*I couldn't let May go by completely without a post on this blog, so while I was thinking of what to post I got to skimming through some friends' blogs. When I read this post on Jennifer's blog about the sudden death of one their sweet little babies, I knew instantly what I wanted to post: this poem I wrote a couple years ago. And while I'm thinking about it, please pray for Jennifer and the other staff, children, etc. at the three Casas de Amor in Bolivia.*
Deep in our hearts, Lord, there echoes a “why?”—
Why do so many loved babies die?
Day after day we see walking along
Mothers who chose to cut short a life’s song.
Yet we, in a heartbeat, would take in each one,
Shelter them, love them ‘til long life is done.
But in that same heartbeat the child of our love
Is taken from our arms to Yours up above.
And all that seems left when the nightmare is o’er
Is a heart full of questions, asking, “Why us, dear Lord?”
Yet night after night no answer we find
To quiet the questions that race through our minds.
Father, fill our hearts with Your peace and grace;
Help us endure what we cannot embrace;
Help us to trust You whatever the cost,
Though our arms ache to hold the dear baby we lost.
Showing posts with label Haley's posts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Haley's posts. Show all posts
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Right Where He Wants Us
Exodus 5:22-6:1
"So Moses returned to the LORD and said, 'Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharoah to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.'
Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Now you shall see what I will do to Pharoah. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.'"
Moses is really seeing the human impossibility of the task God has given him; he has reached the point where all he can see is "I can't". The beauty of it is, that's right where God wants him! Because now, God says, Moses will see what the LORD can do.
God had to bring Moses to the point where he knew he couldn’t do what God had called him to do. Once that was abundantly clear, then it became equally clear that anything good that did happen was unquestionably God’s work. In the next 7 verses (Exodus 6:2-8), as the Lord is encouraging Moses and exhorting him to press on in the face of the impossible, He keeps repeating one very important phrase: "I am the LORD." He says it 4 times in the space of these 7 verses. 'Nuff said! I smile as I read it, because it's almost as if God is saying, "Come on, people, I'm GOD! Just what is it you think is going to stop Me?!"
I believe that God does not give us little human-sized visions or missions, but that He calls us to accomplish God-sized tasks so He can work through us. We grow in Him and He gets the glory!
So when you reach the end of your rope, and all you can see is "I can't"--great! That's right where He wants you. God can, so press on in what He has called you to do. After all, He is the LORD!
"So Moses returned to the LORD and said, 'Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharoah to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.'
Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Now you shall see what I will do to Pharoah. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.'"
Moses is really seeing the human impossibility of the task God has given him; he has reached the point where all he can see is "I can't". The beauty of it is, that's right where God wants him! Because now, God says, Moses will see what the LORD can do.
God had to bring Moses to the point where he knew he couldn’t do what God had called him to do. Once that was abundantly clear, then it became equally clear that anything good that did happen was unquestionably God’s work. In the next 7 verses (Exodus 6:2-8), as the Lord is encouraging Moses and exhorting him to press on in the face of the impossible, He keeps repeating one very important phrase: "I am the LORD." He says it 4 times in the space of these 7 verses. 'Nuff said! I smile as I read it, because it's almost as if God is saying, "Come on, people, I'm GOD! Just what is it you think is going to stop Me?!"
I believe that God does not give us little human-sized visions or missions, but that He calls us to accomplish God-sized tasks so He can work through us. We grow in Him and He gets the glory!
So when you reach the end of your rope, and all you can see is "I can't"--great! That's right where He wants you. God can, so press on in what He has called you to do. After all, He is the LORD!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Valentine
The greatest of lovers is my Valentine--
He finds so many ways to say, "Would you 'be Mine'?"
He writes a love song for the birds to sing;
Its sound through plains and forests rings.
He blows me kisses on the breeze,
And asks, "Be My valentine, please?"
He paints the sunrise every morn,
He holds me when I'm tired or torn;
He never asks me why I cry,
He just holds me 'til the tears are dry.
He makes the stars like diamonds shine,
And asks me, "Won't you please 'be Mine'?"
He whispers His love in the rippling brook,
And the blue sky is filled with His sweet, smiling look.
He ends the day with sunsets bright,
Then hangs the moon with gentle light.
His gift is to hold a sleeping baby
To give me a taste of how He loves to hold me.
He hugs me so tight, so close to His heart,
While He whispers, "Never will we have to part."
And if ever for a moment His love I should doubt,
He proclaims it in thunder with the loudest of shouts.
And who is this Man who asks, "Would you 'be Mine'?"
Jesus Christ is my sweet Valentine!
He finds so many ways to say, "Would you 'be Mine'?"
He writes a love song for the birds to sing;
Its sound through plains and forests rings.
He blows me kisses on the breeze,
And asks, "Be My valentine, please?"
He paints the sunrise every morn,
He holds me when I'm tired or torn;
He never asks me why I cry,
He just holds me 'til the tears are dry.
He makes the stars like diamonds shine,
And asks me, "Won't you please 'be Mine'?"
He whispers His love in the rippling brook,
And the blue sky is filled with His sweet, smiling look.
He ends the day with sunsets bright,
Then hangs the moon with gentle light.
His gift is to hold a sleeping baby
To give me a taste of how He loves to hold me.
He hugs me so tight, so close to His heart,
While He whispers, "Never will we have to part."
And if ever for a moment His love I should doubt,
He proclaims it in thunder with the loudest of shouts.
And who is this Man who asks, "Would you 'be Mine'?"
Jesus Christ is my sweet Valentine!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Mine
I have a sweet, smart, beautiful dog that I absolutely love. But do you know why I really love Sugar? It's not because she's sweet, smart, beautiful, or just the right size. And I wouldn't love her more if she wouldn't go bolting off where she's not supposed to go every time she gets the chance, just like I don't love her any less because she does. I love her because she is mine. Just because she's my very own. Every time I look at her, my heart is filled with love. Now, if I feel that way about my dog, I can only imagine how much more God feels that way about me!!! He doesn't love me for anything I do or don't do, He just loves me because I'm His. When I look at my life, and see all the broken pieces and the sin and the failures and I wonder--how could He love me? Why would He love me? He whispers soft and low....
"Some things are loved because they're valuable. Some are valuable because they're loved." --Bro. Greg Smith------------------------------------------
"Because you're Mine."
------------------------------------------
Friday, December 5, 2008
Chosen
Chosen by the Lord above,
Called to walk into His love;
How could this grace, so rich and free,
Be given to someone like me?
This God is a holy Lord,
It says plainly in His word.
If in His presence there's no sin,
How can I hope to walk with Him?
Now enters the blood of Christ--
God is also love and light!
"Christ died for all!" the Bible shouts.
Can truth pierce through my cloud of doubt?
"Why me?" I wonder often now--
"If God loves me, I'm not sure how;
Why would I be one He chose?
One He died for and then rose?"
Then He whispers sweet and low:
"Just because of love, you know.
It doesn't matter what you do,
I chose you 'cause I wanted to!"
Called to walk into His love;
How could this grace, so rich and free,
Be given to someone like me?
This God is a holy Lord,
It says plainly in His word.
If in His presence there's no sin,
How can I hope to walk with Him?
Now enters the blood of Christ--
God is also love and light!
"Christ died for all!" the Bible shouts.
Can truth pierce through my cloud of doubt?
"Why me?" I wonder often now--
"If God loves me, I'm not sure how;
Why would I be one He chose?
One He died for and then rose?"
Then He whispers sweet and low:
"Just because of love, you know.
It doesn't matter what you do,
I chose you 'cause I wanted to!"
Friday, November 28, 2008
I Will Sing!
In my heart You put a song
And though the night may be so long,
I will sing my song to You, O Lord Most High!
In every circumstance and place,
Through every feeling by Your grace,
I will because of You, Almighty God!
The music ringing in my heart
Is about how great You are--
I will sing about You only, Adonai!
And when my praise is focused true
Others soon will trust in You--
I will sing just for Your glory, God of Love!
Psalm 40:3
"And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."
And though the night may be so long,
I will sing my song to You, O Lord Most High!
In every circumstance and place,
Through every feeling by Your grace,
I will because of You, Almighty God!
The music ringing in my heart
Is about how great You are--
I will sing about You only, Adonai!
And when my praise is focused true
Others soon will trust in You--
I will sing just for Your glory, God of Love!
Psalm 40:3
"And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."
Welcome to Written Heart!
Welcome to the Written Heart blog!
My name is Haley, and I'm the Written Heart administrator. Eventually I want to have several heart writers co-authoring this blog, providing people with fun, interesting, thought-provoking, challenging, encouraging, and always God-glorifying things to read.
What in the world is a heart writer? They are simply people who have a passion for writing from the heart. I firmly believe that only words written from the heart can touch or change a heart. The highest goal any writer can strive for is to impact lives for eternity with the words they pen (or type, in this instance). So the purpose of this blog is two-fold:
My name is Haley, and I'm the Written Heart administrator. Eventually I want to have several heart writers co-authoring this blog, providing people with fun, interesting, thought-provoking, challenging, encouraging, and always God-glorifying things to read.
What in the world is a heart writer? They are simply people who have a passion for writing from the heart. I firmly believe that only words written from the heart can touch or change a heart. The highest goal any writer can strive for is to impact lives for eternity with the words they pen (or type, in this instance). So the purpose of this blog is two-fold:
- to provide a place for Christian writers of all ages from all over the map to share their heart through the written word
- to encourage others in their journey with the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ
The heart writers who contibrute to this blog will be very carefully chosen in order to maintain a high standard in every way. If you're interested in becoming one of these special writers, you can e-mail me.
May the Lord bless you richly as you press on in Him, and may the words you read on this blog be glorifying to Him!
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