• “There Is A God”

Those who don't
Believe in God
Perhaps are not in touch.

We have our friends,
We have our earth,
We have so very much.

Yet even friends can disappoint,
And health can slip away.
Our planet can ferocious be,
And storm, and flood, and sway.

There's really just one constant,
One everlasting true.
It is that God exists for me,
And yes, exists for you.

Copyright (c) 2004

• “Amazing Grace”

My cup doth overflow,
For this I'm truly thankful. 
I seek ways to pour it out,
Making life for others tranquil.

My cup is already full,
Making the best of all my days... 
Building character by each new act,
Avoiding misdeeds and false ways.

My cup is already brimming,
Sharing it requires but two.
Faith has a special place in this,
And for me this requires you, too. 

Copyright © 2007

• “God & Thee”

They often say it's for the best
T'was really meant to be.
Some good will come, some better yet.
They always promised me.

In early days I held these things,
Kept faith and towed the line.
And in a sense it set me free -
Now gone is this Divine.

I know not you, but as for me,
I asked for one sweet "thee".
I've asked for her yet once again,
But where or where is she?

So it comes to this, astonishing.
My faith rests on one thing.
A magic yes, one sweet, sweet lass,
Proves God in everything.

Copyright (c) 2009

• “Essence of Faith”

Have faith they say,
Have faith In God...
He hears our every prayer.

He sees all acts,
He hears all cries,
When alone, He's always there.

Companionship,
I'll grant Him that.
He listens at all hours.

But having faith
Must truly be
About His plans, not ours.

The good news is His plans include,
The message of His Son,
That we will live eternally,
When earthly life is done.

In this we trust, and only this,
Not in our world today.
We are placed on God's green earth,
To serve, to love, to pray. 

Copyright (c) 2010

• “Of Heaven & Of Hell”

I had a dream last night,
Lonely, impactful, true.
Now I know what hell looks like,
I surely, truly do.

Full of disorder and despair, 
Hopeless, endless, sad.
Now I know what hell is like,
Assemblage of all that's bad. 

I had a vision last night,
Of how my life should flow.
About which path to take,
To let love and giving grow.

It seems the only difference,
Between heaven and hell may be,
The quality of relationships,
The quality of "we".

Copyright © 2015

• “Upon His Cross”

Upon this earth
Our Lord arrived,
As Holy
Incarnation. 

Upon this land
Our Lord did walk,
To embrace 
Humiliation. 

Upon His Cross,
Our Leader died,
Alone in
Consecration.  

Upon His Cross
I place my trust,
My hope,
My inspiration.

Upon His Cross
I affix my hand,
My gaze,
My visitation.

Upon His Cross
I take my stand,
My life,
My dedication.

Upon His Cross,
What else is there?
After this life
Our salvation.

Upon His Cross
Thy turn is next,
Thy choice,
Thy contemplation.

Upon each day,
Our Lord arrives,
Greet Him with 
Exultation! 

Then take up His cross
Make it your own,
You are the purpose
Of His creation. 

Copyright (c) 2015

• “The Winds of Faith”

Faith is like the wind,
Of each you only feel.
Both can move your heart,
Yet some doubt that faith is real.

Faith is like the sun,
You clearly see their light.
You also feel their heat, 
Yet no one grasps them tight. 

Faith is like the rain, 
Is cleanses from on high.
It cleanses heart and soil,
Baptism of the sky.

Faith is like a river,
Guiding our steps true. 
Quenching earthly thirsts, 
To flowing oceans blue.

Faith is like the sea, 
Filled with splendid life.
Protecting all within,
Reflecting sun-bright light.

Faith is like your dreams,
The plans you make in life. 
You invest yourself in both,
In easy times and strife.

Faith is like good news,
Music to your ears. 
What you've waited for,
Replacing all those fears. 

Faith is like a friend,
Standing side-by-side.
Sharing words of wisdom,
Steadfast against the tide.

Faith is like your love,
You embrace her soul and heart. 
For her you care so much, 
She's there when you're apart. 

And faith is like our lives,
Why Lord are we now here?
And is there work for us?
Winds of faith can conquer fear. 

Copyright (c) 2016

• “Does God Have Faith – In Us”

When faith comes up
It creates divides,
As some believe
That God provides.

Some go to church,
Some golf and play,
Sunday's have always
Been that way.

Some read the Bible,
Some quietly pray,
Others trust in man,
In what's known today.

It's an age old question
That's never agreed,
Some disbelieve,
Some pledge the Creed.

We look around
At all we're given,
Free will, too -
And still we're riven?

Choice is Key,
It is His plan,
Faith only has value
When chosen by man.

Perhaps it's folly
No heaven awaits,
We just won't know
'Til we reach the gates.

If there is a God
Full of love, not wrath,
He gives us choice
To accept His path.

Free will is Sacred?
If this is right,
Then God has faith
We will choose His light.

Copyright (c) 2016

• “God’s Face”

We are given two hands
And two feet,
Fingers and toes -
Ten complete.

Our bodies are
For granted taken,
With backs turned
We can be mistaken.

So how does one know
Him from me?
Just how do we tell
You are thee?

God solved this
With timeless grace,
He has given us
Our unique face.

It's a miracle
Every day -
Our emotions for all
On display.

They embody
In time and space,
How we witness for God
In this place.

But what of men
Without faith -
As they look for signs
Of God's good grace?

For them He sent
His holy Son,
Christ's life showed
He was the One.

And in heaven
When we take our place,
We'll be known
By our God-given face.

Copyright (c) 2016

• “Lincoln”

How could Lincoln do it -
Against the odds in life?
His childhood full of challenge,
Complete with civil strife. 

He read his Holy Bible,
And learned the law for sure. 
The Nation was his family,
In him God sent our cure.

He debated all the issues,
He staked his claim quite clear.
Slavery must be frozen -
This struck the South with fear. 

The war arose like fire,
And burned for four long years.
The hopes of boys would perish - 
America in tears. 

He held the Nation steady,
And kept its flame afire,
And once he had succeeded, 
He joined the funeral pyre. 

How could Lincoln do it -
A man so humble born?
The grace of God was in his heart,
He healed our Nation torn. 

Today we are divided 
About the slavery of the state -
Our Abraham is missing, 
Our fate we contemplate. 

No man alone can save us,
This Nation of our choice.
Only Providence can heal us -
So listen to His voice.

Copyright (c) 2016

• “Doubting Thomas”

We call him Doubting Thomas - 
The last to see the Christ.
He doubted Christ had risen,
Demanding proof - his vice.

He lived his life with Jesus,
He knew Him word and deed.
The One who died upon the cross,
To save a world in need.

He thought Christ was a prophet,
A Man of flesh and blood.
Then the Romans took him,
For their sacrificial flood.

A special friend and teacher,
A wise young man it seemed,
But Jesus was a mortal,
Not a God who would redeem.

Then in a Holy moment,
In a room where doors were sealed,
The Lord appeared before him,
And all his doubts repealed.

John tells us this true story,
For those who live today,
For those of us who'll never see,
The Lord of Easter day.

Shout, "seeing is believing" -
But seeing is to know.
"Not seeing" is believing,
The boat we Christians row. 

Copyright (c) 2016

• “The Face of God”

To love another person
Is to see the face of God.
To lend a helping hand
Is to bless the ground you trod.

To teach a little child
Is to plant a new young tree.
To visit an older person
Is to meet a friendship need.

To guide a new young worker
Is to remind them why we serve.
To lead a new young soldier
Is to help him keep his nerve.

To clothe a naked family
Is to warm them through the night.
To pray for their salvation
Is to help them see the light.

To encourage your dear wife
Is to create a happy nest.
To rely on your good husband
Is to help him do his best.

To grant a second chance
Is to admit you're broken, too.
To forgive an unkind act
Is to practice your faith true.

To support a mission church
Is to double your rent paid.
To preach the Gospel word
Is to show you're not afraid.

To call a long-lost friend
Is to build a bridge of life.
To gather adversaries
Is a step towards ending strife.

To sing a song in church
Is to pierce the air with grace.
To forgive an old betrayal
Is to mirror God's own face.

Copyright (c) 2016

• “Nothing Left But Faith”

For most of my life
On a team was I,
It was my whole reason
To live or die.

The team was driven
By a mission pure -
Our guiding star,
Our cause - for sure.

The mission and
The team - when right,
Set the stage
For what I'd write.

And it set the stage
For my good reach,
To achieve results
Due to what I'd preach.

Now my mission's gone
And my team is, too.
Nothing more to write
Nothing left to do.

What next for me –
Please tell me God,
At this crossroads of
The road I trod.

What shall I seek?
Please tell me Lord.
What hill to climb?
What stream to ford?

Copyright (c) 2016

• “First Communion” 

The church was filled -
Communion Day!
For these small ones,
Faith on its way.

Eyes wide open,
Lives lay ahead -
They sing their song -
To One raised – not dead.

The priest shares his sermon,
And then hosts for all -
Small hands reaching out
To answer The Call.

Their faith has been given
By parents with care.
Will they follow this path
In hard times and fair?

As Mass comes to closure,
As memories flee,
As time takes its toll -
Wither today's victory?

It depends not at all,
On one holy day,
The proof lives in trials,
Will their faith light the way?

Copyright (c) 2016

• “Our Tears” 

There are tears of joy
And tears of sadness.
Tears of loss,
And those of gladness.

The tears of joy
Mark those rare times,
When love redeems,
When life's bell chimes.

The tears of joy
Are thankful streams,
Our Dreams come true -
That's how it seems.

They make the time
Stand very still,
So we may savor
Our own will.

Now tears of sorrow
Are much less rare,
Life disappoints -
And hearts do tear.

The loss of friends,
The loss in trying,
When all alone -
When love is dying.

Tears of sorrow
Offer some relief,
The body's salve
For hearts in grief.

We wish to savor
The happy tears,
We wish they'd last
For all our years.

Somehow we know
That's not our fate,
When life does ebb
Tears fill our pate.

For all the wonder
God sends our way,
Tears of sadness
Oft End our days.

What's the meaning
Of this cruel turn?
What is here
For us to learn?

It's ironic
So very odd,
When we are saddest
We beckon God.

While tears of joy
Make self our focus,
Tears of loss
Make God our locus.

It's in defeat
We learn the most,
In sorrow's tears
We take our post.

This passing world
Not for mere pleasure,
It's tearful times
Do take our measure.

Think of Lincoln
The loss of sons,
An epic war
The tears of guns.

But through the sorrow
Through so much pain,
He freed the slaves
Tears of joy regain.

Think of Jesus
Whether God or man,
He preached forgiveness
Gave all one can.

She bathed His feet
With her own tears,
In tears our own
He assuages fears.

For we Believers
Do believe,
That after death
Joy's tears relieve.

So when you cry
Your tears of sorrow,
Hold in thought
Salvation's morrow.

Copyright (c) 2016

• “The Unseen” 

We can see the bright colors,
But the rainbow's out of reach.
We can see the hot sand,
But not the heat upon the beach.

We can climb the clock tower,
But we cannot touch real time.
We can watch the trees in sway,
But see not the wind ring chimes.

We can see her sweet smile,
But know not what's in her heart.
We can shake his firm hand,
But will he then do his part?

We can read the Holy Bible,
But will wisdom then appear?
We can say a prayer out loud,
But will God to us draw near?

We can see life's many objects,
But life's sprit's what we love.
We can plant the deepest trees,
Yet yearn to fly like doves.

We can see the men of doubt,
As well as men of faith.
The one demands to touch his proof,
The other trusts in grace.

Embodied as we are,
As rooted in things real,
We love that which we cannot see,
Those things we only feel.

This tells us of our God,
It reminds what's in store.
Not the things that turn to dust,
But the things worth living for.

Copyright (c) 2016

• “On Sunday” 

We approach
Our hope-filled God,
Each Sunday morning
On ground well trod.

We take our seats
In Sunday best,
Put work aside
This day of rest

We clear our minds
And open hearts,
We pray the Word
Reforms will start.

We sing sweet songs
That lift our souls,
Of our flawed nature
We are consoled. 

The sermon starts
It's message clear,
About those things
We must hold dear.

The sermon speaks
To each, unique,
In this small church
Of those who seek.

The service closes
We greet our friends,
The stage is set
To make amends. 

Now Sunday service
Does not change
Our broken nature,
Or virtues' range.

But what it does
At least for me,
Is affix my gaze
On eternity.

And it allows
My one soft plea,
Asking God
For sweet mercy.

Yes, what it does
Now don't you see?
Asking Him
To remember me. 

Copyright (c) 2016

 

• “Our Faithful Walk” 

The line to heaven
Is single file, 
The test for us -
Truth over style.

We seek each day
So many things,
Include in this
His bell to ring.

We seek new friends,
And keep the old.
One is silver -
The other gold.

If they are precious -
And we know they are,
Share Good News,
Point to His star.

In strangers met,
See God in them,
Make your life
Your daily hymn.

That single file
We all must walk,
Is lengthened by
Our faithful walk.

Copyright (c) 2016