My Memorial

Today we bring forth in our memory
Soldiers who have fought for this country.
The men and women who keep us free.

There is also another whom I depend upon
To help me live as a free person.
I am talking about God's precious Son.

He is the one I totally trust.
When I am surrounded by chaos and fuss,
I call upon the name of Jesus.

Daily I should give recognition
To the One who brought salvation
From sin and condemnation.

Today, Jesus, I remember you.
I will never be able to repay my dues
For your death, which gave me a life renewed.

Thank you.

Memorial Day

I am an American
To the innermost core of me.
And today I remember
The men and women who keep us free.

They served our country well,
Usually with great sacrifice,
Leaving behind family and friends,
While many gave their lives.

To these men and women I say thank you
For being willing to serve our country.
A country where I do what I choose,
A country where I am free to be me.

While I am waiting to go to heaven,
Until that day I no longer must roam,
I will do my best to follow Jesus
And call America home.

I Drink

I drink from the cup given to me,
The cup where life is not easy.
I drink from the cup of hard work, pain and sorrow,
From the cup where I worry about tomorrow.
I drink from the cup that causes me to frown,
From the cup that keeps knocking me down.

There is another cup, with something sweet.
There is another cup, that I'd like to keep.
It's the cup of mercy and grace.
It's the cup that can forgive my mistakes.
This cup is offered to me every day, every minute,
But all too often I reject everything that's in it.
I often drink from this cup only when life is too hard,
And I'm flat on my back with a broken heart.

Oh how sad it is that I don't drink from this cup every day,
The cup of sweetness where everything is God's way.
I should drink constantly from the cup dipped into the River of Life,
Constantly drink from the cup that filters out chaos and strife.
I should drink constantly from the cup offered to me,
So I can find true relief from the cup given to me.

The Top

The valley may be deep,
The mountain may be high,
But once you reach the top,
What a beautiful sight!

The Best Christmas

It was the night before Christmas
And quiet in the house.
Mom was in the kitchen,
Dad was dozing on the couch.

The children had moved far away,
And weren’t coming home this year.
Mom was feeling sad, so she began to pray.
“Oh Lord, I could really use some cheer.

The kids can’t come home,
And I miss them so much.
This Christmas we’re all alone,
But in you I’ve put my trust.

Everything is ready for Christmas dinner,
And I sent invitations all over town.
But it looks like I won’t be a winner,
All my invitations have been turned down.

Lord, there must be someone out there
Who has no place to go.
I want to show them how you care,
And feed them dinner at my home.

You know how hard it is for me
To get out and around.
Bring me someone who’s lonely,
Help me show them what you’re about.

Thank you, Lord, for listening when I pray.
Now I think I’ll get some sleep,
So I can be rested for Christmas Day.
I’ll need my energy to feed your hungry sheep.”

Christmas Day dawned bright and clear.
Mom was in the kitchen early,
And creating all kinds of good cheer.
She thanked God for making her feel merry.

All of her children gave her a call,
And she wished each one a Merry Christmas.
She gave thanks she could talk to them all.
“Thank you for remembering me, Jesus.”

Dad suddenly had an errand to run.
He said he’d be back in a few minutes.
“Please don’t be long, for dinner’s almost done.”
She was too busy to wonder about his disappearance.

Suddenly the doorbell began to ring.
“I wonder who that could be.”
A man said, “Your husband told me to bring
My wife and children; the youngest one is three.

I met him at the convenience store.
He saw that my wallet was empty.
He said you have enough for twenty or more,
And that you’d be delighted to feed my family.”

“Come in! Come in!” she cried.
“Let me take your coats and hats.
Unexpected company makes me smile,
And it won’t be long before my husband is back.”

A short time later her husband came home.
Mom gasped with surprise when he walked through the door,
For when he came in, he wasn’t alone.
He had someone with him; in fact, several more.

“I didn’t like seeing you so sad for Christmas Day,
And I knew these people had no place to go.
Last night when I heard you pray,
I knew God’s love was important for you to show.

I know how much you miss our children,
And how hard it sometimes is for us to be alone.
Today is about how God came down from heaven
To ensure that all His children can go home.

So I brought these people for you to feed
Because I know it makes you happy.
It makes me glad to see you at peace
When you’re making another person’s day cheery.”

Mom and Dad had a happy Christmas,
With a house filled with people and light.
They gave special thanks to Jesus
For filling their home with such delight.

I'm Thankful

I’m thankful for eyes to see
Oceans, rivers, birds in the sky,
Babies, and flowers and trees.

I’m thankful for ears to hear
The wind, music, and a loved one’s voice,
And the songs of birds, far and near.

I’m thankful for hands and feet
That do what I want,
So my tasks I can complete.

I’m thankful for a voice that can express
Words of hope, joy, love and peace,
Words we need to constantly confess.

I’m thankful for my health,
Sometimes bad, mostly good,
Because it’s my greatest wealth.

I’m thankful for my family
With all our differences and quirks,
Never boring, with all that variety.

I’m thankful for a God I can trust,
Who is always there for me.
Whenever I need Him, I just call Jesus.

There is so much for me to be thankful for,
I could never tell about everything,
For as I tell of one, I think of one more.

Being Thankful

Being thankful is not a hard thing to be,
Because God has set me free,
Free from the chains of my past,
Free with a joy that will forever last.

I was such a mess at the start,
Not so much now as I let Him heal my heart.
I carried a heavy burden from my sin and shame,
Made even heavier from my grief and pain.

I wandered in darkness, confused and lost.
Somebody’s prayers helped me find the cross.
How I wept as I lay on my face,
Sorrowful at what I was, but amazed at God’s grace.

I don’t know how He could love someone like me.
I don’t understand His willingness to give His mercy
To someone full of rebellion and pride,
Failing miserably at running my own life.

But God loves me, and I walk in His grace and mercy.
God loves me, and is guiding me to victory.
So while I’m on this earth, and when I get to heaven,
I’ll do my absolute best to praise and thank Him, again and again.