A Day in the Life

The day starts out with a hush
The moon is high and the birds are still
Yet, I feel this gentle stirring in my heart
It’s God welcoming me to a brand new day

I fall down to my knees in reverence
His presence is all-encompassing
What a joy it is to receive
A wake-up call from my Father

The sun migrates onto the horizon
As His Spirit burns brightly inside
Amazing to be called His own
What a team we’ll make today

Too soon the morning grind begins
Phone calls, emails, meetings and chatter
Yet I still carry deep within me
God’s glorious presence and grace

At lunch I marvel at His majesty
The splendor of the massive trees
The kaleidoscope of a flower garden
My name is written on His hand

The day is winding down
As many people rush home
But when all is said and done
I want to be that good and faithful servant
©2007

Calloused Knees

Each night this child is on her knees
Praying to God in thanks for another day
Her mother is there kneeling with her
This is their bedtime story each night

In the early morning’s hour she hears her voice
In her mother’s room on her knees praising God
She slips right next to her quietly
And gets on her little knees to join her voice

They prayed together every morning and night
It was their tradition they shared
No matter what was going on in their lives
Nothing could separate them from this time together

The little girl was older now in a home of her own
But she knew she was still sharing with her mom,
A thousand miles away, of spending that precious time
Together on their knees before God

The once little girl now had a daughter of her own
Every night she’d kneel by the cradle and pray
Knowing that, across the country, her mother was, too
When she’d close her eyes, she could feel her mother’s presence

When the baby grew older and had her own bed
Her mother began to teach her to pray
And explained what a glorious God they served
And one night the little girl asked Jesus into her heart

This tradition continued: mother and daughter together
Every morning praising God for all His glory and grace
And every evening thanking Him for all He had given
What a site to behold from generation to generation

Years later on one of their many trips to Grandma
They were on their knees at her bedside while she was dying
Then, at once, they both reached up to Grandma’s knees
And asked God to safely bring her home
©2007

Pressing Onward

There are times when I don’t know
From where my next breath will come.
I set my eyes upon the tribulations of my world
When I know they should be squarely on the Lord.
Please forgive me Father for faltering when I do;
I know that that you are all I need in this world.

It’s true we are not given a spirit of fear,
Yet I tremble at the lessons
I may have to learn along the way.
My life up until now has been very easy
But this is when I did not have to depend upon my Lord.

When things are going smoothly, it’s easy to lose sight.
God is ever present no matter what our condition.
Funny how we never call upon Him until there’s no one else,
How lonely He must get if all we do
Is run to Him when we have our problems.

He only wants the best for His children
And all of us are called by our name.
The key is to remember that he is steadfast and solid.
It’s not Him who has grown distant and far away, but us
When we don’t acknowledge Him in both the good times and in the bad.

It’s easy to praise Him when the light shines so bright,
When troubles seem distant and far removed.
So where is that praise when the darkness comes swooping in?
God is still there just waiting for us to call upon Him
And offer Him praise and thanksgiving for all that we have.

It’s easy to cry out for help when the times grow so weary,
Maybe that’s when God has our complete attention.
But isn’t it a bit selfish to come to expect rescue
Only when we need Him—what about when He needs us?
We need to praise Him through the storms, as he richly deserves.

He covets a relationship with each and every one of us.
He is deserving of our praise whether we feel like it or not.
Because our friendship with Him is not based on feelings;
Rather, it is grounded in the faith that He is always by our side.
Whether or not we feel His presence, He is always there to lend His guiding hand

So, where is our resolve to lift up our countenance upon Him when we are down?
Where are our joyful praises when we can only muster a trembling thought?
He gave us a spirit of love and a strong mind; it is only proper to thank him.
How, you say, can we offer thanks when our world seems so bleak?
That, my friend, is what God’s love is all about. He is there, and so must we be.
©2007

Praise & Worship

Glory
Praise
Honor
Worship
Holiness
Blessings
Jubilation
Exultation
Reverence
Joyfulness
Veneration
Magnificence
Righteousness
Who am I not to give God all that he deserves
When I enter into His presence
Is it not my duty to give all that I am to His service
He alone is worthy of all the glory and honor
I am a mere mortal, but made in His image
He is my King and Creator and alone merits my worship
There is no other Name that can be called upon
Jesus is my Savior and Redeemer
Worthy of all things holy and blessed
He gave all He is just for me before I ever knew Him
How can I not sacrifice my service unto him
The Holy Spirit is my Great Protector and Provider
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness
Faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
Alone is His Fruit to me—Fruit to guide my life
I am nothing without my King, Redeemer and Protector
Let me enter into His presence to bow down before Him
And sacrifice my praise and worship to Him alone
©2007

A Joyful Noise

Musical harmony lifts me up
Filling my soul with overabundance
Higher and higher my praise floats above
My faith growing stronger and sturdy
The aim is not to simply sing a song
But to create a presence of sacrifice
A sacrifice of honor in exultation
As our joyous singing fills the air
And rides upon angels wings to its intended Heir
While the source is the sweet fruit of blessings
Its intended objective is the sweet aroma of glory
Glory that no human can ever truly achieve
Yet attempts are made to reflect our very best
Of what we have to offer at this point in time

As the praise segues into worship,
We humbly offer up all that we have to give
Which is all that is required
The air grows thick with anticipation
Prophesy abounds in mindful exhortation
We bow down in reverence to the existence of splendor
The curtain of presence that is drawn across our feet
This Glory that fills the space we occupy
In response to the sacrifice that is lifted even higher
The sweetest awareness of the Spirit occupies our souls
And captures our hearts
So that we may enter into His magnificent presence
And prepare our humble hearts to receive all that He has to give
This is so much more than we can ever expect to obtain
©2007