A New Day

Quiet morning
Cool gray skies
Across the field
A dusty pink shadow
Slices through the horizon

A new day is dawning

And though this day
Marks the beginning of the end
for yet another year
It is also the start
of our joyful waiting for You



Today I Pray...

...for quiet moments
through the swirl of the holiday season

...for time to ready my heart and mind

...for the blessings that come
when we realize that
....every day
....every moment
holds the heaven-sent gift
of a new beginning

Quietly, I wait for you.

October Blooms

Inspired by Judy
And photos of her October roses
I set out for a walk in the garden
To catch a glimpse
Of the last blooms of the year

The grass was long and in need of cutting
And for the most part
The the flowers looked tired
and dried after a long summer
Of colorful splendor

But as I rounded the corner
To my delight
There,
Among the aged leaves
A burst of color

Autumns blooms
Of lavender
Red, yellow, pink and orange

The leaves weren't pretty
They've been nipped by early frost
But the flowers were jubilant
Summers last hurrah



Today I Pray...

...that like these late summer flowers
I don't surrender
to the chilly moments of life
And instead keep striving
To bloom

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Today

I'm trying my best...

Today I Pray...

...for Your patience
...for Your wisdom
...for Your strength

Puzzled

Like a puzzle
that I just can't finish

I'm challenged

I've studied the image
on the box

I've sorted the pieces
and grouped them

Edges
Middles
Dark shades
Light

The frame is complete

And every so often
I find a piece that fits
...Effortlessly

Smaller sections
are formed
outside the borders

I see where they could fit
but I can't find
the connectors

Are pieces missing?
Can I make sense
of this jumbled mess?

Challenged
Frustrated
Tired
of trying to force
the pieces to fit

I'm starting to wonder
if seeing the picture on the box
completed
is worth the frustration

I know it is

I've been admiring this picture
My whole life

This picture is my life
And the pieces of the puzzle
Are the key to my dreams



Today I Pray...

...for patience and perseverance

...for the ability to sort through
the pieces
and put aside the ones
that have gathered
that don't fit this puzzle

...and focus on the ones that do

I pray for Your guiding light...
...and Your steadying hand

...and if, sweet Lord
this picture is not meant to be

...I trust in Your greater plan

For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. Psalm 31:3

Still

My eyes are tired
from trying to see
in the darkness

My ears are ringing
from trying to hear
over the boom of life

I'm laying down my head
to close my eyes
and rest
And turn down the volume
around me

When the time is right
for me to set out along
the path

Please help to light my way
please help me hear the melody
that You're playing

And I will move
with You
towards the celebration

Today I Pray...

...for a quiet moment

...to connect with You

...to speak to You

...to hear You

...to fully put my trust

...in You


"Be still, and know that I am God."
Psalm 46:10

Stay Positive

Today I Pray...

...in quiet simplicity

...help me to keep my head up

...and stay positive

Give me grace to stand tall
even if others try to knock me down

And if You could

...please give me a sign

It needn't be much

...just something
for me to hang on to

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Philippians 3:13

Enjoy the Silence

I asked and
You answered

A gentle quiet has settled
in my mind
Like the hush that
Overcomes an audience
When the house lights dim

For this moment
I enjoy the silence
and wait
in quiet anticipation

Watching
...Listening carefully
...for the Conductor's cue



Today I Pray...

...for patience as I wait
...for open ears to hear
...for confidence
...to know what note to play