Monday, January 15, 2007
Let Me Stand Here
Now, in this moment, at this minute,
Let me stand here,
Firm, unmoved,
anchored on your words, O Lord,
anchored in your love, O Lord,
anchored to your cross, O Lord.
This be my resting place,
my fortress in the darkness,
my strength in the flood,
my sold rock,
my hope.
Jesus, Savior,
Lamb of God
You who take away the sins of the world,
teach me to love you more,
anchored here
in the love that will not fade,
in the palm of your hand.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Let me stand here,
Firm, unmoved,
anchored on your words, O Lord,
anchored in your love, O Lord,
anchored to your cross, O Lord.
This be my resting place,
my fortress in the darkness,
my strength in the flood,
my sold rock,
my hope.
Jesus, Savior,
Lamb of God
You who take away the sins of the world,
teach me to love you more,
anchored here
in the love that will not fade,
in the palm of your hand.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2007
Labels: Discipleship, God Our Shelter, Loving God
Thursday, June 01, 2006
The Dream
You gave me a dream one day, O Lord,
of midnight on a storming sea,
Hurricane winds blowing free,
washing up on an unprepared shore.
I watched as the waters swirled and rose,
huge swells washing all away
there in the darkness far from day,
The works of hands shattered in the water flows.
I watched how puny are the works we prize
The works of hands and sweat and dreams
Falling there beneath the streams
Nothing of man stopped the water's rise.
And yet, there on the water's face
Bobbing lightly as the waves moved on,
Survivors surfacing towards the dawn
Rafts and boats and planks and boards in place.
Even though wind tossed, and frightened there
even though battered in the night
they escaped into the light,
By the hand of loving care.
"My mercy," said the Lord to me
"I gave them refuge in my heart,
As the darkness took their world apart
Because they put their trust in me.
.
"Take care to understand and know
When darkness seems too dark to see
That I will hold you close to me
In darkest night, when storm winds blow
"If you will give your heart to me
To keep within my heart of love
You will always float above
The darkness of that midnight sea.
"Cling to my mercy now, this day,
The storm clouds gather, the darkness grows,
The seas are rising, the dark wind blows,
Come into my heart or wash away."
Susan E. Stone, 2006
of midnight on a storming sea,
Hurricane winds blowing free,
washing up on an unprepared shore.
I watched as the waters swirled and rose,
huge swells washing all away
there in the darkness far from day,
The works of hands shattered in the water flows.
I watched how puny are the works we prize
The works of hands and sweat and dreams
Falling there beneath the streams
Nothing of man stopped the water's rise.
And yet, there on the water's face
Bobbing lightly as the waves moved on,
Survivors surfacing towards the dawn
Rafts and boats and planks and boards in place.
Even though wind tossed, and frightened there
even though battered in the night
they escaped into the light,
By the hand of loving care.
"My mercy," said the Lord to me
"I gave them refuge in my heart,
As the darkness took their world apart
Because they put their trust in me.
.
"Take care to understand and know
When darkness seems too dark to see
That I will hold you close to me
In darkest night, when storm winds blow
"If you will give your heart to me
To keep within my heart of love
You will always float above
The darkness of that midnight sea.
"Cling to my mercy now, this day,
The storm clouds gather, the darkness grows,
The seas are rising, the dark wind blows,
Come into my heart or wash away."
Susan E. Stone, 2006
Labels: Divine Mercy, God Our Shelter, Jesus' Love
Darkness Falls
Darkness falls -
O Lord, be thou my light!
As the storm draws near
Keep me within thy sight.
Be Thou my strength,
Hold up my wavering hand
As the flood grows deep
Across this trembling land.
May thy cross be
A beacon bright as day
To guide my feet
When darkness hides the way.
Thy Mercy is
My only refuge place,
There is no hope
Without thy loving grace.
As midnight falls
With sword and cry and grief,
Only with you
Will my soul find relief.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
O Lord, be thou my light!
As the storm draws near
Keep me within thy sight.
Be Thou my strength,
Hold up my wavering hand
As the flood grows deep
Across this trembling land.
May thy cross be
A beacon bright as day
To guide my feet
When darkness hides the way.
Thy Mercy is
My only refuge place,
There is no hope
Without thy loving grace.
As midnight falls
With sword and cry and grief,
Only with you
Will my soul find relief.
Susan E. Stone, 2006
Labels: God Our Shelter, Help Me O Lord
Thursday, May 11, 2006
The Pilgrim's Journey Home
The sun sinks low near the end of the day
As my weary back bends beneath its load.
My mind is filled with sweet thoughts of home
That waits for me at the end of the road.
At times each step seems so hard to take,
My hands do shake and my knees grow weak,
Yet far ahead the road leads on,
To the place I go, to the home I seek.
Some may think that I walk in vain,
Step after step on this pilgrim's way,
They think me foolish for what I do,
Glance while I pass, and then turn away.
And yet they wonder where comes the strength
To love when others would choose to hate,
To ease the pain of another's load,
To try when others curse their fate.
It is not I who can do this thing,
It is not I who is strong, you see --
The joy, the peace, the strength within
To take each step, it is not me.
It only looks like I walk alone,
Another carries me along the way.
He gave his life to set me free
And brings me home at the end of the day.
O Jesus, you whisper into my heart
The words of life that set me free,
Your arms are strength where I am weak,
When I fall down you carry me.
And though the valley ahead seems dark,
O Good Shepherd you comfort me,
It will be but the pathway home,
And where you lead, I long to be.
To the Tune of Lord Franklin.
(midi of the tune can be found here:
http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/midis7/franklin.mid)
As my weary back bends beneath its load.
My mind is filled with sweet thoughts of home
That waits for me at the end of the road.
At times each step seems so hard to take,
My hands do shake and my knees grow weak,
Yet far ahead the road leads on,
To the place I go, to the home I seek.
Some may think that I walk in vain,
Step after step on this pilgrim's way,
They think me foolish for what I do,
Glance while I pass, and then turn away.
And yet they wonder where comes the strength
To love when others would choose to hate,
To ease the pain of another's load,
To try when others curse their fate.
It is not I who can do this thing,
It is not I who is strong, you see --
The joy, the peace, the strength within
To take each step, it is not me.
It only looks like I walk alone,
Another carries me along the way.
He gave his life to set me free
And brings me home at the end of the day.
O Jesus, you whisper into my heart
The words of life that set me free,
Your arms are strength where I am weak,
When I fall down you carry me.
And though the valley ahead seems dark,
O Good Shepherd you comfort me,
It will be but the pathway home,
And where you lead, I long to be.
To the Tune of Lord Franklin.
(midi of the tune can be found here:
http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/midis7/franklin.mid)
Labels: Discipleship, God Our Shelter, Hope, In the Valley of the Shadow
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
In Your Rest
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Matthew 11: 28-30
In your arms O Lord
let me cast all my weariness,
fear,
sadness,
loss.
In your eyes I see love,
in your touch,
healing,
in your voice,
caring,
and in your presence,
peace.
O Lord,
how could I know
that there was just a Jesus shaped hole
in my heart,
that only you can fill,
although so many times
I have tried to fill it
with friends
and work
and money
and things
and hobbies
and pleasure
and yet,
only you can take that emptiness
and turn it into joy.
In your rest,
I find my hope.
In your peace
I find my tomorrow
and in your joy
I know
that you are the one good thing
I need,
and when all other pleasures fail,
and friends turn away,
and things wear out,
you will still be there,
the same today as yesterday,
waiting to take me to tomorrow.
Deo gratias.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2005
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Matthew 11: 28-30
In your arms O Lord
let me cast all my weariness,
fear,
sadness,
loss.
In your eyes I see love,
in your touch,
healing,
in your voice,
caring,
and in your presence,
peace.
O Lord,
how could I know
that there was just a Jesus shaped hole
in my heart,
that only you can fill,
although so many times
I have tried to fill it
with friends
and work
and money
and things
and hobbies
and pleasure
and yet,
only you can take that emptiness
and turn it into joy.
In your rest,
I find my hope.
In your peace
I find my tomorrow
and in your joy
I know
that you are the one good thing
I need,
and when all other pleasures fail,
and friends turn away,
and things wear out,
you will still be there,
the same today as yesterday,
waiting to take me to tomorrow.
Deo gratias.
Amen.
Susan E. Stone, 2005
Labels: God Our Shelter, Jesus' Love
