor

Business World

Business Woman

Business Friend

Businessman

Business Associate

Friend in Business

Best Friends

My Friend’s Family

Friendship

Friends

Friendship From God

Presence of Love

Experience With a Friend

Dedicated To

God

For inspiring my thoughts and enabling

me to put those thoughts into words.

2 Corinthians 4:7

For My Family

My husband Donald, my daughters Kristina, Alysia and Tralissa, my grandchildren Matthew, Jessica and Sydney and my great-grandchildren Trinity and Jamie.

Turning Around

Seeing this world as a fantasy land,

Trusting and believing in all man.

Needing no one to help me on my way every day,

I was managing things in my own way.

Walking this earth with a blinded eye,

Not really noticing people as they by.

Not really seeing things around me

For I was just out for myself you see.

Then one day my eyes began to see,

All the unsealed gifts God was keeping for me.

Putting my faith and trust in Him,

Beginning to feel love and caring in my heart begin.

Seeing things I never saw before,

In this new world I’m beginning to explore.

Feeling a change in my life take place,

Realizing my need for God’s loving embrace.

Being divinely born again.

Given a new life that’s ready to begin.

I know I’ll stumble and fall,

But God will sustain me as I give my all

Opening up my blinded eyes

I’ve begun to realize,

My need for the love of God

On this troubled path I trod.

New Life

I reached down in my soul

And I felt God dwelling there.

His spirit had me in a great hold

And His voice I could hear.

He showed me how I needed Him

In order through this life to get.

I saw where I’d already been

And the future for me He had set.

He reached out from heaven above

To show how He cares for me.

He touched me with His love

And turned my heart toward others to see.

For others to see how much I care

It’s nothing compared to Him.

For God’s care is beyond compare

And His love will never grow dim.

I want others to be able to find

All the things that I’ve found.

My thoughts of God aren’t left behind

But given to others who are all around.

If God’s light can shine through me

And His love and care are in my heart

For others around me all to see,

I’ll feel I’ve done my part.

Sometimes I hit a stone wall

Telling others about God.

Some people make me want to sit and bawl

Because they think I’m so odd.

So I don’t say too much

Until God opens up a door.

I let them use me as a crutch

Until I’m able to tell them more.

I don’t want people to look up to me

Or be anything special in anyone’s eye.

I just want all to come to know my God within me

And learn that for them on the cross Christ died.

I want others to be able to see,

I want others to be able to feel,

All the things that I see,

All the things that I feel.

Roughness Of Life

My life sometimes is really rough,

I wonder why God has to be so tough?

Why couldn’t He just let me coast along

With nothing ever going wrong?

I suppose then I’d grow to not appreciate

All the blessings He’s given to stimulate,

This weak heart and mind of mine

Making my thoughts stay clear and refine.

Looking about at others around me

Some of them have it a lot tougher than me, I can see.

Their mind is in such a mental strain,

So who am I to complain.

Just giving some thoughts to brighten their day,

To temporarily push some of their anguish away.

To enable them to somehow see,

Their whole life is not a catastrophe.

For God is here to sustain us

And I hope to make that quite obvious.

For He’ll remove all of our instability

Replacing it with a peaceful tranquility.

So if God let my life drift on an even keel,

Others problems to me wouldn’t seem real.

I wouldn’t care the way I do,

Others happiness I wouldn’t continue to pursue.

You Can Be

You can be

What you want to be.

It’s all a matter

Of the mind you see.

Up one day

Down the next

Coping with life’s situations

Keeps the mind at its best.

Differently seeing things

A newness it brings.

As thoughts are rearranged

A brand new life springs.

Opening up our eyes

We begin to comprehend,

How caring for another

A damaged heart can mend.

This world is good

And its riches are many,

If only we would

See it as we should.

You can be

Enriched by what you see,

People, places and things,

All of them are free.

Prayer For Peace

Dear Lord reach out and comfort me

As my eyes look to the heavens above to Thee.

Teach me though not understanding to accept if I can

All Your wisdom in my life’s plan.

Instill within me a peacefulness

That only You alone possess.

Fill me with Your love overflowing

That it might touch others without me even knowing.

Give me faith wrapped around me as a shawl

So I’ll always have it when I stumble and fall.

Take this weak person that I am,

Make me strong yet gentle as a lamb.

Dear Lord hear my prayer.

Shower me with Your loving care.

For the mind, body and soul of me

I surrender it all to Thee.

Amen

Minding God

Have you ever thought about what it’s like to mind God,

Submitting yourself to God’s Purpose on this road you trod,

Letting God have His way even when your way grows dim,

Turning your whole heart, mind and soul over to Him?

How here in this world you one day will leave your mark,

While upon this winding roadway of life you embark?

These are questions I’ve often asked and pondered about myself

And just maybe you’ve asked the same questions of yourself.

I’ve thought and I’ve thought about answers to my life,

But the more I thought the more I filled my life with strife.

I’ve struggled and struggled with my mind,

Wondering if my answers I would ever really find.

Then one day God showed me why I didn’t fit,

How upon this earth I’m sort of a misfit.

You see, I have no citizenship upon this earth,

For I’ve really belonged to God since my birth.

I’m really just put here for just a little while,

Then one day my God with me will reconcile.

Struggling with my thoughts will be no more,

For I’ll be walking down heaven’s corridor.

So the answers to my many questions are quite clear,

For all of a sudden before my eyes they did suddenly appear.

You see, it’s not my mark but God’s mark I’m leaving behind,

It’s the life I live for God that affects all mankind.

Feeling The Spirit

Walking down the church aisle,

Taking our place upon the pew.

Sitting and meditating for awhile,

As a force overtakes us to pursue.

Feeling this presence all around us,

Yet our eyes can’t seem to focus on a thing.

Not really wanting this force to flee it’s obvious,

For our body needs to stay wrapped in this covering.

Feeling the need to bow down and kneel,

For our Lord and Savior is here.

God is making Himself so real,

That we can feel Him as He draws us near.

The Holy Spirit has taken control now,

Giving us the wisdom of His Spirit.

We share the mind of God somehow,

As our all to Him we submit.

Walking back up the aisle,

As the service has come to an end.

Yet we’ll carry this Spirit with us for a while,

For there is nothing like feeling the Holy Spirit upon us descend.

We’ve been humbled once again,

By the presence of God today.

It’s covered us and entered our hearts within,

Showing us how to mind God and obey.

Blessings

Blessings, given to us alone,

All to numerous to count.

They don’t come from the seeds that man has sown

Or are given from a worldly bank .

Blessings are a gift from God

Bestowed because He loves us.

And even though this world might find it quite odd,

I find it all quite exuberant and marvelous.

Blessings fulfill our very existence.

Oh, maybe you can’t draw or sing or cook or sew,

But I’m sure in something you have experience,

Even if it’s reading a book to a little one you know.

Blessings are each moment we have to share,

With our loved ones, our friends and the world out there.

It’s the guidance God gives to oversee us everywhere,

If only we take things to Him in prayer.

Blessings, think none have fallen your way,

Think in this life you haven’t been blessed?

The next time when you kneel and pray,

You need to thank God for everything you possess.

You see, He’s given all for us on our path we trod,

He gave His Son, what more could we ask.

We all can feel kisses from God

When we accept Him and follow His task.

Thinking Ahead

Did you ever wonder what it would be like,

To walk upon God’s streets of gold?

Some of us don’t even think about it

Until we’re growing old.

Did you ever wonder what it would be like,

To see God’s mansion standing tall?

Where He’s promised us by His word

There’ll be rooms to hold us all.

Did you ever wonder what it would be like,

To once again look upon faces from long ago

And hug and greet your loved ones,

That here on earth you use to know?

Did you ever wonder what it would be like,

To have no more pain, worry or unhappiness,

To spend everyday of your life

With your heart in total gladness?

Did you ever think what it would be like,

To look upon God’s holy face

And see Jesus at His side,

While your life is at a peaceful pace?

Did you ever think what it would be like,

If you missed out on all these things,

Just because you decided to sidestep God

And all the faith in fulfilled promises He brings?

The Altar

Have you ever come to church on Sunday,

Wanting to go to the altar to pray,

Because inside you have lost something,

That this world for you could not bring?

Did you ever feel just glued to your seat

And feel like somehow Satan just has you beat?

The chains of bondage sometimes are so tight

And the links so confining that it’s hard to fight.

Your thoughts play a game inside your head,

Hearing God yet you’re by Satan being misled.

Your mind is beginning to scream and shout,

As you try to reason everything out.

Then a calmness and peace take place

Suddenly you can feel the power of God’s grace.

The battle within has just been won,

For God has Satan on the run.

Now you can feel God’s penetrating love

Flowing down from the heavens above.

You can actually feel the touch of God’s hand,

As the Holy Spirit in you takes command.

So now as you come to kneel at the altar,

You know exactly where you are.

You’re kneeling down on Holy sod,

You’re in the very presence of God.

Freedom

Lord, with just the gentle touch of Your fingertip,

Draw a circle around our lives like a vacuum.

Let it enclose us in Your loving grip

And fill our lives with freedom.

A freedom from the outside world,

So full of anger, hate and devilish acts.

A world overtaken by sin and corruption unfurled,

Not realizing You’re there for us Lord to interact.

Inside that circle of a loving cord,

Give us a caring, hurting heart that won’t cease,

For others around us who don’t really know you Lord

And haven’t found their lives fulfilled with peace.

Continue to fill us with peace that flows upon us in excess,

Trickling down over us without ceasing.

Constantly drawing us to a place of quiet restfulness,

With a calmness only You can instill and bring.

We anxiously await Your comforting touch,

As the presence of the Holy Spirit falls upon us,

Giving us Your anointing we need so much.

Overflowing us with freedom and peace victorious.

Free us from the ropes of sinful bondage,

Free us from the condemnation of Hell,

Bless us with and refresh our Godly heritage,

Forever for us in eternity to dwell.

My Prayer Closet

When entering my prayer closet place

I lose the presence of this world,

For in this capsule of space

I find only my God and I.

In this quiet silence of time

My heart is transposed anew,

For God’s stairway to Heaven I climb

There meeting with my Lord and Savior.

As we sit and chat awhile

I find He knows me very well,

As He looks upon me with a smile

He assures me He knows my heavy heart.

Just lay it all at My feet

I will carry your heavy load,

As I hear to me God’s voice speak,

With the greatest love and care I’ve known.

I tell Him how I love Him so,

Just how much He means to me,

How He lights my life with a glow,

As He lovingly guides, leads and directs my way.

You see, this time with God is very special,

As I grow closer and closer to my Lord,

The things of this world seem very trivial,

When within me I carry the spirit of God.

I hope that you have a quiet place,

That you too can connect with God,

For He will give you continuing love and grace,

He will change you and make your life anew.

War and Peace

There is a war within me raging,

With Satan and my life at this staging.

For Satan has me in a tight hold in his clutches,

Trying to suffocate my life with his overpowering touches.

My heart begins to scream out in anguish,

Be gone Satan, I want no part for your acts are devilish.

My heart cries out to God in dismay,

Relieve me of this turmoil and confusion I pray.

Free me from the pathway of strife,

Promote a calming effect upon my life.

Help me to find a state of tranquility,

Giving my heart peace and serenity.

I need an inner contentment to feel inside,

A harmonious state with others to abide.

I need your peace to rule in my heart.

Show me a humble, teachable attitude to impart.

I will seek your peace and pursue it,

For to you God I surrender and myself recommit.

Suddenly God’s presence sweeps over me,

Calming all the rage within as my thoughts are set free.

Now peace is flowing over me like a roaring river,

From my hearts suffering God will deliver.

For God’s understanding and love

Has been poured down upon me from above.

Seasons of Time

As the seasons change so do our lives,

With all the same care, direction and persistence.

For through the maze of the seasons we find,

The results of our very own existence.

The awakening of spring and the new birth of the land,

Blows in joy and contentment filling the air.

As the flowers are nourished their blooming begins

And their aroma and beauty deserves all our stare.

As the summer approaches us with earth’s heat,

All the plants have reached their full bloom.

Each thing unnourished falls to the wayside,

But those that are left can beautify a whole room.

Fall has come and gives life a rough time,

Making it harder to keep its surrounding beauty.

The earth tries so hard not to look tired,

For it has been nourished so well standing tall is its duty.

The downcast of winter is upon us now,

But the memories of what once had been,

A glorious sight for man’s eyes to behold,

Has as all beautiful things do come to an end.

The next time that you pick a rose from your garden,

Pick a young bud and watch its pedals unfurl.

Look at your own life and its meaning to others,

Are you full of nourishment or are your petals beginning to curl?

Guardians

Each time we reach our lowest terrain,

Someone’s there to ease the strain.

For placed in the mist of mankind,

Certain guardians are assigned.

For angels don’t fly by night unseen,

Rather are placed on this earth with others to convene.

So when a concerned stranger steps into our world,

With all of the love within them unfurled,

We don’t have to ask from whence they came,

For they are sent from above as our guardians to claim.

Changing Power

If I had the power

Of the universe within me,

I’d bring to life each flower

So they could dwell around me.

If I had the power

To see hearts filled with sadness,

I’d blow away each sorrow

And turn them into gladness.

If I had the power

To reach the hearts of man,

I’d bind him with a loving band

And extend a caring hand.

If I had the power

To change man’s hurting heart and mind,

I’d erase it for all time

So contentment he could find.

If I had the power

Of changing life’s realistic quality,

I’d turn hopes into fulfillment

And dreams into reality.

If I had the power

To do the things I’d like to do,

I’d share that power with you

So we could touch a heart or two.

Game of Life

I wonder what I would do

If I were to be faced

With the same situations as you.

Not all our situations are the same

But for some unknown reason

They’re all played like a game.

We take our pieces and start to play

Watching to make sure

We move them in the right way.

Around the board with care

Each piece is cautiously moved

Trying to out maneuver the others dare.

The thought of winning we clutch

But it’s how the game was played

That makes winning or losing mean so much.

For if that game were played with thought and care

Both for and against our opponents

Then win or lose the game was fair.

Life’s situations are much like this game

My thoughts keep telling me

For in each being fair makes the rules the same.

In some of our situations the rules are changed

For we’re not being honest to ourselves or others

When the pieces get disarrange.

If we would let God our judge be

As to where we have gone wrong

He’d give us hidden dimensions to see.

Accept for our situation His will

Whether it be to our liking or not

Then sit back and listen and be still.

Prayer For Direction

Dear Lord I pray,

While traveling on life’s road

You’ll help me on my way,

For alone I can’t carry the load.

Dear Lord I pray,

Your light will shine through me

So others might see in me each day,

The glory I hold for Thee.

Dear Lord I pray,

You’ll steady me on my feet

So I’m not led astray,

But rather have Satan suffer defeat.

Dear Lord I pray,

You’ll enclose me in Your love,

Helping me share with others along my way

What I’ve received from above.

Dear Lord I pray,

You’ll forgive me for all I’ve done,

The things I’ve overlooked,

The things I’ve left undone.

Dear Lord I pray,

Your love in me You’ll continue to install,

So to others I might convey

The care You’ve extended to us all.

Amen

My Broken Heart

So many pieces scattered everywhere,

Scattered out over the atmosphere.

So disarranged and disconnected,

Maybe never to be collected.

These pieces are of my heart,

For it has been broken completely apart.

Now help is needed to make these pieces of puzzle fit together interlocking,

But wait my heart has a puzzle maker knocking.

For God said I can give you peace,

I can make the pain decrease,

I can restore your heart anew,

Give comfort and healing to you.

Just lay your burden upon me,

For only I your God have the key.

I can give you the harmony in your life you seek,

If you’ll only listen to me speak.

This whole puzzle can come to light,

Right before you it will all come into sight.

For thru God the whole picture you will visualize,

And you will have learned more than you can begin to even realize.

Thinking Things Over

Many times as I sit and toss things over in my mind,

I can realize how God has put me here on this earth for a reason,

And how I hope to fulfill that reason before my life runs out of time,

As I somehow reach out and touch the life of another person.

I don’t want to waste my time here upon this earth,

I need to reach out a little farther I can see,

And show how much caring can be worth,

To those who are all around me.

God blessed us all with loving hearts,

That He meant to be shared with others,

And once we let the flow of love start,

We’re bound to touch the heart of another.

If we will care enough for someone

And that person realizes how much it’s meant to them.

Then if they’ll reach out and care about someone,

Well the chances of it not continuing again and again are slim.

A chain reaction can be started

And if it’s done with lovingness,

We could keep our fellowman from being parted

With the feeling of loneliness.

There’s an old saying, “you can’t take it with you”,

So to leave a trail of love and caring behind is what I’m praying

And continuing it when I’m gone is something someone else will have to do,

As we learn from each other thru caring.

To let our lives have meaning,

That’s all I’m trying to say.

To let our lives with love start beaming,

For this dear God I pray.

Worthy Life

Mistakes, yes I’ve made quite a few

And I’ll continue to make them

In a lot of the things I say and do.

Accepting me for who I am

Is hard sometimes for others to do,

Yet I know they do try to understand.

I may be a citizen of two worlds

But my allegiance is to God,

For my life is like the oysters uncultured pearls.

I’m small and simple and plain,

But with God’s patient love and refinement,

I can be shaped and polished never to be the same.

How much more that pearl is worth,

What a different meaning ones life can have,

When we let God’s magnitude shine forth.

Like an instrument abused,

Left unpolished and unattended to,

When it’s been neglected and unused.

So my life left uncultured, unpolished and unattended,

Gives me no value in this world,

But God’s grace upon me has ascended.

He works to keep me cultured, shined and repaired,

Then my life has more worth

And beautiful music from me can be aired.

Oh, I’ll get hurt, get angry and make mistakes,

But God will pick the pieces up,

Fitting them together for everything I undertake.

So please don’t misjudge my God today,

Not by the example that I set,

Rather search Him out and find Him in your own way.

I’m just an immature child,

Not capable of helping you find your way,

So go straight to my Father and get your life reconciled.

Moment of Time

Each moment of time we dearly clutch,

But it’s how we spend that time

That can make our lives mean so much,

For sometimes our thoughts need worked overtime.

We don’t even take a moment

To really see the things around us,

To really hear the things that are present.

Isn’t it all ridiculous?

We always seem the time to find

To always do all our worldly things.

We somehow overlook the souls of mankind

In all our earthly gatherings.

Back in Time

Take my life back in time

To the hours of yesterday

When I was in my prime

And games were fun to play.

Take me back to yesterday

To times of no pretense

When days were of a happy way

And life was covered with innocence.

Knowing there is no way,

Then help me learn from experience

What I need to know today

To accept these years of permanence.

To find right now in time

Even though life’s different,

A solace in this mind of mine

To keep me from discouragement.

Future Vision

Being a child I’d often visualize

How I’d feel once I was old and wise.

As time has ed by year after year

I’ve found I hadn’t seen it all very clear.

For I could picture the man I’d wed

And the dream house we would build sometime ahead.

I thought of love turning this house into a home

Blessed with children to play and roam.

My vision even enabled me to foresee

The wedding of my children to be.

The grandchildren as they’d come to play

For every child likes to come to grandma’s to stay.

I thought of traveling after retirement age

The places we’d visit and see at this stage.

I thought of our time being our own

Being free to travel and roam.

Unclearly seeing things as I looked ahead

I didn’t realize there would be things to dread.

For I didn’t picture any stumbling blocks

Or how my life would teeter and rock.

I had painted a bright picture of the years to come

I didn’t realize all the times I’d just want to run.

Just trying to cope with the world around

And all the unhappiness that was to be found.

Listening

Have you ever heard the birds chirp

On a warm clear day,

Have you ever heard a baby burp

On your shoulder where he lay,

Have you ever gone to bed at night

And listened to the rain,

Have you ever heard a child’s delight

When you played with them a game,

Have you ever sat at the dinner table

And really listened to the prayer,

Have you ever heard the telling of a fable

And wished real hard you were there,

Have you ever heard the puffing of the wind

As it rustled through the trees,

Have you ever heard the ocean waves descend

Or listened to the stillness of the seas,

Have you ever sat in the church pew

And heard the voices of the choir start,

Have you ever heard God’s word ring true

As it reached down to your heart,

Have you ever heard “I love you”

And know it was truly meant,

Have you ever heard “I missed you”

After time apart you’ve spent,

Have you listened to the world around you

And captured every sound,

Have you heard the people too,

Because listen — they’re all around.

Emotional Hurt

Oh, the agony and pain

Caused by emotional hurt.

These feelings if we could only desert,

To pull out the plug letting them drain,

To have our heartache cease,

To erase it from all time,

To find in the mind peace,

To have our spirits climb.

Not sitting on pins and needles

To say what’s on your mind.

To express your feelings free from within,

To leave uncomfortableness behind.

To find these things again,

To have the hurt departed,

To have the healing period end,

To get back to where we started.

Missing Happiness

Please help me dear Lord to find

All the happiness I need to call mine.

I see few thoughts of happiness behind

Thru all those wasted years of time.

To see within the future

A shot at happiness for me.

Whether I deserve it I’m not sure,

Yet my heart aches for these feelings to foresee.

My whole world seems torn apart

Not having any happiness to share.

I know it’s all my fault

But I can’t stop feeling that You care.

I don’t mean it to be selfish Lord.

Others happiness I’d never take away,

That would carry a price my heart can’t afford.

Just send me a little of my own some way.

Faithfulness

Having something heavy upon my heart

Was a decision I needed to make.

I turned to God in prayer to start

But His answer I just didn’t know how to take.

My mind took over and questioned Him.

My thoughts said there is no way.

I just couldn’t comprehend

What exactly God was trying to say.

So God took me by the hand.

He said, “Put your faith in Me.

I’ll help to make you understand

And then your blinded eyes will see”.

So I answered to His call

Doing what He asked me to do,

Because He told me I wouldn’t fall,

And everything He told me proved true.

I found a faith and trust in God

To me was really refreshingly new.

And even though it may seem odd

My eyes now see things differently they view.

My seeds of faith and trust in God have grown,

For I’ve been nourished by His love,

And now there are sprouts upon the seeds I’ve sown.

Oh, great is Thy faithfulness sent from above.

Mother’s Day

Sometimes when I’m sitting down

My thoughts start turning around,

To times of yesteryear

And the precious Mother I hold so dear.

She had such a role in my life to play

Touching me in her own special way.

These thoughts continually play upon my mind

As I travel in this infinity called time.

I only had her for a little while

But oh, the thoughts of her my mind can compile.

You see, she left her mark upon my life

Which tends to help me now in my times of strife.

She is the force hidden deep inside of me

That has brought forth this person that you now see.

Done with lots of love and care

And a knee bent daily in prayer.

See God just loaned her for a little while

To make sure with Him I would reconcile.

My lessons I’ve learned real well

For upon my knees God and I now sit quite a spell.

See Mother’s Day is just not one day a year,

But every day when we hold someone so dear,

For of themselves Mothers contribute so much,

It’s hard to hold our love in just one day to clutch.

Father’s Day

Looking back and recalling on this Father’s Day,

So many things I needed to learn,

So many things I needed to say.

Only memories are left of a loving time,

So much we needed with each other to share,

So much now lost in life’s uphill climb.

I’d like to tell you about this man I did know,

Yet I really don’t know what to say,

Except I highly ired and loved him so.

My love for him seems to grow and grow each day,

For he’s left his mark upon my life,

Done in his own unknowing way.

You see, he was a very smart man,

Full of charm and dignity,

And I’ll pattern my life after him if I can.

Taught his children to work for what they got,

For he never used or took anything from anyone,

Even if it meant he’d have to struggle somewhat.

Oh, he did some things of which I disapprove,

But then I’m sure I did with him too,

That’s just a part of life you can’t remove.

I carry his wisdom in my mind

So when I’m facing a big decision,

Somehow then that right answer I always find.

I’ve ired this man my whole life thru,

For he is special in my eyes,

Makes me want to honor him in everything I do.

If I could reach out and leave half the mark

This man has left on my life so far,

I know someone would receive quite a spark.

I’m so lucky to have had

All those years with him since I’ve been born,

For you see he is my DAD.

I wouldn’t have traded this man for any other Dad.

Well, why should I,

When I had the best to be had.

So as you reflect on this Father’s Day,

Recall all of those things you could have said,

Or maybe that you still have time to say.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

I question and I think of this world with each earthly member,

As I’m sitting here thinking thoughts of Thanksgiving Day.

I wish somehow I could be an examiner,

Seeing inside the workings of their hearts and minds some way.

Does the world feel as blessed as I feel I am,

For all God has bestowed upon me?

Do they realize that God sent Jesus to be our precious Lamb,

As we read of him crying out for God’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Jesus bled and died for us , then rose again,

Oh thanks be to God for His saving grace.

Help me Lord to the worlds hearts and minds to explain,

How easy Your love is to embrace.

Does the world understand what God has done?

Do they understand all of our thanks goes to Him,

For He has given to us the life of His very own Son?

Do they understand He did it for all of them?

I want the world to know You God the way I do,

I want them to feel Your love the way I feel it,

Let them see the plan for their lives you drew,

If only to You they will themselves totally commit.

Oh what else is there to possibly say?

We all have so much to be thankful for,

As we give our thanks to God this Thanksgiving and every day,

By letting God over our own hearts be our Inquisitor.

So this year let’s celebrate Thanksgiving in a different way,

Let’s all reach out with love and prayer to our fellow man,

Showing God our thanks by our love we convey.

Let’s share with the world the foundation of God in which we stand.

Christmas

Christmas is the time of year

That should bring each a lot of cheer,

But we tend to capitalize

On all the material things of our lives.

We manage to leave Christ out,

Even though that’s what Christmas is all about.

It’s His birthday we celebrate

On this very important date.

Without Christ being born this day

Our sins would never have been washed away.

We’d have our burdens to carry alone

With no place to call our heavenly home.

So as this season approaches us

Let’s all slow down and not rush,

And take a moment to

That it’s our Savior’s birthday in December.

This Christmas let’s try giving a special gift

That will give someone else a lift.

One that doesn’t include material things,

But a heart where love springs.

Let’s reach out to our fellow man

And let this be our gift if we can,

Then tie it with a ribbon of care

And present it to someone to make this Christmas rare.

Christmas Morning

Waking up one Christmas morn,

I was as surprised as I could be,

For scattered about under our Christmas tree,

Were gifts awaiting there for me.

These gifts weren’t presents all wrapped up,

But rather were visions for me to see.

For lingering all around the tree,

Were visions of love dancing before me.

Love for all my family gathered round

And what each one means to me.

It was like having a book opened before me,

With each page revealing a message to see.

There’re my friends from long ago

And friends I have now gotten to know.

Oh, how these visions come and go,

As the thoughts in my mind just flow and flow.

There was another vision that came into view,

One that glowed with radiated love and care,

For Jesus was waiting for me there,

To capture my heart and make me with Him a t-heir.

Christmas Visions

Taking my Christmas tree down this year,

Some visions to me began to appear,

For I saw more than just a pine tree,

That was all decorated for me to see.

As I first removed each bulb of man’s handicraft,

Each hook I unfastened I thought of being a fisherman on Jesus behalf.

Some of those bulbs were old and worn,

For some had been in my family since I was born.

My mother’s name was printed on one,

That really made my thoughts go back some.

Some of the decorations were a little frayed,

For they were made by my children at the school where they played.

My grandchildren had made me a few decorations too,

For they loved to create things as most children do.

These creations were hung with extra loving care,

For my grandchildren are God’s gifts from Him to me to share.

Next I removed the garland looping each branch of the tree,

And I thought of that long curved road Christ walked for me up to Calvary.

I was really beginning to see,

Exactly what all this tree represented to me.

As I began to remove the lights,

I thought of how each one shined so bright.

If only man’s life would shine that way

We’d have our Christmas tree with us every day.

At last from the top I removed the star,

It was the brightest light on that tree by far.

Without that light that shone over Bethlehem when the wise men came,

Neither this tree nor man’s life would be the same.

One main thought was left behind with me.

If we’d let God decorate our lives as bright as this tree,

What a glorious sight we’d be for others to see,

What a peace over man would come to be.

A tear started trickling down my face,

As I put everything away in its place,

For the memories of my faded youth and family past and present,

But most of all for God’s love in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ He sent.

Christmas Choir

We sing praises unto our Lord,

As we gather here today,

Lifting our voices in one accord,

During this blessed Christmas holiday.

For in a town named Bethlehem

A babe in a manger was born.

He would be our sacrificial lamb

Bestowing love upon us to adorn.

He is the King of Kings,

He is the Prince of Peace,

Our voices unite and sings,

As expressions of profound love we release.

As we come together here today to worship,

ing our Savior’s birthday,

Let us hold within our hands grip,

The very essence of the meaning of Christmas Day.

Please hear our message today

As we bring it forth in song,

The story of Jesus’ love being sent your way

And how in your heart He wants to belong.

Frosty Visitor

Old Jack Frost paid a visit last night,

Oh, he left such a wondrous sight,

For dropped from his fingertip,

Came a silvery white frosting whip.

Before me completely covered over

Was a new landscape for me to discover,

One that had changed for this day,

But wouldn’t be here long to stay.

Each twig of each branch of each tree

Had been touched by this frosting for me.

There wasn’t a shrub that hadn’t turned white,

Everything glistened like stars in the night.

The ground was all coated with icing

That clung to each pole and the wiring.

Yet I saw the roads laid perfectly clear,

As my eyes were taking in everything near.

What a visit Old Jack Frost paid,

With this frosted wonderland before me he laid.

He left not a thing in sight untouched.

I wonder if God knew I’d enjoy it this much?

Snowflake

Did you ever watch a snowflake fall

From somewhere in the sky,

And see it land right on your fingertip,

Right before your eye?

Did you ever notice all the different shapes

That snowflake has to it,

And how different each one is,

Before your body heat melts it where it lit?

Did you ever notice that snowflakes don’t fall all the same,

For they each take a different path,

As they’re falling from the heavens,

To shower our earth with a snowy bath?

Do you realize just how these snowflakes

Because they’re stuck together real fine

And have covered this great land of ours

They’ve beautified the eyes of all mankind?

Lens

I finally convinced myself

To the eye doctor I would go,

For there are things we just owe to our self,

And the thought of s just set my face aglow.

I’ve worn these glasses on my nose,

For twenty four years I’ve felt them slide,

How I’ve hated them no one knows,

Now my minds made up to toss them aside.

So I’m sitting in the doctor’s office

Fidgeting in the waiting room seat,

Knowing my determination I can’t dismiss,

As I wait for this doctor I’m to meet.

When my name they finally did call,

The doctor came in and greeted me,

In this room located down the hall,

He was as warm and friendly as could be.

After my eyes were completely tested,

He asked if I’d like to try this lens upon my eye,

For s if possible I had requested,

In my heart I just knew I had to try.

I managed somehow to get this tiny lens

To rest upon the pupil of my eye.

After that first time I was ready to shout amens,

For my determination had reached a new high.

He said he’d order lens for me so I could see,

They’d call when they came in,

My number I gave where they could reach me,

Within two days I was back in there again.

I put in these miniature lens called s,

I didn’t succeed right away,

For it took a few times to do it exact

And get them so they’d stay.

After my eyes had been checked out

With these s resting in their place,

I just knew without a doubt,

No way the radiance upon my face I could erase.

He asked if I’d like to wear them home that day,

But only for six hours to start,

I think he knew by looking at me there was no way,

That these lens and I wanted to part.

I felt like a new person driving down the road,

I was grinning from ear to ear,

Ready any moment to explode,

With my excitement filling the atmosphere.

I would look to the left and then to the right,

No dark circles could I see,

No blocked vision from the sides of my sight,

My ears and nose were free.

There’s a feeling within me I can’t hide,

If this experience I were only granted for one week,

It would be worth all the money laid aside,

I’d hold it as a trip that was quite unique.

I can see —I can see,

Without anything resting upon my ears and nose,

Is it really me —Is it really me,

That’s blooming out like a rose.

Mountain Sights

I’m sitting here in this rocking chair,

Looking out across the view,

God here are my eyes opened for you,

Show me what You need me to see out there.

While gazing upon how truly great my God really is,

I’m looking at the vastness of this mountain terrain,

Experiencing wonders my eyes are all too soon to sustain,

For God is revealing His vision while using my eyes to see like His.

I see the mountain tops scalloped against the sky,

The outline of the high peaks and the depth of the low peaks,

As the fog lifts and the sun thru the cloud sneaks,

Making the sight from my eyes intensify.

Deep crevices are etched into the hillside,

Shadows are being cast upon the deepest areas below.

Now what does God really want me to know?

For somehow my sight and thoughts are all starting to collide.

As I sit and ponder and let God speak,

I see my life is much like this mountain terrain,

I have my peaks and my valleys I’ve obtained,

As the fog from Satan tries to take over my life and make me weak.

But God has overcome my shadows with His light,

He has brought me from the depth of sin,

My peace, serenity and closeness to God are genuine,

His love for me is carrying me to a new height.

So while I sit back and look upon this amazing view,

My eyes are really taking in something more,

For me to set my sights upon and explore,

As surely as it is a touch from God’s own hand for me to pursue.

I always see things a little different,

Somehow I always see something new,

As I sit and look upon this view,

Hearing God speak thru my environment.

CAN YOU?

Awareness

While traveling down the road

I got stopped behind a big yellow bus,

It was from a school near by

And it was carrying quite a load.

Looking thru the window at the children there

It made my heart go weak,

I got a lump in my throat

And a tear fell down my cheek.

Later I got to deeply thinking

About what I saw that day,

For this bus was bearing children

Who were handicapped in some way.

When I looked thru the bus door,

I saw all the wheelchairs fastened down,

I guess I’ll have to it,

That’s when my brow turned into a frown.

Then the thought came to me,

That we’re all handicapped in some way,

Some just more than others happen to be,

And some a bit more obvious to see.

Some of the children I saw on that bus

In spite of their physical problems,

Probably handle their lives

A whole lot better than us.

They’ve developed a strength and courage within

To fight for their right to life,

They’re in a world where being different

Can’t help but be full of strife.

My heart goes out to them all,

No matter how great the distance,

As they strive to contribute something to mankind,

And live a useful existence.

Mom’s Okay

When God decides to take me,

Making in this world and absentee,

These thoughts in your mind I’d like to file,

So instead of crying you can wear a smile.

For some rainy day when your hearts feeling blue,

You’ll see old man sun come peeking thru,

Then you’ll know Mom’s okay,

Cause she’s riding that rainbow that’s on display.

For one thing I’ll do if my wish God will bestow,

That’s ride a beautiful rainbow

Across this big wide sky,

If God allows me when I die.

You might think I’m dumb,

But this colorful spectrum

Always caught my eye,

As its colors arched across the sky.

For in this rainbow I see each color

Blending in with one another.

If only lives on earth with others did harmoniously blend

As the colors of this rainbow God does send.

Which color to ride of this curvature?

Well, I’m really not sure.

Yellow’s always been my favorite

So upon it I just might sit.

Reaching the top to you I must confide,

Before sliding to the other side,

I’d like to pause for just awhile,

Watching those below as they smile.

If you look real close one day after I die,

Focusing your eyes way up high,

You just might be one that sees me riding by,

On that beautiful rainbow in the sky.

Now I’ll tell you so you’ll comprehend,

Where I’ll find that pot of gold at the end.

For that pot of riches will be found,

Sitting at God’s feet on His holy ground.

Who I Am

Oh, if I could only get someone to understand,

Exactly who I am.

If only in my mind they could see,

All the thoughts deep within me.

If only my heart could speak with a loud sound,

Telling others all the things I’ve found.

I’d like to let my thoughts run free,

But I’m backward — shyness is a part of me.

I’d like to wear my heart on the outside,

But pieces of me still want to hide.

I’d like not to spend so much of my time feeling alone,

Even though I have God as my chaperon.

I’d like to feel that someone out there cares for me,

For the person I am not as a refugee.

I’d like to feel that I’d be missed,

Should I disappear no longer to exist.

I’d like not to feel so depressed,

But these thoughts are sometimes hard to suppress.

Maybe if on someone’s shoulder I could cry,

Some of these thoughts would smother and die.

Maybe if I felt around my shoulder someone’s caring arm,

Some of these feelings I could disarm.

Oh, maybe it’s better after all for others not to understand,

Exactly who I am.

Teenage Message

So you’ve been a teenager for a year or two,

Oh, I’ve been there before,

I know just what you’re going through,

As those memories through my mind pour.

You still have one foot in childhood,

Full of childish thoughts and ways,

Another foot in womanhood,

Full of dreams and love matinees.

You want your independence,

I did too at your age,

To feel free of any dependence,

Upon your family at this stage.

Oh, you’re a lovely young lady,

In every sense of the word.

You’ve grown from a tiny baby,

To just the edge of womanhood.

The future holds so much for you,

You’ll learn so many lessons along the way.

Some will make it hard for you to struggle through,

Others fulfillment within you that will always stay.

Oh, in many ways I envy you,

For the youthfulness you’ve got,

But I don’t know if I could again live through,

Some of those times I’ve almost forgot.

If you can just learn from each experience,

Then you’ll be okay,

You can hold your head high in confidence,

In yourself and the breaking of a new day.

One thing that I have learned this life through,

Is putting your faith and trust in God,

I’d like to it along to you,

For you’ll find your path is easier to trod.

Cherish each moment,

Don’t let anything slip by,

Looking to God whom you represent,

While this space on earth you occupy.

Oh, I know where you’re at ,

For I’ve been there before,

I’ve walked along the same path,

I’ve fought the same war.

Thoughts of Yesteryear

Sometimes when I’m sitting down

My thoughts start turning around,

To times of yesteryear

And all the people I hold so dear.

Most of these people are all gone from me now,

But when I think of them I smile.

Each had a role in my life to play,

Each touching me in a special way.

I’d like to share them with you

So you could get to know them the way I do.

For I thank God every day,

For letting these people my way.

Some of these people have moved away,

Others have gone with God to stay,

But as my thoughts run backward in time,

I can see how they touched this life of mine.

Thoughts of yesteryear,

I hold them very dear.

How they play upon my mind,

In this infinity called time.

Special Woman

I know when Gabriel blows the horn,

That I again will be able to greet,

The most special person I have ever known,

As once again in Heaven we meet.

This friend of mine only had a business education,

But she was the most intelligent person I’ve ever met,

For she was blessed with plain good common sense,

And to me that was just one of her many assets.

She was a good mechanic and repairman

For she could fix just about anything.

She could also be a plumber or a carpenter

If a savings of money it could bring.

When she waited on all the customers

At the bank where she worked all day

She’d greet them all with a smile,

As she made each one feel special in her own charming way.

She was a smartly dressed woman,

But only because she watched the sales.

For she had two children to feed and clothe

And in that she didn’t once fail.

She saved enough by pinching pennies,

To buy her own home one day.

Oh, that was such a proud time,

For she worked and saved very hard to have that money to pay.

She could whip up a pie

In just no time flat,

Or fix up a delicious meal

Out of a whole bunch of scraps.

She could soothe away the woes of those around her.

Just with her presence being near.

She’d lend an ear and try to understand,

But she’d never try to interfere.

She was a grandmother twice back then

And let me tell you they were her pride and joy.

If she were alive today she’d be beside herself in pride

For you see, she’d be a grandma to four girls and two boys.

Every Sunday morning you’d see her walking

With her Bible tucked under her arm.

To Sunday school and then for church

And if she weren’t seen some would be quite alarmed.

For she never missed a Sunday at church

Until the cancer hit,

But she didn’t let that bother her

For she was sure she could lick it.

She suffered through quite a lot of pain

But she wouldn’t let it show.

She hid it behind a smile

So other people wouldn’t know.

From her hospital bed on her last days with us,

She didn’t say anything concerning herself where she lay.

She wanted to know how everyone else was

And how they all got along at work that day.

As she would awaken and look up at me,

I would stand and smile down into her face.

I didn’t want her to see how I hurt right then.

It wasn’t that crying was a disgrace.

This warm caring friend has a space in my heart,

A space that can never be invaded by another,

For through her life she’s given me so much.

Oh yes, she was my MOTHER.

Special Man

I’d like to tell you about this man I know,

Yet I really don’t know what to say,

Except I highly ire and love him so.

My love for him seems to grow and grow each day,

For he’s left a mark upon my life,

Done in his own unknowing way.

He’s the best mechanic around,

For he can just listen to a car

And before you know it the trouble he’s found.

I’ve watched him tinker with a mower,

Sometimes spending half a day,

Returned with perfection for his standards are never lower.

He spent 35 years with the Ohio Dept. of Transportation

And retired with full pension,

Which in this day at age 55 that’s quite a distinction.

In this world he’s made his own way

And at one time held down 4 jobs at once.

That’s a lot more than others can say.

Taught his children to work for what they’ve got,

For he never used or took anything from anyone,

Even if it meant he’d have to struggle somewhat.

You see he’s a very smart man,

Full of charm and dignity

And I’ll pattern my life after him if I can.

Oh, he’s done some things of which I disapprove,

But then I’m sure I have with him too.

That’s just a part of life you can’t remove.

I carry his wisdom in my mind,

So when I’m facing a big decision,

Somehow then that right answer I always find.

I’ve ired this man my whole life thru,

For he is special in my eyes,

Makes me want to honor him in everything I do.

If I could reach out and leave half the mark

This man has left on my life so far,

I know someone would receive quite a spark.

I’m so lucky to have had,

All these years with him since I’ve been born,

For you see he is my DAD.

I wouldn’t trade this man for any other Dad,

Well, why should I,

When I’ve got the best to be had.

My Grandfather

My heart holds my grandfather in a special place,

For he was an exceptional man,

No one I’ve met so far could fill his shoes.

Although he’s gone thoughts of him I still embrace.

He was a farmer by trade,

Raising sugar cane and corn,

He also had cattle, hogs, turkeys and chickens.

To some he really had it made.

Yes, my grandfather had it all,

Yet he wasn’t rich with money,

He didn’t have a lot of worldly possessions,

He really just struggled real hard like us all.

My memories of him are so clear,

I can almost hear him speak to me,

Feel his presence by my side.

Sometimes it’s as if he were still here.

I watching him in his favorite chair,

With a newspaper rising and falling over his face,

Snoring up a storm,

While I would sit and stare.

I the time he sat me on a chair,

For having a water fight in the bathroom,

Everyone else got a whipping but me,

He knew his sitting me there was all my heart could bare.

I how we gathered around him at the piano,

Singing praises and thanks to God.

Oh, how he made that piano go

And the fulfillment of his soul how it did show.

I the all day and all night sings,

That we traveled to each year,

For my grandfather was a gospel singer

And I can still hear his music as in my ears it rings.

I while singing In The Sweet Bye and Bye my grandfather’s frown.

It was sung the last time I attended church with him.

He started to pick up the pace a bit for it was dragging some,

Mother had me keep my hand on his leg to slow him down.

I sitting and talking with him,

Of what life held in store for me.

He said “Sugar, God’s always going to be your friend,

You try real hard not to disappoint Him.”

He taught me so much about love and caring,

How to see the world in a different way,

How to be God’s shiny instrument for man,

Instilling within me an ability to be forbearing.

When my grandfather ed away

A piece of me went with him,

But I was filled with the knowledge

That in heaven beautiful music he’ll play.

My Aunt Jeannie

I’d like you to meet an Aunt of mine,

Whom in spite of the distance in miles between us,

Always seems to be with me all the time,

As she pours out her love to me so spontaneous.

Everyone needs loved by another,

So I wouldn’t trade the love she has to offer,

For it’s a special love like no other,

Providing for me in this world quite a comforter.

I when I was just a child,

She took me under her wing.

Thought I was the cutest thing God ever compiled,

So by her side I’d always cling.

She really didn’t spoil me,

As you might think she did,

For as I Look back and see,

I toed the line like any other kid.

My Mother always took my brother and I

Back home to visit every year,

And while there my Aunt helped us with our outcry,

On those fishing trips the others held so dear.

She’d find something else for us to do,

Although she’d see we got back to eat,

For we liked to eat those fish too,

Just catching them to us was not a treat.

I she’d scold us about the mules we didn’t treat right,

For my brother and I took those poor mules to run,

Until their faces sweated and turned white,

As we rode them beneath that hot Florida sun.

She didn’t tell my grandfather on us though,

For he would have hit the ceiling.

We sure didn’t want him to know,

For she knew sore rumps we would be feeling.

Oh, I can think of many things,

As I look back across each year.

Each thought with love it brings,

As my mind wanders holding each one so dear.

Today as I hold her in my arms,

As I look deeply in her eye

And I cherish all her charm,

All my love just seems to multiply.

She holds a special place within my heart,

Just wish there were some way to repay,

But I wouldn’t know where to start,

There’s not enough I could ever do or say.

I can tell her how much I love her so,

But there is no way she could begin to know,

How a piece of my life’s makeup today to her I owe.

How parts of my souls being are because of her loving outflow.

My Aunt has reached out and touched me in a special way,

So I’ll just hold her deep within my heart to abide,

Thanking God when I kneel down and pray,

For placing my AUNT JEANNIE directly by my side.

My Pastor

You’ve been here for quite a few years,

We’ve shared a lot of laughs,

We’ve shed a lot of tears,

All captured in my mind like a photograph.

My picture takes me back a couple of years ago

When I recall this humble and gentle man I found.

Somehow I could relate and talk to him

And he helped me turn my life around.

Walking thru the door of this church he pastured,

Sensing the presence of the Holy Spirit,

Hearing a young preacher in the pulpit,

Feeling love all around me in the pew where I did sit.

See my heart was still filled with some bitterness,

My life was faced with traces of trouble and woe,

Until at the altar he helped direct me closer to God,

And now I’m at peace within my soul.

As I sit back in the pew now

To listen to him speak,

I can see how God works thru this man

As he does stand and preach.

You see, he’s a man who isn’t ashamed to cry,

When he prays a prayer to God,

For he relishes each moment with Him,

While thru this life with Him he does trod.

He’s opening my eyes to a lot of things

As I look at this world today.

He’s helping to open up doors I never knew were there

While upon this earth I stay.

This man who loves to fish,

This man who is intrigued by an old army tank,

This country boy whose come to town,

This one whom God has called to serve Him point-blank.

Oh, what can I say,

I guess I can’t really tell you so much

Of what this man of God is like

And how a great part of my life he’s touched.

The strength of a man is the woman behind him

And our pastor has chosen his companion well,

For together they are a team,

Serving God until they bid this earth farewell.

I thank God for letting people like this my way.

Keeps me humble as others make me stop and think,

So that when I kneel and pray I’m thankful,

How each individual contributes to life’s chain—link after link.

Business World

In the business world I met this man,

He was a good manager in the store he ran.

He had a great head for business

And he ran his store with successfulness.

I’ve not really talked with him very often,

Except when he had instructions for my area again,

But from a particular circumstance,

I learned something of great significance.

I watched this man one day,

Help another man where he lay.

He gave his all to give him breath,

As this man lay so near death.

The strain on his face as he arose,

Relieved by the squad when they got close,

Showed me a side of this man I couldn’t ignore,

For I’d never seen this side of him before.

His body was soaked with sweat,

Completely exhausted but without regret,

His hair stood on end and his shirt tail was out,

His body surely ached with pain throughout.

I guess before I only saw his business side,

But now my eyes are opened wide,

I’ve seen inside this man’s heart today,

And I hope it’s not too obvious I see him in a new way.

The man’s life he tried to save,

Has since been put to rest in a grave,

But not because this man didn’t try,

And God will it in the sweet by and by.

Business Woman

I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine,

Someone I first met at work,

Not too far back in time.

She’s the store personnel director

Where I go to work every day,

And I refer to her as our moral protector.

Though I don’t know her well,

I know she walks tall with pride,

Of that I can really tell.

She told me once I shouldn’t look so down

Because those wrinkles on my brow might stay.

That’s when the smile upon my face erased the frown.

For her to say that now to me,

After all I know that she’s been thru,

Well, that’s the kind of person she is for all to see.

But you see, I’ve seen her on the inside

And there has been a lot of hurt,

For it’s not always that easy to brush it by the wayside.

I often go to her and chat awhile

And she never forgets to always hide,

All that hurt behind a smile.

Oh, I know she’s very unaware

Of all the things I’ve seen in her,

Or how deep inside for her I really care.

Some thoughts to her I don’t have to convey,

Because I’m sure she already knows my God,

For of her heart I’ve already taken survey.

I know there’s trouble in her life,

So I just kneel and pray to God,

He’ll help her with her strife.

I know she wouldn’t understand

How much I care for her,

Or how God placed caring within my heart for man.

Sometimes I wish I couldn’t see

So deeply inside others,

For it always breaks my heart to some degree.

She brushed my life in a different way

Than others I have met,

For she helped me see how my face can show dismay.

So now I know I’ll try a little harder

To fight what’s inside me from coming out,

By making my smile a little larger.

Business Friend

Needing some reassurance one day

I walked out of my office down the hallway.

There I found what my heart and mind needed,

My expectations were really exceeded.

As I opened the door to this office

I almost backed down with cowardliness,

But something inside me said, “go ahead”,

So I stepped inside and visited.

Working steadily over the ads she had

I figured with an intruder she’d be mad,

But she stopped right away

And listened to everything I had to say.

Now when my head is ready to explode

I walk over to her and unleash the load.

Then I make it more smoothly thru the day

Because of a visit to this lady down my hallway.

I would have cracked by now if not for her,

For in this office I’ve found quite a comforter.

Not that she gives answers to the feelings I carry,

She just keeps them in line with her commentary.

“Some things we can’t change”, she’s often said.

So then I accept them and plow straight ahead.

Her words of wisdom she hands my way,

Helps restore my confidence in myself each day.

She’s left her mark on me,

Helped to make me a better employee.

I hope someday I’ll be able to repay

All these people God let my way.

Businessman

There’s this young man I know

And I’ve learned to appreciate him so.

He’s the merchandise manager where I work,

So he has a position you really can’t smirk.

I’d like to tell you about this man,

I’ll try to do it in the best way I can,

For this is a man of great intellect,

And he has certainly gained my respect.

This man is a man of great comion,

But not so much that it jeopardizes his position.

He’s also a perfectionist at heart,

I found that in him right from the start.

I’ve watched how he uses his tactfulness for encouragement,

When employees come to him full of anguishment.

I’ve seen him calm them down,

Make them feel like he’s glad that they’re around.

He’s a man who sees his employees

Not as the little guy of which he oversees,

But rather as the foundation of this store,

Whose views and ideas he shouldn’t ignore.

He’s as human as you and I

And when he gets down it’s easy to identify,

For his spark will really vanish fast,

Then it’s my turn for some of his comion to return at last.

This young man knows his store merchandise alright,

Digs into those books like some kind of parasite.

Forgets almost nothing that he’s ordered for a sale,

It’s no wonder he’s in this business of retail.

Now it’s time to bid him good-bye

And I think you’ll miss him as will I,

But his own store is almost in site,

So at the end of his tunnel he will find his sunlight.

He’ll continue in intellect to grow,

Hopefully without it touching his ego.

And I know if he can,

He’ll be an irable man.

Business Associate

I’d like to share a friend with you,

For he touched my life in an unusual way,

And if you were to know him like I do,

I’m sure he would also become your friend today.

He was a bright intelligent sort of fellow,

Who had the business world at his beckoning,

And in his footsteps just not anyone could follow,

For he had a personality that was beyond simple reckoning.

At work he was always ready to listen

To the problems the workers all had,

And he’d find answers to each question

Whether they were good or bad.

He was a young married man

With a lovely charming wife

And a daughter who was quite his devoted fan,

As together they spent their life.

I thought I hurt this man one day

Over something I had said,

So I stopped him as he ed my way

And asked him what I did.

If I hadn’t stopped him when I had

In his soul I might never have seen,

How trouble and confusion had hold of this young lad,

Whom I held in such high esteem.

He was searching for something he couldn’t find,

So confused within he didn’t even know where to begin,

For he didn’t even have a purpose for living in mind,

And none of his answers would come to him.

My heart couldn’t help but reach out,

To this young man whom I respected like no other,

For as we talked and learned what each others life was about,

I was moved by the tear filled eyes he attempted to cover.

He was engaged in a terrible battle,

With his role being that of a soldier,

I felt like I just wanted to comfort him,

By laying his head on my shoulder.

I won’t go into detail

Of what his life was all about,

For our friendship I can’t fail

And let all his secrets out.

But this man has grown quite a lot,

Looking deep inside of himself,

Finding out who he is and who he’s not,

And discovering his souls hidden wealth.

Oh yes, his life crossed mine and I wasn’t prepared,

For he touched me in a special way I can’t deny,

With the friendship that was shared,

Between he and I.

Friend in Business

I’d like you to meet the merchandise manager in our store,

For he’s different than most who have walked through our door.

Dressed in his business suit with a vest,

He struck me different than all the rest.

When he first walked into our store,

My heart sunk right to the floor.

I thought, my God, we’ve got a drill sergeant for sure,

But my thoughts were a whole lot premature.

After I got to know this man,

I found him to be quite a family man,

A religious man who has his roots deeply set,

One who has dreams of success he feels he hasn’t reached yet.

I the day he said to stop calling him sir,

He thought my calling him that was some kind of slur.

He slammed his hand on my desk so hard,

I thought it was all kind of bizarre.

I explained how my mother was from the South,

That I was raised with that word in my mouth.

My yes sirs and no sirs are a part of me,

I told him I’d watch it but I gave no guarantee.

I when he ate my fudge,

How I resented him and started to carry a grudge.

When I went to present my case to him,

It was settled between us right there and then.

I it I respect this man,

I’d like to learn from him if I can.

To think things through and keep my cool,

To use my authority as a guiding tool.

You see, I know he’ll help the little guy,

For I’ve seen it with my own eye.

He doesn’t feel he’s better than the rest,

Just approaches problems the way he knows best.

He’s a true perfectionist at heart,

Wants things handled correctly right from the start,

By thinking things through and giving them some thought,

He eliminates needless problems and feelings of distraught.

From this young man who’s ed my way,

I’ve learned a great deal today.

I hope someday he might feel repaid,

When I , as he has me, spend time to teach others to proceed unafraid.

Hopefully someday he will see

His dreams of success come to be.

Personally I hope he goes all the way to the top

Of this organizational structure we’ve got.

I am so thankful when I kneel and pray,

For God letting people like this my way.

Makes me humble when these people make me stop and think,

How each individual contributes to life’s chain — link after link.

Best Friends

I met a friend one day

As I was walking along my way.

She said, “Hello”

It hit me like a blow.

Written on her smiling face

Said slow down your pace.

See God put me here for you,

Now what are you going to do.

My heart didn’t lie

As I looked into her eye.

She became my best friend,

Friendship till the end.

She sees deep within me

Of my thoughts and dreams to be.

She picks me up when I am low,

Pushes me when I go too slow.

She tells me everything will be fine

As I battle with my mind.

She gives me joy inside,

Pushes all my faults by the wayside.

To my friend I’m very different

And sometimes much too reverent,

But she tries to understand all my feelings,

So it wouldn’t bother her to see me kneeling.

We may not think alike

Or even agree on what’s always right.

We just respect each other,

We share our thoughts with one another.

Traveling along I know I’ll never find

A friend that’s truer or kind.

My friend is quite unique you see,

She accepts me for just being me.

My Friend’s Family

I made a trip not too long ago

To visit a family at the time I didn’t know.

Uneasiness dwelt inside me as I stood in the driveway

Pausing to think of what things I could say.

When I entered through their doorway

For dinner they invited me to stay.

Accepting me was done so easily

As they greeted me like a part of their family.

As I sat there relaxed within myself

They unknowingly blessed me with all kinds of wealth.

They were just down to earth, plain, simple folk

Who had managed through life somehow to cope.

Although my visit was brief

I could sense some of their trouble and grief.

I could feel deep within myself from the start

Some of the happenings gone on in their heart.

They had raised a family of six

Somehow I know on an income that was fixed.

Their children all now are grown

And they’re left in their home all alone.

As I left and walked out of the door

I didn’t quite realize what I had for myself in store.

For with two lovely people I had spent some time

And seeing their life has helped me with mine.

They walked with pride and stood proud

Covering up all their hurts as if to show them wasn’t allowed.

My heart couldn’t help but reach out

After I saw what their life was really about.

Oh, I learned so much that day

As I went home to God to pray.

Not a prayer for myself

But for this home where two people dwelt.

I’m sure if I should stop by there today

They would invite me in and ask if I could stay.

What a marvelous experience my heart has had

For you see, they were my best friend’s Mom and Dad.

Friendship

God has been so good to me

He’s blessed me every day.

He placed just beyond my fingertip

A rose for me to pick.

Oh, I could have left it alone

Not bothering it at all,

Then this friendship that I found

Could have died and pierced the ground.

Imagine if this rose had died

With me not reaching for it at all.

A piece of my heart would have been denied

Existence of a harmony between you and I.

Just a touch of the shoulder,

A few words from the mouth,

Saying, “How are you today?”

Spreads warmth and caring my way.

Feeling within a room

Without a word being spoken,

A sense of being united

Mind, heart, and soul ignited.

Sensing my behavior being a little off key,

Eyes piercing thru these eyes of mine,

Changes my sullen moodiness

Converting it to cheerfulness.

Being deeply hurt

And returning that hurt I’m sure,

But the friendship that exist

Stands undivided as a faithful loyalist.

The presence of this friendship,

Makes me appreciate the fact,

There is always someone there,

Knowing that they care.

God has certainly blessed my life

With the greatest gift He has,

His everlasting love and care

Expressed in the friendship that you and I share.

Friends

Friends are such a lovely gift from God ,

Sent to help ease the path we trod.

Placed in this world of woe,

Love upon us they bestow.

Keeping our fears in line,

Discouragements at an incline.

Replacing that frown upon our face,

To put a smile in its place.

Reaching forth with a caring hand,

To make us realize they understand.

Giving us a little of their time,

To unloosen our burdens sometime.

Sharing in our sorrow and our joy,

To be there for us to employ.

Friends always know just what we need

To enable us through this life to succeed.

I wouldn’t trade my friends

For I’ve grown upon them to depend.

Not having any friends would really hurt,

For nothing in their place could you insert.

You’re my friend that’s not so odd,

For who am I to refuse a gift from God.

Friendship From God

If I were to let all this time slip by

And something were to happen to you or I,

All the things I’d like to say to you

Might never get spoken by me one day,

So I’d like to say a thing or two that’s long overdue.

I want you to know what you’ve meant to me

And all the things you’ve helped me to be.

Having you for such a close friend

Gave me something I would have otherwise missed.

A kind of stability which I’ve learned to depend.

You’ve helped me to see things inside myself I really wasn’t aware were there,

You’ve taught me to untangle my thoughts not be embarrassed because I care,

You’ve shown me how to open up to how I’ve felt,

You’ve understood how much caring means to me

And how deeply these things within me are dwelt.

You’ve been there when I needed you,

You’ve been honest with me too.

You’ve helped me find some answers to my many questions

Even though I know you’re quite unaware,

For our thoughts were often pulled in opposite directions.

You’ve let me share my enter self with you,

You don’t condemn the things I feel led to do.

You’ve told me I’m different than others you’ve met,

All because I try to put others first,

But you haven’t once tried to change the goals I’ve set.

You’ve picked my mind apart

And you’ve done it right from the start,

As I’ve held on to what I believe to be true.

Oh, you’ve given me a run for my money,

But you can’t possible realize how much I’ve learned from you.

I wouldn’t trade a moment of the time

That you picked away at this mind of mine.

It was really all quite good for me

To once again come out of my shell

And let my thoughts run free.

A dead part of me has come back to life today,

The thoughts I use to speak that somehow went away.

Because you came along my voice has found its missing link

And now I don’t even hesitate

To say the thoughts I think.

You’ve taught me not to bury the feelings I have inside,

You’ve shown me my writing I shouldn’t hide,

You’ve enabled me to somehow see

That I really wouldn’t be satisfied

Being anyone but me.

I thank you for letting me share myself with you

And for trying to understand the way I am and the things I do,

And if I were given one last prayer to pray,

I ‘d pray you’d let God also become your pilot

As you’re traveling along life’s roadway.

For if we are parted from each other tomorrow,

I’ll thank God for you He let me borrow.

For thru this temporary life I live

By being enriched thru your friendship,

I’ve received more that I could ever give.

Presence of Love

I’ve been gone for quite awhile

And you probably have really missed my smile.

You had such great plans in my life for me,

Yet life doesn’t hold any guarantee.

For God had His own plans for me,

Just not in this world as you can see.

I’m still with you if you’ll look around,

For God showed me how my love to you can abound.

Like when a snowflake falls just within your reach,

Then it lands softly on your cheek.

Or a raindrop drips from a cloud hanging close,

Then gently lands upon your nose.

When the wind blows with a merry chase,

Planting a kiss upon your face.

Or a flower has just budded and bloomed,

Now its fragrance is filling your room.

A display of my favorite color you might adore,

In God’s rainbow sent of colors galore.

You see I’m all around you everywhere,

Just reach out for me and I am there.

I’m waiting for you just across the River of Life,

Here where we have no more sickness or strife.

So now until I meet you again at life’s bend,

Just hang on to God as your Savior and friend.

Experience With a Friend

I’d like to share an experience

That I had with a very close friend of mine,

Who seems to have her life in almost complete control,

Right at this very moment in time.

You see she’d been hurt a lot

Suffering thru all kinds of pain,

Caused from a broken heart inside

And it left her life in an awful strain.

Thru six to eight months of her life

That I walked along beside her,

Things were said between us

That I’m sure are just a blur.

You see, she wasn’t herself at all,

For she was lost in another world.

So depressed within her own self,

That forces against her mentality were pulled.

I’ve never been around anyone

That had themselves quite that low,

But since she didn’t know God,

She had to have someone in whom to go.

Oh please, don’t misunderstand,

It wasn’t I who helped her any at all,

For I was just an instrument in God’s plan

To steady her so she wouldn’t fall.

God worked thru me to reach her

And it left me mentally exhausted sometimes,

For all her questions I couldn’t defer,

She needed answers of all kinds.

Oh, I couldn’t answer every question,

For the way I would have responded to them then,

Well, it wouldn’t have helped her at all,

To figure out who she is and where she’d been.

She’s grown to be a lovely person

Since she’s begun to figure out her way.

She’s just being herself right now

And I know she’s back to reality to stay.

My best friend’s eyes have finally opened

And her heart is beginning to feel

The things this old world of ours offers,

Once the gifts of life are unsealed.

I love her like a sister

So I can’t help but be thrilled,

After all we’ve been thru together

Seeing her life become stilled.

Oh, I could tell you now

Exactly what you should do

When someone cries out for help,

Just turn to God and pray a prayer or two.

We can all learn from our experiences

And what we do with what we learn

And how we apply it to our lives,

Are the things in which I take great concern.

So now I don’t want what I’ve learned

From this experience with her I’ve had

To slip right by me now,

For the lessons I’ve learned I’m really glad.

As you can see my own life’s been touched by her

In a way that’s certainly very rare,

Because somehow I showed my very best friend,

Just how much I really care.