Fear Not

Hello, everyone!

I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy these days, and perhaps even enjoying some extra time with family. :)

I am 36 weeks along now, and feeling very big and very pregnant and very ready for this little guy to make his appearance soon. ;) I'm at the point now where I don't have much energy or ability to get things done, (at least not quickly!), so the days are dragging a bit. I'm anticipating the "dragginess" getting much worse in the coming days as our area implements more restrictions/quarantines! Oh, well...this will be an interesting time to look back on, right? ;) 

The year my husband was born was one of the worst flood years Missouri has ever seen, so lots of people remember that in association with the time around when he was born. I suppose in ten years or so I'll be telling "E" (baby's full name is classified until he's born) about how "When mommy was pregnant with you, there was ALL this craziness...!!" Haha! 

In all seriousness, it is a sobering wake up call to realize how fragile our economic system really is, how foolishly unprepared our generation is for any kind of actual crisis, and to catch a glimpse of where we would certainly be without the merciful hand of God on our nation.

Over the last few months, long before any of this virus chaos started showing up, God has been having to teach me over and over about fear. So often I fail and allow fear to influence decisions...sometimes I'll even catch myself doing it unconsciously, which is sad, because that means I've allowed it to become habit in some ways. :( I have really been working on this area, and praying that my faith would be increased. I wanted to share this poem with you all, in hopes that it will be an encouragement to you. It's not perfectly written, but expresses some of the thoughts I've been dealing with throughout this pregnancy journey. I hope it is a blessing!

Fear Not

"Fear not," Jesus tells me, His voice strong and clear.

"But Lord, I'm so anxious, there's so much to fear! How can I fret not when my world falls apart?

How can I have joy and sweet peace in my heart?"

"Fear not," Jesus tells me, "Be careful for naught!

You are safe in my arms, for your soul I have bought.

All this worry is sinful, your faith is so weak--

Child, only in me is the rest that you seek."

My thoughts wage a battle, my heart squeezes tight.

Faith and fear soon collide in a desperate fight.

Many voices are clamoring,

Some good, and some not--

My soul becomes weary in this battle of thought.

In all of this chaos and worry and stress,

I hear a sweet voice calling "Come, and be blessed!"

"Fear not," Jesus whispers, "Cast your cares upon me!

From your dread and anxiety come and be free.

You cannot control all the trials of life,

But you CAN choose to trust me in storms and in strife."

So I turn to my Saviour and seek His sweet face,

Knowing even in hardship He promises grace.

And though I don't know what tomorrow may hold,

I can choose to fear not, knowing He's in control.

Mykaela

A Cry for Growth

Prone to wander and to stray,

Prone to slowly drift away.

Though my heart so longs to be

Nearer, Oh, my God, to Thee.

So foolish and unwise am I,

Oh, Saviour, do not pass me by!

Please guide me home

And wash me clean

Of sins that only You have seen.

And though I stumble and fail again,

Please let Your grace to me extend.

Lead me on to higher ground,

For through Your love,

I'm heaven bound.

Please help me now oh, Lord, I pray,

To walk your perfect, narrow way.

And when at last, Your face I see,

May the past hold no regrets for me.

May I give my all,

Surrender to You,

And trust that you will see me through.

I know Your love will hold me fast,

For on You all my cares I'll cast.

I love You, Lord, and though I'm weak,

In You I find the strength I seek.

I praise Your name for all You've done,

For in Your Cross my victory is won.

And when I stand before the Son,

I pray I'll hear, "My child, well done."

The Perfect Words

Psalm 45:1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

~~~~~~~~

An unassuming journal.

A pen with flowing ink.

A writer wildly passionate,

Finding a space to think. 

She puts the pen to paper,

And words begin to flow.

They tremble in her fingers

And they set her face aglow.

They tumble quickly from her mind

In waterfalls of grace.

They line the path she's treading

As she seeks her Saviour's face.

In words she finds expression

Of the galaxies inside.

In words she calls to question

The fears she cannot hide.

Her words are raw and richly full

Of love for Lord and life.

She finds in words a quiet lull

From the world's thunderous strife.

But human words cannot describe

The greatest Love of all.

The Love that chose to sacrifice

For men bruised by the fall.

The words for that can only be spoken

By the tongue of a Holy God.

And though she write with ink like an ocean,

Her words will ever be flawed.

In this she turns to the Holy Writ,

The only perfect Word.

So pure and undefiled is it,

Through countless years preserved.

In this great Word she finds at last

Fulfillment all complete.

Her future, present, and her past,

With perfect love replete.

So she writes with sweet abandon,

In the light from worlds above.

She pours her soul out on the page

As she shows a cruel world her love.

She uses her words, small though they be,

As a candle in the blackness.

The broken hearts of others see,

Her light of peace and gladness.

And though her words will never be

As perfect as she longs for,

She knows they will be when she sees

The King of Heaven her heart adores.

When her storm tossed ship comes to rest

On the shores of eternal glory,

She will finally have the words to express

Her soul's redemption story.

Shattered

John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

~~~~~~~~~~

I pass them on the street each day,

I see them as I work.

Shattered, torn up people, trying to hide their hurt.

They turn their brimming eyes away,

So none can see the pain

That attacks like ravenous beasts that show

No mercy to their prey.

Some will drown their sorrows

In addictions of all sorts,

While others simply will deny

The despair that haunts their hearts.

Oh why can't we foolish humans see,

Our hearts were made to love!

Why cannot we lift our eyes to God Who dwells above?

He wants to bring us healing and peace,

Far greater than we know. 

And yet He will not force us--

The choice is ours alone. 

Yet who indeed would choose to live

A shattered, torn up life?

When deliverance is promised when we turn from sin and strife?

Oh, Broken One, He's waiting with open arms for you!

He gave His very life to save and give you a way through.

Just ask Him, weary soul, and He will grant you life anew.

The Meditation of The Heart

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." ~Psalm 19:14

The words we speak begin in the heart,

whether pure, or full of hate.

The heart is deceitful, prideful and vain,

and difficult to change.

Without the power of The Holy Ghost,

It's vain to hope for good,

For from the heart the mouth will speak,

'Tis written in God's Word.

Who can know the ways of the heart?

No wisdom of earth can reveal them--

The scars a bitter heart can cause,

Only God above can heal them.

Oh, be careful what you allow in your heart,

Believer, pray for wisdom!

Meditate and speak on things that are pure--

Seek ye first the kingdom.

Only God looks on the heart,

He sees the hidden thoughts.

He knows the secret motives,

Whether intentions are good, or not.

May those hidden thoughts be clean,

before the words are spoken.

For by words that come from a heart that's wrong,

A spirit can be broken.

~Anonymous