Graciously Unworthy

A visit to the beach,
looking out to sea.
Water, water everywhere,
no end the eye can see.

Beneath the moving water,
an ocean full of life.
Just as the world around us,
Many people, so much strife.

Watching as the waves come in.
the sun is going down.
Footprints in the sand,
too numerous to count.

Realizing how small I am,
In the grand scheme of things.
Has my mind wondering,
how He knows everything.

I think about the vastness,
the beauty He provides.
Feeling insignificant,
Yet in Him I confide.

I am so unworthy,
of His loving grace.
So many need Him more,
in this human race.

Regardless of my actions,
which will never be enough.
I truly know He loves me,
especially when times are tough.

Every single thing a gift,
He doesn’t have to give.
I take so much for granted,
yet He lets me live.

Life can change so quickly,
gifts soon taken away.
So thankful He allows,
my precious gifts another day.

For He owes me nothing,
to Him I owe it all.
And this I must remember,
each time I start to fall.

Appreciation for the beauty,
great abundance all around.
For my God is wonderful,
so thankful He can be found.

Precious Souls

A visit to the nursing home
and this is what I see.
Many souls once full of life,
to most a memory.
Looking out the window,
they watch the cars go by.
As the world continues on,
busy with their lives.

Visitors less frequent,
if they come at all.
The residents continue on,
wheeling down the hall.
Their feet slowly moving,
blankets on their laps.
They find a place in the sun,
to take a little nap.

The stories they can tell,
of the days of old.
Are better than a movie,
or a tv show.
They’ve watched our country change,
through their aging eyes.
The memories they share,
we hardly recognize.

In their younger days,
a man kept his word.
Children respected parents,
a curse word rarely heard.

No business open Sunday’s,
that day for the Lord.
Prayer in school was common,
Pride in country by them all.

Now they sit and wonder,
where it all went wrong.
Why they sit alone,
hoping someone comes along.

Photo: Roy and Jessie Bayless
            My Great Grandparents

Escape Reality

Looking up into the clouds,
The peacefulness they bring.
If only I could dissappear,
leaving earthly things.

The day to day distractions,
how mundane it all seems.
Just going through the motions,
Soon I close my eyes to dream.

To have the wings of a bird,
I’d spread my wings and fly.
To perch upon the perfect cloud,
high up in the sky.

Softly clouds are rolling,
with a gentle breeze.
My imagination growing,
soaring high above the trees.

Worries left below me,
freedom from above.
Soaring like an eagle,
peaceful as a dove.

Soon to be awakened,
reality still here.
Back into the daily grind,
the memory still clear.

A smile upon my face,
as I go about the day.
Still reeling from the dream I had,
when I flew away.

Escaping from reality,
in these stressful days.
Helps me with my sanity,
in the clouds I wish to stay.

The Man

It’s 5 pm on Monday,
the work day at an end.
Thoughts of family on her mind,
the travel home begins.

A merge onto the interstate,
the traffic moving slow,
The a/c running at full blast,
music on the radio.

The exit soon approaching,
looking forward to the night.
Then she sees him standing there,
at the next stop light.

He stands beside the road,
a cardboard sign in his hand.
A battered bag at his side,
a cane to help him stand.

The scorching sun beats down on him,
as sweat runs down his spine.
His mind is wandering aimlessly,
as he waits for someone kind.

He’s wondering how he got here,
he reflects upon his life.
Long ago he headed home,
On a Monday night.

He watches as the cars go by,
no one looks his way.
He knows just what they think of him,
this sweltering summer day.

He was once behind the wheel,
as he passed a man.
Standing there beside the road,
a sign in his hand.

Soon he sees a window down,
and then an outstretched hand.
He looks up to a smiling face,
as she lends a hand.

As the sun is setting down,
a coolness in the air.
He’s thankful that someone today,
took the time to care.

I Awoke

I wake this morning with Jesus on my mind again. It seems as though this happens often; especially when I’m alone and my mind is running so many different directions.

I rededicated my life to Christ in April of 2014. Since then I have learned so much and yet I will never know it all. I don’t believe that any of us can fully comprehend the greatness of God. The Bible is our starting place for learning. I don’t believe this love letter to us is only black and white.  We truly have to study to even begin to understand the depth that it teaches.

Some days I am overwhelmed with emotion. Although I know Christ is with me, there are some days I feel His presence more than others. These are the days I write. Even then, I can’t seem to get on paper the full strength of what is going on in my heart and my mind. I have my days when I worry about what someone might think, and then I have days where God gives me the strength to just put it out there. Because I think that even if there is only one person that His message touches, then it’s completely worth saying what I need to say. Most of the time, I just start writing and hit the publish button. When I go back a read the words again, I am astonished at what is said.

We cannot be afraid of what people think. Society makes us that way. It’s natural for us to want to fit in with the world, but this is not our home. These people around us have no say in our salvation. We control that aspect of our lives. And once we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior,  no one can take that away. He fills the void that we are all looking for. That something we’ve been missing all our lives. Can you feel it?

The more I learn about Jesus, the sadder and happier I become. My sadness is for the overwhelming evil of this world, the cruelty humans enact upon one another, on innocent people, children, and animals. My sadness is for those who have heard the gospel, yet continue to live for the world. Why don’t they understand? My sadness is for those that believe they are living a  righteous life, yet continue to judge others. Am I any better? I think not, but I continue to put forth the effort. I have Christ on my mind all day, every day. I second guess my thoughts and actions. I second guess what I’m doing with my life. Jesus was basically a vagabond when you think about it. He gave up EVERYTHING so that we could have the Holy Spirit on earth with us; so that He could live, not only among us,  but within us. He was beaten beyond recognition, and nailed to a cross so we could have eternal salvation. Yet most of the world take this precious gift with a grain of salt. I cannot condemn them, because it took me a while to recognize it myself. However,  I can share now and hope that someone else will accept His gift of Grace and mercy.

Jesus, we’re waiting for you.

Why Do We …..

We have so much happening in our world today and everyone has an opinion. But what is the truth? The truth is that we are all God’s children. We are born colorblind. We are born to love. We are born accepting others for their hearts and not their earthly decisions. We see this in small children gathering on a playground. There’s someting to be said about the innocence of a child. Hate is learned. Judgement is learned. Discrimination is learned.

A true Christian has love in their heart. They understand that sin is sin regardless of what the sin is, but they still love others as Christ loved others. Once we accept Christ and admit He is our Saviour, we believe He died on the cross for our sins, and we confess this with our mouths, then the Holy Spririt is housed in our hearts. From that point on Christ is a part of EVERYTHING we say and EVERYTHING we do. We must stop and think about our actions. If we could visually see Jesus standing beside us at any given moment, would we act or react the same way?

As earthly children, we answer to our parents. As children of God, we will also answer to our Heavenly Father. The Bible is God’s word and it tells us to relenquish worry and problems to the Lord. It tells us to take everything to the Lord and to TRUST in Him. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. Most of us are “fixers” and want to take care of things ourselves. I’m no different. I have my opinions. I try to keep them to myself, but I get irritated just like everyone else does. Reading my Bible, writing, and music help me stay focused on what is important. In the grand scheme of things, are the trivial things we get upset about everyday really worth the trouble, are they important? Are all the opinions posted out there really relevant? Are they going to change anything? I think not.

Billy Graham summed it up in this simple quote: “The Holy Spririt’s job to convict. God’s job to judge, and my job to love.”

Welcome to Blogging

I’ve made the decision to blog. My reasons are more for journalling my thoughts and activities than anything else. As I get older, I begin to think back on life. Remembering where I’ve been and the many trials and struggles that have brought me to this stage in my life.

I’m noticing my life going back to my roots, simpler times. I miss those days. Just 5 years ago I had dreams of climbing the corporate ladder. Now I have no such desire. My priorities are changing. I want to get back to basics. I want to help others. I want my life to mean something and have an impact on others.

I feel God is giving me the opportunity to do just that. This past March I was informed that I, along with approximately 1100 others nationwide, would not have a job in 2016.

I went through the grieving process with this news. I was upset, angry, numb, and finally accepting of the situation. I can honestly say I’m looking forward to the journey that lies ahead. God has a plan for me and everyone else in this world.