One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking with The Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes of his life.
For each scene,
he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand;
one belonged to him,
and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it had happened at the
very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered the man and he
questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said
that once I decided to follow you,
you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why,
when I needed you most,
you would leave me."

The Lord replied,
"My precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

I did not know His love before,
The way I know it now.
I could not see my need for Him,
My pride would not allow.
I had it all, without a care,
The "self-sufficient" lie.
My path was smooth, my sea was still,
Not a cloud was in my sky.

I thought I knew His love for me,
I thought I'd seen His grace,
I thought I did not need to grow,
I thought I'd found my place.
But then the way grew rough and dark,
The storm clouds quickly rolled;
The waves began to rock my ship,
I found I had no hold.

The ship that I had built myself
Was made of foolish pride.
It fell apart and left me bare,
With nowhere else to hide
I had no strength or faith to face
The trials that lay ahead,
And so I simply spoke His name
And bowed my weary head.

His loving arms enveloped me,
And then He helped me stand.
He said, "You still must face this storm,
But I will hold your hand."
So through the dark and lonely night
He guided me through pain.
I could not see the light of day
Or when I'd smile again.

Yet through the pain and endless tears,
My faith began to grow.
I could not see it at the time,
But my light began to glow.
I saw God's love in a brand new light,
His grace and mercy, too.
For only when all self was gone
Could Jesus' love shine through.

I know that the skies look gray,
The way may look unsure;
But Jesus has each step ordained,
Your future is secure.
Sometimes the greatest trials in life
Become the sweetest blessings;
If we can only keep our faith,
As we endure the testings.
For in His way and in His time
He works things for our good;
Why can we always stand on this?
... Just because He said He would.

A day that starts without a prayer
Is like an empty shell,
And a day that ends without a prayer
Cannot be ended well;
For when your heart turns HEAVENWARD
You find a sweet release,
And you understand the meaning
of "His mercies never cease."
When life brings pain and sorrow
Which you feel too weak to bear,
There's strength in God's abiding love
And in the power of prayer.

So never start a day unless
There's a prayer within your heart,
Don't make a firm decision
Until you've prayed about it,
For prayer is like a golden gift --
And just can't do without it ...
And though at times you feel as if
Your prayer has not been heard,
Remember, God is listening
And He hears your every word.
He may not always give the things
You wished and hoped He would,
But in His love and wisdom
He does all things for your good.

The God that stopped the sun on high,
And sent the manna from the sky,
Laid flat the walls of Jericho,
And put to flight old Israel's foe.
Why can't He answer prayer today,
And drive each stormy cloud away?
Who turned the water into wine,
And healed a helpless cripple's spine --
Commanded tempests, "Peace be still."
And hungry multitudes did fill,
His power is just the same today.
So why not labor, watch and pray?
He conquered in the Lion's den,
Brought Lazarus back to life again.
He heard Elijah's cry for rain,
And freed the sufferers from pain.
If He could do those wonders then,
Let's prove our mighty God again.
Why can't the God who raised the dead,
Gave little David Goliath's head --
Cast out the demons with a word,
Yet sees the fall of one wee bird --
Do signs and miracles today,
In that same good old-fashioned way?
HE CAN. He's just the same today.

Martin Luther

God has not promised skies always blue,
flower-strewn pathways all our lives through.
God has not promised sun without rain,
joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God has promised strength for the day,
rest for the laborer, light on the way,
grace for the trial, help from above,
unfailing sympathy, undying love.

If you're tempted to despair,
And you think that no one cares,
There's one thing that should be clear:
"I will keep My promise to you. I am here."

As these doubts and fears assail,
And you think that you will fail,
Look to Jesus and you'll hear:
"I'll not leave you. I am here."

"I am with you in your trials.
I'll support you in your woe.
Any place that I may send you,
You can trust me. I will go."

"Through the valley, cross the mountains
Where the raging waters flow.
I will never, never leave you
But will surely always go."

"So take heart and don't be fearful,
Dare to love and trust in Me.
And your mission will be joyful
As My Spirit sets you free!"

The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

Everything happens for a purpose. We may not see the wisdom of it all now, but trust and believe in the Lord that everything is for the best.

When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high;
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit -
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit.

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait!"

"'Wait?', you say, wait!" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By FAITH I have asked, and am claiming your Word.

"My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

"And Lord, you promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting. . .for what?"

He seemed then to kneel and His eyes wept with mine,
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want -- but, you wouldn't know ME.

"You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.

"You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save. . .(for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of my heart.
"The glow of my comfort late into the night.
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dreams for your loved ones overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss! if I lost what I'm doing in you!

"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
THAT THE GREATEST OF GIFTS IS TO GET TO KNOW ME.
And though oft may my answers seem terribly late,
My wisest of answers is still but to WAIT."

I refuse to be discouraged,
To be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted,
And here's the reason why...

I have a God who's mighty,
Who's sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me,
And I am on His team.

He is all wise and powerful,
Jesus is His name;
Though everything is changeable,
My God remains the same.

My God knows all that's happening;
Beginning to the end,
His presence is my comfort,
He is my dearest friend.

When sickness comes to weaken me,
To bring my head down low,
I call upon my mighty God;
Into His arms I go.

When circumstances threaten
To rob me from my peace;
He draws me close unto His breast,
Where all my strivings cease.

And when my heart melts within me,
And weakness takes control;
He gathers me into His arms,
He soothes my heart and soul.

The great "I AM" is with me,
My life is in His hand,
The "Son of the Lord" is my hope,
It's in His strength I stand.

I refuse to be defeated,
My eyes are on my God;
He has promised to be with me,
As through this life I trod.

I'm looking past all my circumstances,
To Heaven's throne above;
My prayers have reached the heart of God,
I'm resting in His love.

I give God thanks in everything,
My eyes are on His face;
The battle's His, the victory is mine;
He'll help me win the race.

Just close your eyes and open your heart,
And feel your worries and cares depart.
Just yield yourself to the Father above,
And let Him hold you secure in His love.

For life on earth grows more involved,
With endless problems that can't be solved,
But God only ask us to do our best,
Then He will take over and finish the rest...

So when you are tired, discouraged and blue,
There is always one door that is open to you,
And that is the door to The House of Prayer,
And you'll find God waiting to meet you there.

And The House of Prayer is no further away,
Than the quiet spot where you kneel and pray.
For the heart is a temple when God is there
As we place ourselves in His loving care.

And He hears every prayer and answers each one
When we Pray in His name - Thy will be done.
The burdens that seemed too heavy to bear
Are lifted away on the wings of a prayer.

Too often we don't realize
what we have until it is gone
Too often we wait too late to say
"I'm sorry - I was wrong."

Sometimes it seems we hurt the ones
we hold dearest to our hearts
And we allow foolish things
to tear our lives apart.

Far too many times we let
unimportant things into our minds
And then it's usually too late
to see what made us blind.

So be sure that you let people know
how much they mean to you
Take that time to say the words
before your time is through.

Be sure that you appreciate
everything you've got
And be thankful for the little things
in Life that mean a lot.

Growing old is a privilege denied to many.
Never leave behind regrets

Angels are watching over you
in your heart you'll see,
They are always there to help you
have faith in what will be.

They are ever with you
and lovingly will stay,
Embracing you with heavenly wings
protecting you each day.

Angels walk beside you
they understand and care,
They will inspire and uplift you
with a guiding love to share.

They bring a sense of peace
to everything you do,
Angels sit upon your shoulder
They're God's special gift to you.

Lynn M. Diehm

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow

If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love
And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low,
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.

Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it's in the valleys I grow.

Desperately, helplessly, longingly I cried;
Quietly, patiently lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to fate,
And the Master so gently, said, "Child you must wait."

Wait? You say, "wait," my indignant reply,
Lord I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate,
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a "yes," a go-ahead sign,
Or even a "no," to which I can resign.

And Lord, you promised that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry,
I'm weary of asking, I need a reply!

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate;
As my Master replied, once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "so I'm waiting... for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign."
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun,
I could raise the dead, and cause the mountains to run.

All you seek I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you would not know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair,
You'd not learn to trust by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me,
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You'd never experience that fullness of love,
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove.

You'd know what I give and I save... (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.

The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked,
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have last.
You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for thee."

Yes, your dreams for your loved ones overnight would come true,
But, oh the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you!
So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see,
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still, WAIT.

I refuse to stay discouraged,
To be sad or to cry.
I refuse to be down hearted
And here's the reason why:
I have a God who is Almighty;
Who is sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me,
And I am on His team.
He is all wise and powerful;
Jesus is His Name;
Though everything else is changeable,
My God remains the same.
I refuse to be defeated.
My eyes are on my GOD.
He has promised to be with me,
As through this life I trod.
I am looking past my circumstances,
to Heaven's throne above.
My prayers have reached the heart of God.
I am resting in His love.
I give thanks to Him in everything.
My eyes are on His Face.
The battle is His; The victory is mine;
He will help win the race!

As I was sitting down one day,
I felt the need to think and pray,
But soon my thoughts took over prayer,
A Still Small Voice cried out, "Beware!"

"Ignore that voice," Concern called out,
"You must get up, you lazy lout,
And tend these things that need your care,
Pray later on, He'll still be there."

As I gave way to what he said,
I felt a sense of fear and dread,
The floodgate opened, doubts poured in,
They took control with much chagrin.

My list of worries grew and grew,
I cried out, "God, what should I do?"
Again He spoke; I heard His voice,
And realized I had a choice.

I could dwell upon these things,
Or give them to the King of Kings,
And enter into holy rest,
Stand on His promise for the best.

I entered in and took His peace,
My spirit felt a great release,
Things of this world may worry some,
For me, the best is yet to come.

For those who stand in His sweet rest,
The worst to happen is the best,
Because in death we have His grace,
As then we meet Him face to face.

Joy Kelly 2001, The Woodlands, Texas

If Satan's way I seek to go,
Lord, give me courage to tell him, "No."
Don't let my soul be led astray.
Please, give me strength for one more day.

And if I fall along the way,
Then lift me up, Oh Lord, I pray.
For, Satan's strong and I am weak.
Your tender mercies I will seek.

Your love is strong, your grace I need
When Satan makes my spirit bleed.
Give me strength, Oh Lord, I pray -
To fight this demon, day by day.

Satan's working overtime,
Trying his best to change my mind.
But if you'll help me, Lord, I know
His evil seeds will never grow.

For, you are mightier than the sword.
I've chosen you to be my Lord.
So give me strength, Oh God, I pray;
By standing in the devils way.

Vickie Lambdin

The wind's not always at our back,
The sky is not always blue.
Sometimes we crave the things we lack,
And don't know what to do.

Sometimes life's an uphill ride,
With mountains we must climb.
At times the river's deep and wide,
And crossing takes some time.

No one said that life is easy,
There are no guarantees.
So trust the Lord continually,
On calm or stormy seas.

The challenges we face today,
Prepares us for tomorrow.
For faith takes our fears away,
And peace replaces sorrow.

The mountain I'm climbing is so steep,
I have so far to go.
Each step I take is a struggle for me,
I go so very slow.
I keep looking back wondering if,
This is too hard for me,
Maybe I should just turn around,
For the peak I still can't see.
I'm tired and weak but I keep heading up,
The top seems much further now.
I slow down some more for I'm filled with pain,
How can I do this, how?
I know there's a reason I face this steep hill,
But that reason is unclear.
So many questions fill me with doubt,
Right now it's all I can hear.
Part of me wants to just give up,
And walk away from it all.
But God loves me and won't let me give up,
He'll never let me fall.
I know He's the reason I still have hope,
Why I keep going on.
For He is with me giving me strength,
His help is never gone.
He is the reason that I believe,
That things will get better soon.
When I feel sad or overwhelmed,
He fills my heart with a tune.
No matter how high my mountain can get,
I don't have to climb it alone.
For Jesus, my best friend is by my side,
I'm never on my own.
The mountain I'm climbing is still steep,
But I'm keeping my eyes on the Lord.
At times I feel I just can't go on.
Then I feel His love being poured.
It flows like a fountain all over me,
Giving me strength all day long.
And when I'm too weak He carries me,
Until I am feeling strong.

We're living in a cold world,
And often feel alone.
Scattered dreams and broken hearts,
We know these as our own.
But life can be much better,
Just open up your eyes.
Right before you, you will see,
Warm heavenly blue skies.
God never meant for us,
To walk this road alone.
He never meant for us,
To try it on our own.
He wants the world to know,
That he is always here.
When you're weak He'll carry you,
And show you that He's near.
There are days my strength is gone,
My faith feels O so weak.
I try to make it on my own,
But I am feeling beat.
A gentle breeze reminds me,
That God is still with me.
He softly whispers in my ear,
"I love you; trust in me."
Life is so much better,
When God is by your side.
He'll help you through each day,
You'll never run and hide.
He knows that we aren't perfect,
That's why He stays by you.
God's love will never leave you,
He's faithful and He's true.

Your faith just isn't feeling strong,
The way it used to be.
Your heart feels cold; your hope is gone,
You've given up on Thee.
You don't know why you feel this way,
You've so much pain inside.
Despair takes over your whole life,
You want to run and hide.
Just don't give up, no matter what,
Get on your knees and pray.
The Lord is here; He feels your pain,
He'll heal your heart today.
Don't give up; keep holding on,
He knows that you can't cope.
He wants to take your wounded heart,
And fill it up with hope.
You pray to God and ask for help,
Tears stream down your face.
He takes your hand and leads to back,
Into His sweet embrace.
You know that He is holding you,
Your soul can feel His touch.
You know that God has rescued you,
His joy you feel so much.
Just don't give up, no matter what,
Get on your knees and pray.
The Lord is here; He feels your pain,
He'll heal your heart today.
Don't give up; keep holding on,
Just give Him all your soul.
God loves you and wants you to know,
He'll never let you go.
Don't give up, no matter what,
The Lord is on your side.
Don't give up; keep holding on,
His arms are open wide.
Don't give up, no matter what,
He's always there for you.
Don't give up; keep holding on,
His love is always true.

Sometimes life does not make sense,
It's hard and filled with pain.
It seems that everything goes wrong,
Dark days are here again.

The road you're on is lonely,
You're filling with despair.
Sadness fills your broken heart,
You wish someone would care.
But there is someone out there,
Who loves you very much.
He longs to heal your broken heart,
With his gentle touch.
He will never leave you,
He longs to soothe your soul.
He'll hold you in His loving arms,
And never let you go.
He'll fill your life with so much joy,
His peace will fill your soul.
He will set your heart so free,
His love will make you whole.
All your pain and sorrow,
He'll gladly take from you.
He'll fill you up with happiness,
And make you feel brand new.
The one who can do all of this,
Is Jesus Christ the Lord.
He can fill you up with strength,
Then be your shield and sword.
Jesus love you O so much,
That on the cross He died.
He paid the price so you can live,
Forever by His side.
Just pray to Jesus; ask Him in,
Then in your heart He'll live.
He'll never walk away from you,
His love He'll freely give.
He's here for you, just trust in Him,
And give Him all your pain.
He longs for you to trust in Him,
And feel His blessings rain.

One day changed our lives forever,
Terror and panic and pain.
Satan is sure alive and well,
For innocent lives were slain.
All over the world people are shocked,
They're dazed and keep asking, "WHY"?
It's hard to explain to terrified kids,
When all we can do is cry.
I know You're in heaven listening Lord,
I know You hear all the cries.
Lord please surround Your loving arms,
Around all those broken lives.
Many are weary, filled with sorrow,
They're angry, afraid and weak.
Heal them O Lord; release them from pain,
Please comfort them as they weep.
Oh Father we need to feel Your touch,
The pain just won't go away.
We need to feel Your warm tenderness,
For we feel we've lost our way.
Stay close to us as we try to move on,
Lord fill us with a new hope.
Take away all the fears that we have,
And give us Your strength to cope.
You O God are much bigger than this,
You're mighty and You're strong.
Be our shield; protect us from harm,
From those who do us wrong.
Rescue us Lord from our enemies,
Today and throughout the years.
Arm us with strength and give us peace,
Free us from all our fears.
You're in control; our eyes are on You,
We get on our knees and pray.
You fill us with hope and show us that You,
Are guiding each of our days.
Give us wisdom to do the right thing,
Help us to love and not hate.
For judgement is Yours, Yours alone,
And good will come if we wait.
Yesterday, today and forever,
Your love it stays the same.
You never change; You're faithful and true,
Forever we'll praise Your name.

September 11, 2001