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POEMS & WRITINGS BY OTHERS
Poems
HE LEADETH ME
Rev. John F. Chaplain
In pastures green? Not always; sometimes He
Who knoweth best, in kindness leadeth me
in many ways where heavy shadows be.
Out of the sunshine warm and soft and bright
Out of the sunshine into the darkest night,
I oft would faint with sorrow and affright,
Only for this -- I know He holds my hand;
So whether in the green or desert land
I trust although I may not understand.
And by still waters? No, not always so:
Ofttimes the heavy tempests round me blow.
And o'er my soul the waters and billows go.
But when the storms beat loudest and I cry
Aloud for help, the Master standeth by
And whispers to my soul, "Lo, it isI."
Above the tempest wild I hear Him say,
"Beyond this darkness lies a perfect day.
In every path of thine I lead the way."
So whether on the hilltops high and fair
I dwell, or in the sunless valleys where
The shadows lie -- what matters? He is there.
So where He leads me, I can safely go,
And in the blest hereafter I shall know
Why, in His wisdom, He hath led me so.
I AM A CHRISTIAN
by Maya Angelou
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin."
I'm whispering "I was lost,"
Now I'm found and forgiven.
When I say..."I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need CHRIST to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
and need HIS strength to carry on.
When I say.. "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
and need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
but, God believes I am worth it.
When I say.. "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain,
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
who received God's good grace, somehow.
STILL HE WALKED
He could hear the crowds screaming "crucify" "crucify"...
He could hear the hatred in their voices,
These were his chosen people.
He loved them,
And they were going to crucify him.
He was beaten, bleeding and weakened... his heart was broken,
But still He walked.
He could see the crowd as he came from the palace.
He knew each of the faces so well.
He had created them.
He knew every smile, laugh, and shed tear,
But now they were contorted with rage and anger...his heart
broke,
But still He walked.
Was he scared?
You and I would have been
So his humanness would have mandated that he was. He felt alone.
His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed him.
He searched the crowd for a loving face and he saw very few.
Then he turned his eyes to the only one that mattered
And he knew that he would never be alone.
He looked back at the crowd, at the people who were spitting
At him, throwing rocks at him and mocking him and he knew
That because of him, they would never be alone.
So for them, He walked.
The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through
The crowd. The sounds of his cries echoed even louder,
The cheers of the crowd, as his hands and feet
Were nailed to the cross, intensified with each blow.
Loudest of all was the still small voice inside his
Heart that whispered "I am with you, my son",
And God's heart broke.
He had let his son walk.
Jesus could have asked God to end his suffering,
But instead he asked God to forgive.
Not to forgive him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting
him.
As he hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death,
He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd,
But also, the face of every person yet to be,
And his heart filled with love.
As his body was dying, his heart was alive.
Alive with the limitless, unconditional love he feels for each
of us.
That is why He walked.
When I forget how much My God loves me,
I remember his walk.
When I wonder if I can be forgiven,
I remember his walk.
When I need reminded of how to live like Christ,
I think of his walk.
And to show him how much I love him,
I wake up each morning, turn my eyes to him,
And I walk.
-- Author Unknown
Dog of Blue
Once I had a dog of blue, Listen close the story is for you
When the sun went down, He'd lift his head
And let out a howl, That would raise the dead
Only one thing, He had on his mind
To get to the fields, A fresh track to find
And letting him out, At the edge of the wood
He'd get you one going, As quick as he could
Filling the night, With his beautiful bawl
To tree that coon, He'd give you his all
Tho tempted by deer, His path often crossed
The track of that coon, He never once lost
But kept pressing on, over river and dale
Undaunted by obstacles, He'd not give up the trail
Tho tired and weary, and his feet start to bleed
He'd keep pressing on, Till the coon he had treed
And if it took you till dawn, To get to the tree
When you finally arrived, There he would be
And none can deny, You may mark my word sir
He was a
Sticker a Stayer
and an
All Night Tree Barker
Now he didn't know how, To shake your hand
Play with a ball, Or guard your land
Couldn't drive the cows, Or pull a sled
And his pedigree at a dog show,
He had never heard read
But to that which he'd, Been born and trained
He'd gladly give his life, And never complain
Now wouldn't it be great, If we all could be true
To that which we've been called,
Like my old dog of blue
Instead we think, We can do it all
From being a Bishop, To playing pro ball
And when we fail, And run a-muck
We console ourselves, And blame it on luck
But luck has nothing, To do with success
Failure is caused, By poor judgment and laziness
And temptation, Has caused many to fail
When they left the course,
In pursuit of some Quail
So make your calling, And election sure
Press onto the course, Without a trace of demure
Press on press on, Tho dark be the night
Press on press on, Till broad day light
And stay at the tree, Like my ol blue hound
For when the Master comes,
That's the place to be found
Do what you do best, And try a little harder
That it may be said of you
He's a;
Sticker a Stayer
and an
All Night Tree Barker !
By Rev. Charles Elwell
We have come here to this place
To find our little piece of grace,
Some by chance others by plan
trying to find ourselves if we can -
Bound by chains which away we must cast
To the Lord we must turn for release from the past -
For in the end it shall be ourselves we must face,
When we stand before the Lord asking
for grace -
Jeffrey H. Glenn
March 28, 2004
Without God where would I be?
If not lost out at sea
Most assuredly hanging from a tree -
Without God where would I be?
Lost in a bottle or bag of dope immersed
Praying all of my life’s choices could be reversed -
- But -
With God all things are possible.
Grace, mercy, forgiveness for my sins,
The realization of dreams that might not have been.
With God forever I shall live.
For accepting His Son
Eternal life He promises to give -
- Therefore -
Without God where would I be?
If not lost out at sea
Most assuredly hanging from a tree -
Jeffrey H. Glenn
April 18, 2004
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