"Besides Still Waters. ( meditating on His word.)" by Peggy ann

I'll sit quietly
besides still waters,
and listen to your voice.
In the gentle breeze
blowing through the trees,
You whisper your songs of love.
What am I before you Lord?
( but a sinner so forlorn?)
If it weren't for your grace and love,
and the precious blood of your Son?
Where would I be?
How could I stand,
if not in your strength alone?
Oh Lord my God,
I'm on my knees
in reverence before thy throne!
Please grant unto me that quiet spirit,
as I patiently walk through life's gloom.
Lift me up, and let me sing of your goodness
Morning, night, or noon.
I will praise your name,
and tell the good news
of your amaizing power to save
any, who through obedience
to your word,
will be kept
by your unfailing grace.
Let me kneel at your feet
Dear Jesus,
as you talk to me
through your word.
Besides still waters
I hear your voice,
the gentlest,
I've ever heard.

"Clingster" by Keri Smith

You start to think that only surgery will work
That the sharp edges of the knife will finally free you
Oh the things that so easily beset us!
This one is strong
It comes back when you least expect it
When you thought you had finally conquered it
And what a struggle it is to suppress it!
There is no knocking with this thing, just brutish entry
And then your thoughts are held captive
The Yous struggle for supremacy
and you desperately try anything to get the invader off of you , out of you, away from you
The mental warfare is exhausting...disappointing...frustrating
Oh, to be able to live, think and be without the dreaded Clingster
All you want is to stay focused on what you had
To sustain the momentum
To finally step into that future which beckons so loudly
To partake of that magnificent world that you know is promised to you
And in the end, that is always what helps you, what propels you forward
The future that wants to be realized, pulls you away from the deathly embrace
and for a while, the true You, the better, dominates

"Circumstances" by Peggy Ann

Circumstances in life
are subject to change,
and nothing constant remains;
if today you have
white clouds and clear skies,
be aware
dark ones will soon come floating by.
Bringing with them uncertain events,
and yes, they may even be turbulent.
And so in your quest for peace of mind,
your spirit soars high
into the promises of the Divine
for strength and comfort to pass the time.
Very soon
the sun shines down
clearing away the rains of a storm.
With it, comes fluffy white clouds
and you smile;
thankful for the clearing away
and knowing full well
that dark ones will soon be floating by.
For circumstances in life
are subject to change.

"Towards The Light." by Peggy Ann

In this early hour
of the morning,
I awoke for the second time.
After tossing and turning,
too much on my mind.
I'll go to the kitchen
I thought,
but darkness enveloped the room.
Didn't want to disturb a soul,
now where did I put that broom?
As I stepped into the hallway,
I smiled at the sight.
So facing the front window,
I headed towards the the light!
Letting it be my direction,
through all of this gloom,
I'll find a safe corner,
on my knees I'll be soon!
To tell the Light of this world,
all the cares that I'm facing,
how I need His deliverance,
how my knees are shaking
under this heavy load,
that I'm tired of caring.
The darkness of the circumstance,
was truly clouding my sight,
so I decided this early morning,
to run straight
towards the Light!

"Entwined with Patience" by Keri Smith

Talking to you sometimes feels like
I am violently scrubbing my skin with Scotch-Brite
shuddering as the jagged green edges grate continuously over my tender skin
At other times, it is as if I were a
wounded dog, desperately limping for shelter
just about to get to the sanctuary, and then having you
kick me sharply in the gut, more than once,
and the extreme pain just never dissolves into numbness

You make me want to fight
You make me want to rage
You make me want to forget my love for humanity
To forget what I know, and strive to be
Which is a wise person, who is
quick to listen
slow to respond
ready to forgive

But, then I hold on to sanity
I realize who you are
and that having you control anything about me
especially my emotions
is absolute madness
I fight for control
I get angry and sin not
I put you in your place or
I let it slide
I forgive

Ultimately, I am not my own,
but called for a greater purpose
No one said it would be easy
but it is a must,
with unbelievable benefits

"High Places" by Alison John

I'm listening to the preacher go on about the kings
And I'm wondering why he would choose these things
Confusing as it all first seemed
Finding it hard to keep up with the team
Zechariah, Amaziah, Zedekiah
My head is spinning - My tongue is twisting
Where were Harry, Jack or Justin?
Determined to follow along in the class
Trying to understand these kings of the past
Omri, Zimri, Jeroboam
Ahab, Nadab, Rehoboam
Shallum ruled for a month - Manasseh for 55 years
Most ruled for the fame and never really cared
No longer a united kingdom - Divided by sinful actions
What can we learn from this devastation.
Then it hit me one evening when I wasn't expecting
(This happens a lot when you're really searching..)
While many were evil and angered God deeply
Others would follow him --- but not completely
How many of us do what is right from within
But do not tear down our 'High Places' of sin
We've come from the world where sin had us bound
Yet we refuse to tear those high places down
The old places, old people you use to go see
Don't fit with the Christian you're trying to be
It's no good if you're going through the holy paces
And insist on keeping your 'high places'
So tear them down - you have nothing to lose
Don't leave that opening for the devil to use

"Hush" by Peggyann

Hush little one,
and be at peace.
Lay your head in my arms,
don't be troubled.
I'm here, and I know
you're scared,
but it's ok.
I told you I'll never desert you,
so trust me
and be not afraid.
This disturbance
that you're experiencing,
that has threatened
the peace of your soul,
I'm seeing it.
I'm here with you.
Trust me,
it's just another
bump
in the road.