And Yet You're Sinning Still

 

Crown or Crucify

 I tried to type out this poem -but it was not allowing me to type it as seen - so just going with photos. 

I hope you are able to read it. :O) 

The Art of Sympathy

I may have shared this poem before - but it is well worth sharing again- if I have:

 

 

Poetry Corner

Marah and Elim

 

Today 'tis Elim with its palms and wells,
And happy shade for desert weariness;
'Twas Marah yesterday, all rock and sand,
Unshaded solitude and dreariness.
Yet the same desert holds them both, the same
Hot breezes wander o'er the lonely ground;
The same low stretch of valley shelters both,
And the same mountains compass them around.

So it is here with us on earth, and so
I do remember it has ever been;
The bitter and the sweet, the grief and joy,
Lie near together, but a day between.

Sometimes God turns our bitter into sweet,
Sometimes He gives us pleasant watersprings;
Sometimes He shades us with His pillar cloud,
And sometimes to a blessed palm shade brings.

What matters it? The time will not be long;
Marah and Elim will alike be passed;
Our desert wells and palms will soon be done,
We reach the "City of our God" at last.
O happy land! beyond these lonely hills,
Where gush in joy the everlasting springs;
O holy Paradise! above these heavens,
Where we shall end our desert wanderings.
--Horatius Bonar.

'Cause my cup has overflowed

Drinking From My Saucer

 

   I've never made a fortune
     And it's probably too late now.
     But I don't worry about that much,
     I'm happy anyhow.

 

     And as I go along life's way,
     I'm reaping better than I sow.
     I'm drinking from my saucer,
     'Cause my cup has overflowed.

 

     Haven't got a lot of riches,
     And sometimes the going's tough.
     But I've got loving ones around me,
     And that makes me rich enough.

 

     I thank God for his blessings,
     And the mercies He's bestowed.
     I'm drinking from my saucer,
     'Cause my cup has overflowed.

 

     O, Remember times when things went wrong,
     My faith wore somewhat thin.
     But all at once the dark clouds broke,
     And sun peeped through again.

 

 

     So Lord, help me not to gripe
     About the tough rows that I've hoed.
     I'm drinking from my saucer,
     'Cause my cup has overflowed.

 

 

     If God gives me strength and courage,
     When the way grows steep and rough.
     I'll not ask for other blessings,
     I'm already blessed enough.

 

And may I never be too busy,
To help others bear their loads.
 Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer,
  'Cause my cup has overflowed.

Author Unknown

Poetry Corner

Perchance thou, too, hast camped by such sweet waters,
And quenched with joy thy weary, parched soul's thirst;
To find, as time goes on, thy streamlet alters
From what it was at first.

Hearts that have cheered, or soothed, or blest, or strengthened;
Loves that have lavished so unstintedly;
Joys, treasured joys--have passed, as time hath lengthened,
Into obscurity.

If thus, ah soul, the brook thy heart hath cherished
Doth fail thee now--no more thy thirst assuage--
If its once glad refreshing streams have perished,
Let HIM thy heart engage.

He will not fail, nor mock, nor disappoint thee;
His consolations change not with the years;
With oil of joy He surely will anoint thee,
And wipe away thy tears.
--J. D. Smith

Poetry Corner

He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limit; His grace has no measure.
His pow'r has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

~Annie Johnson Flint

Poetry Corner

THE RED SEA PLACE



Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,
Where, in spite of all you can do,
There is no way out, there is no way back,
There is no other way but through?
Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene
Till the night of your fear is gone;
He will send the wind, He will heap the floods,
When He says to your soul, 'Go on.'

And His hand will lead you through--clear through--
Ere the watery walls roll down,
No foe can reach you, no wave can touch,
No mightiest sea can drown;
The tossing billows may rear their crests,
Their foam at your feet may break,
But over their bed you shall walk dry shod
In the path that your Lord will make.

In the morning watch, 'neath the lifted cloud,
You shall see but the Lord alone,
When He leads you on from the place of the sea
To a land that you have not known;
And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed,
You shall be no more afraid;
You shall sing His praise in a better place,
A place that His hand has made.

--Annie Johnson Flint

Poetry Corner

WIT'S END CORNER
Are you standing at "Wit's End Corner",
Christian, with troubled brow?
Are you thinking of what is before you,
And all you are bearing now?
Does all the world seem against you,
And you in the battle alone?
Remember--at "Wit's End Corner"
Is just where God's power is shown.

Are you standing at "Wit's End Corner",
Blinded with wearying pain,
Feeling you cannot endure it,
You cannot bear the strain,
Bruised through the constant suffering,
Dizzy, and dazed, and numb?
Remember--at "Wit's End Corner"
Is where Jesus loves to come.

Are you standing at "Wit's End Corner"?
Your work before you spread,
All lying begun, unfinished,
And pressing on heart and head,
Longing for strength to do it,
Stretching out trembling hands?
Remember--at "Wit's End Corner"
The Burden-bearer stands.

Are you standing at "Wit's End Corner"?
Then you're just in the very spot
To learn the wondrous resources
Of Him who faileth not:
No doubt to a brighter pathway
Your footsteps will soon be moved,
But only at "Wit's End Corner"
is the "God who is able" proved.

--Antoinette Wilson

Through...continue on

THROUGH



"When thou passest through the waters"
Deep the waves may be and cold
But Jehovah is our refuge,
And His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it,
He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters
Thou shalt not go down, but THROUGH!"

Seas of sorrow, seas of trial,
Bitterest anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation
Sweeping over heart and brain--
They shall never overflow us
For we know His word is true;
All His waves and all His billows
He will lead us safely THROUGH.

Threatening breakers of destruction,
Doubt's insidious undertow,
Shall not sink us, shall not drag us
Out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise shall sustain us,
Praise the Lord, whose Word is true!
We shall not go down, or under,
For He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."

--Annie Johnson Flint

I Can Trust

"I cannot know why suddenly the storm
      Should rage so fiercely round me in its wrath;
      But this I know--God watches all my path,
      And I can trust.

      "I may not draw aside the mystic veil
      That hides the unknown future from my sight,
      Nor know if for me waits the dark or light;
      But I can trust.

      "I have no power to look across the tide,
      To see while here the land beyond the river;
      But this I , know--I shall be Gods forever;
      So I can trust."

A poem from "Streams in the Desert" for May 15  at least in my edition of the book.

The Pruned Branch

The Pruned Branch It is the branch that bears the fruit,
That feels the knife;
To prune it for a larger growth,
A fuller life,

Though every budding twig be lopped,
And every grace
Of swaying tendril, springing leaf
Be lost a space.

O thou, whose life of joy seems reft,
Of beauty shorn,
Whose aspirations lie in dust,
All bruised and torn,

Rejoice, though each desire, each dream,
Each hope of thine,
Shall fall and fade; it is the hand
Of love divine

That holds the knife, that cuts and breaks
With tenderest touch,
That thou, whose life has borne some fruit
May now bear much.
Annie Johnson Flint

Be sure to come back by later when I post the Bible Marking Series post. Thanks so much!

Waiting

“Waiting! Yes, patiently waiting!
Till next steps made plain will be;
To hear, with the inner hearing,
The voice that will call for me.

Waiting! Yes hopefully waiting!
with hope that need not grow dim;
The Master is pledged to guide me,
and my eyes are unto Him.

Waiting! Expectantly waiting!
Perhaps it may be today
The Master will quickly open
the gate to my future way.

Waiting! Yes, waiting! still waiting!
I know, though I’ve waited long,
That, while He withholds His purpose,
His waiting cannot be wrong.

Waiting! Yes, waiting! still waiting!
The Master will not be late;
Since He knows that I am waiting
For Him to unlatch the gate.”

J.Danson Smith

Martha and Mary

Martha and Mary

Martha was busy and hurried,
Serving the Friend divine,
Cleansing the cups and the platters,
Bringing the bread and the wine;
But Martha was careful and anxious
Fretted in thought and in word,
She had no time to be learning
While she was serving the Lord,
For Martha was "cumbered" with serving,
Martha was "troubled" with "things" -
Those that would pass with the using -
She was forgetting her wings.

But Mary was quiet and peaceful,
Learning to love and to live.
Mary was hearing His precepts,
Mary was letting Him give -
Give of the riches eternal,
Treasures of mind and of heart;
Learning the mind of the Master,
Choosing the better part.

Do we ever labor at serving
Till voices grow fretful and shrill,
Forgetting how to be loving,
Forgetting how to be still?
Do we strive for "things" in possession,
And toil for the perishing meat,
Neglecting the one thing needful -
Sitting at Jesus' feet?

Service is good when He asks it,
Labor is right in its place,
But there is one thing better -
Looking up into His face;
There is so much He would tell us,
Truths that are precious and deep;
This is the place where He wants us,
These are the things we can keep.
  
Annie Johnson Flint

This poem sure speaks to my heart and I thought you all would enjoy it! May God bless each of you in a special way! :O)

The Art of Sympathy

Today I went to one of my favorite thrift shops. I love this thrift shop because I usually find great books there. Today I found a small little booklet. "Comfort for You" by Helen K. Oswald. The copyright says 1943, 1971 - and that it was revised in 1964. 

 

 

I thought it was cool when I found it still being sold and looks like it has been updated. Here is where I found it. And I also borrow the photo of the book from their web page.

As I was glancing through the little booklet - I found something that just really stood out to me today. It is a poem called -"The Art of Sympathy" - it is a very good explanation of why we go through hard times, for when we do - we are better able to sympathize with others. Well I wanted to share this poem with you all.

The Art of Sympathy

 

Though knowest not what words to say

To brighten someone's darkened day?

Though hast not learned to sympathize,

To dry the tears from someone's eyes?

The art of cheer thou fain wouldst seek

But lackest knowledge how to speak?

Then shrink not from life's deepest woe,

And sympathy shall in these grow!

Rebel not when thine eyes must weep,

When others 'round thee peaceful sleep;

'Tis only thus the power is born

To comfort other hearts that mourn!

~ Pearl Waggoner Howard

 

And another poem that nicely goes with the other one.

 

Perfection

We must suffer the darkest night

Before we can see the stars,

And oft sorrow and grief must come

In the battle that leaves its scars.

For we would not care for the sun

Nor the shining of the day,

If never faced the darkness

Without one guiding ray.

We cannot appreciate heaven,

When no blot earth's beauty mars:

We often forget our Saviour

Until trouble our pathway bars.

And then, when wayworn and weary

We kneel at the cross alone,

We find the perfection we're missing,

The sweetest peace we have known.

~ Inez Brasier

 

These poems give us a lot to think about. And I don't know about you but it is encouraging to my soul to read about how the dark days of my life - can and will be used to help others. Praising God for His guidance in my life today and everyday.

This is the second post today - so if you have not read - "What an Act of Kindness" be sure and check it out.

Stand Still

Another devotional from my book "Streams in the Desert" for February 5th

I love this poem and thought I would share it, so you too could enjoy! :o)

“Ye shall not go out with haste” (Isa. 52:12).

I do not believe that we have begun to understand the marvelous power there is in stillness. We are in such a hurry–we must be doing–so that we are in danger of not giving God a chance to work. You may depend upon it, God never says to us, “Stand still,” or “Sit still,” or “Be still,” unless He is going to do something.
This is our trouble in regard to our Christian life; we want to do something to be Christians when we need to let Him work in us. Do you know how still you have to be when your likeness is being taken?
Now God has one eternal purpose concerning us, and that is that we should be like His Son; and in order that this may be so, we must be passive. We hear so much about activity, may be we need to know what it is to be quiet. –Crumbs

 

Sit Still, My Daughter!

J. Danson Smith

Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
Nor deem these days—these waiting days—as ill!
The One who loves thee best, who plans thy way,
Hath not forgotten thy great need today!
And if He waits, ’tis sure He waits to prove
To thee, His tender child, His heart’s deep love.

 

Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
Thou longest much to know thy dear Lord’s will!
While anxious thoughts would almost steal their way,
Corrodingly within, because of His delay—
Persuade thyself in simply faith to rest,
That He, who knows and loves, will do the best.

 

Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
Nor move a step, not even one, until
His way hath opened. Then, ah, then, how sweet!
How glad thy heart, and then how swift thy feet!
Thy inner being then, ah, then, how strong!
And waiting days not counted then too long.

 

Sit still, my daughter! Just sit calmly still!
What higher service could’st thou for Him fill?
’Tis hard! Ah, yes! But choicest things must cost!
For lack of losing all how much is lost!
’Tis hard, ’tis true! But then—He giveth grace
To count the hardest spot the sweetest place.

Encouraging Poem

This Too Shall Pass

If I can endure for this minute
Whatever is happening to me,
No matter how heavy my heart is
Or how dark the moment may be-

If I can remain calm and quiet
With all the world crashing about me,
Secure in the knowledge God loves me
When everyone else seems to doubt me-

If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That darkness will fade with the morning
And that this will pass away, too-

Then nothing in life can defeat me
For as long as this knowledge remains
I can suffer whatever is happening
For I know God will break all of the chains

That are binding me tight in the darkness
And trying to fill me with fear-
For there is no night without dawning
And I know that my morning is near.

...Helen Steiner Rice

What Life is About

"Time is not measured
by the years that you live
But by the deeds that you do
and the joy that you give-
And each day as it comes
brings a chance to each one
To love to the fullest,
leaving nothing undone
That would brighten the life
or lighten the load
Of some weary traveler
lost on Life's Road-
So what does it matter
how long we may live
If as long as we live
we unselfishly give."
— Helen Steiner Rice