CARE OF MY SOUL

Hungry is my soul
Neglect and more busy-ness
Have taken their toll

Care for other things
Easy to fit into schedule
Responsibilities

Bills to pay—due date
Conscientious credit score
Soul’s care belate

Oil changed in the car
Tires rotated extra wear
Travel near and far

Traverse the highway
Coming and going with jobs
Joining in the fray

Starving all the while
Forgetting nurture of soul
Satan’s daily guile

Feasting on the Word
Inner being now nutrition
The Lord having heard

GOLD TEETH AND A GOLD HEART

Young man with gold teeth
Flashing big smile with cell phone
Sinister beneath

Strange sight to behold
Vigor of youth newly defined
With mouth full of gold

I was then unsure
How to interpret this scene
Devious allure

Thoughts inside of me
Focused on external signs
That we are worthy

Defined by a thing
No one else claims to possess
Uniqueness it brings

How much I am like
This young man I saw that day
My conscience to strike

Though teeth of gold not
I attempt flash my own smile
To show what I’ve got

Shallow and judging
I find my empty heart to be
Spirit keeps nudging

Let me now behold
People through the eyes of Jesus
Give me Heart of gold

PANIS ANGELICUS

“O bread of angels”
Feed my weary, hungry soul
God’s manna unseen

Trembling faith discovers
Eternal source of life’s food
Dependence uncovers

Present sacrament
Moment encased in celestial
The second advent

God’s mighty purpose
Unfolding miraculously
Like a delicate rose

God’s self to reveal
Transforming ordinary place
To mystical feel

Like my good Shepherd
Provide green grass and water
Reality blurred

Oneness to commune
Devotion stirs my heart strings
Panis angelicus

The Centurion's Faith

GospelMt 8:5-11When Jesus entered Capernaum,a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply,“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;only say the word and my servant will be healed.For I too am a man subject to authority,with soldiers subject to me.And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacobat the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven.”


Worthy I am not
Even though sickness invades
Entreat You alot

Like centurion’s dare
Family crisis drives me
To my Lord in prayer

Suffer full of dread
My aching heart filled with pain
Turn to Him instead

Faith like grain of sand
If people listen to me
He will hold my hand

Jesus, have you found
That kind of full faith in me?
Kingdom banquet bound!

KNOCKING AT THE DOOR

“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,then I will enter his house and dine with him,and he with me."

Knocking so softly

With anticipation of

new day hopefully

Hestitatingly

He lifts hand to rap the door

if I'm in to see

Door of my heart closed

Idols within occupy

To his knock opposed

The weather is cold

Wind and rain buffet his brow

Standing alone bold

Now it is my choice

to open and invite him

Friend with friend rejoice

Direction he gives

Comfort and guidance supplies

Spirit in me lives!

THE GRACE OF GOD HAS APPEARED

For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,as we await the blessed hope,the appearance of the glory of the great Godand of our savior Jesus Christ,who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14).

He desires to save

The grace of God has appeared

We're no longer slave

Power to reject

The grace of God has appeared

New life to select

Eager for the good

The grace of God has appeared

Fed by soulful food

For today devout

The grace of God has appeared

Blood to cleanse sin out

SEEDS OF THE REFLECTIVE LIFE

Daily happenings
Seeds of the reflective life
Brings newly born things

Earth opens receives
Lifeless form hardshell
Non-living conceives

Intangible Hope sprouts
Proclamation of a new day
Underneath it touts

Beginning again
Past forgotten forgiven
God’s grace now no pain

Loss & Recovery of Reverence

“The loss of reverence has profound consequences.”
Ken Gire, Seeing What is Sacred, page 27.

Loss of reverence
Life is secular mundane
From God severance

I see Burning bush
Conflagration of my desires
Embrace Holy hush

Profound is my awe
God’s footsteps in my garden
Reverent thoughts seesaw

Explosion of light
Shafts through the fall-colored leaves
Dark thoughts take their flight

Renewed endeavor
To sense God’s presence anew
With Him forever

Is it I, Lord?

Is it I, Lord?
The question haunts me now
Have I betrayed you
In what my heart allows?

Chorus:
Yes, it is You
I Look on you with mercy
Bringing you back to Me
Forgiving so tenderly
Is it I, Lord?
Your dark eyes pierce my soul
Seeing deep inside
Where I need to be whole

Chorus:
Yes, it is You
I Look on you with mercy
Bringing you back to Me
Forgiving so tenderly

Is it I, Lord?
I’m sorry I hurt You
I was not thinking
And I didn’t have a clue

Chorus:
Yes, it is You
I Look on you with mercy
Bringing you back to Me
Forgiving so tenderly







Is it I, Lord?
I didn’t speak up
Leaving You all alone
To taste of sorrow’s cup
Chorus:
Yes, it is You
I Look on you with mercy
Bringing you back to Me
Forgiving so tenderly

Is it I, Lord?
Caught up in sin again
Forbidden pleasures
Forever causing pain

Chorus:
Yes, it is You
I Look on you with mercy
Bringing you back to Me
Forgiving so tenderly

Is it I, Lord?
Like Judas selling self
Pieces of silver
Thirty times worthless wealth
Chorus:
Yes, it is You
I Look on you with mercy
Bringing you back to Me
Forgiving so tenderly
Is it I, Lord?
My repentant heart
Aches tenderly for You,
Giving me a new start
Chorus:
Yes, it is You
I Look on you with mercy
Bringing you back to Me
Forgiving so tenderly

ABANDONING OURSELVES TO GOD

It is hard to do this
Abandoning ourselves to You, God
Showing upraised fist

My heart addicted
Closed and dark with my false self
Despair predicted

Moods swing wildly now
Grasping for substance untouched
Sweat drops to my brow

Shame explodes censure strong
Satan whispering softly
“You do not belong.”

But this I reject
Abandoning sin and self
God’s grace to accept

Unburdened with load
Throwing self into embrace
God’s arms me to hold

Unfettered and free
Soul cleansed and abandoned
No depravity

Holy Father’s name
Iesous Christos arisen
Holy Spirit flame. Amen

His Grace Is Enough

His grace is enough
When my tired heart is weary
And the way seems rough

His grace in measure
Which makes glad my heart today
Is my full treasure

Flaming colors burst
Morning sun dancing lightly
My eyes behold first

Colors of rainbow
Each branch transformed spectacularly
Sets my heart aglow

Autumn panoply
Against the barren winter
Sensibility

Knowing my times are in
The hands of Almighty God
Descant echoing

My life mirrors full
Colors of divine portrait
Transforming the dull

His grace is reserve
Filling my well to the brim
Languished soul to preserve.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Morning Sacrament

Now each morning new
Dawning mercies gift today
Expectant for You

Holy in kneeling
Receiving this sacrament
Humble in feeling

Sacredness with God
Taste of ordinary things
Approval applaud

Picking up the crumbs
Morning toast divine Manna
Satisfaction comes

Sitting by the Fire

Sitting by the fire
Dressed in warmth of the Spirit
My morning attire

Thoughts of the day fly
My responsibilities
God willing I’ll try

See dark horizon
The morning sun yet to rise
God and I are one

Friendship to embrace
Hand in hand we begin the day
Two hearts interlace

Haiku by Terry Smith October 22

Haiku by Terry Smith October 22

My unbelief is revealed
When I am alone thinking
About the truth of God’s love
It does not make sense

Love that’s unconditional
It is so hard to believe
In the midst of the chaos
Where can I find God

The struggle is real
Each one of us must travel
Choosing a way

I am called to think
I must remember the past
Reflecting on history
My own and other’s
I will meditate on these
And consider my choices

Much to my surprise
When I think outside the box
I observe new things
I see love that surrounds me
I find comfort in the truth

When I reason from my thoughts
Darkness in my soul destroys
Crushes the hope I long for
My life is broken

Life’s bigger than me
When I look outside the box
Of my own worldview

I have found a way of life
That I practice everyday
The foundation is real love
Coming outside me




My worldview says “no” to love
I’m glad I have a choice
I have decide to live
Love’s the better choice

I’m not in control of you
Nor what goes no around me
I am in control of something
How my mind responds

Lord, I do believe in love
Help me with my unbelief
Of a love higher than me
When I can’t see it

When the suffering comes hard
Blinding though it may be now
I am trained to think things through
Thank God for my mind

My feelings will not rule me
I will not make friends with pain
I am called by a vision
Bigger than my past

Sanctified Strolling at Penuel Ridge

O Lord God who keeps
Persimmons on ridge so steep
Benefits I reap

I hear Your voice now
Providing you will somehow
If I but allow

Snake on the path dead
Venom no longer a dread
Peace inside instead

Turkey on the run
False self exposed now undone
Illusions are none

Acorns on the ground
Cornucopia all around
Manna food profound

Mirrored lake so still
Reflection of soul to fill
Spirit replacing ill

Ripples with soft wind
Divine paintbrush colors blend
Beginning to the end

Closer to God lead
Upon holy ground I tread
Living water fed

Amen.

Morning Song

This morning dawns with gift of light
We joyfully receive our sight
Darkness now swept cleanly away
Hope springs forth another day

Sun of my soul brighten within
The inner man renewed again
Sin and self now eradicate
Rays of divine love now penetrate

Forgiveness awakens heart strings
Plucked down deep where melody sings
Rapturous joy provides the tune
From early morn until the noon

God, I cannot go forth in pride
Human will against yours would collide
From such conflict save me today
Grant me peace, Your will to obey

As sun playfully peaks around
Clouds connecting sky and ground
God winks at me pleasure divine
Within my heart’s a holy shrine.

All praise to God the Father be;
All thanks, eternal Son, to thee,
Whom with the Spirit we adore
Forever and forevermore, Amen.

My Heart's Desire

My heart’s one desire
Surrender and peace to Him
Holy Spirit fire

Obstacles not dim
In this meandering journey
Stay focused on him

Throw off entangling
Sin that slows me down and drags
Jesus renewing


Swift as a gazelle
Message of deliverance
To others go tell

Faith invisible
God’s powerful word creates
World incredible

World and beauty seen
Pallette of divine canvas
The creature between

Standing as witness
To awesome demonstration
Of divine finesse

Don’t know about things
Ignorance is copious
Have to pull some strings

Answers God gives
Maybe not in my timing
But onward He lives.

Welcome to Laudsmorningwatch!

Terry, Mark, Mark, Danny, & Steve:

I am creating this new blog to encourage all of us to be more intentional in our morning prayer and devotional time. I am going on vacation tomorrow but will be back in a week to pick this up and run with it. This will be a blogsite for you guys to share what God is doing in your morning time. Your friend and brother in Jesus, Curtis