Angel Talk

Just inside the Pearly Gates
Underneath a gorgeous sky
Two angels hovered near a cloud
(They don't sit like you and I!)

"I just don't understand it,"
Said angel number one,
"I've watched and studied everything
Those foolish souls have done."

The second angel gave a shrug,
"Why do you even care?
It's no concern of ours at all
What they choose to do down there."

"Maybe not," the first one said,
"But still I'd like to know
With all the blessings they've received
What makes them quarrel so?"

The second angel stretched his wings
Then smoothed a ruffled feather,
"It's just about a hopeless cause
For men to live together."

"The Master's working very hard
Has been for generations.....
And still they fight among themselves
causing death and devastation."

The older angel softly sighed,
"You can't change things, little one,
The Master's tried everything
He even sacrificed His Son!!"

The young angel nodded slowly,
"That's what seems so bad!
He suffered, bled and died for them!
He gave them all he had!"

"Oh, He still has more to give,"
The other looked both sad and wise,
"For I've seen Jesus when souls are lost,
And I've held Him while He cries."

"For to Him each one is precious
With a value beyond measure.....
He wants them all up here with Him
To share in Heaven's treasure."

"And sometimes, someone down on Earth
Will kneel in fervent prayer
Crying out, 'Please help me, God!
Show me that You're there!'"

"And when that happens you will hear
All the bells of Heaven ring!
As the Master's love pours down like rain
And the Heart of Jesus sings!"

Author unknown 

Be Still

Be Still, and Know that I Am God,
My Father said to Me,
And I will fill you with My Peace,
And set your Spirit Free.

You are my Own; I've Chosen You:
You are Precious in My Sight.
Give Me your Heart; I Promise You
I'll be Your Guiding Light.

My Love for you will Never Fade
By your side I'll Always Stay.
My Joy will be your Strength and
Shield, If you'll let Me have My Way.

I'm Standing here with Arms Outstretched
I want to Touch and make You Whole.
Of My Living Waters, Come and Drink,
And I will Quench your Thirsty Soul.

Peace! Be Still! I am with You now,
And no-one could Love You More.
My Love for you will never Die
Of that You can be sure.

That's what my Father said to Me
And I know His Words are true.
I know that He has Set me Free
And He'll do the Same for You.

So just Reach Out, ask Him to Forgive
And Pardon all your Sin.
Ask Him to be your God and King
And He will take You In.

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalms 46:10 NKJV) 

Author Unknown

Father... It Is Done

he air hangs heavy,
My heart stands still.
They gather all around Me,
And hasten for the kill.

They tear My garments from Me
Undraped and naked here I stand.
While they prepare to crucify
The bleeding Son of Man.

Just last week I spoke of peace
And everlasting love.
Apparently to deafened ears
And darkened skies above.

It was just last night I prayed,
"Father, if the will be Thine,
Take away this chalice...
This bleeding cup of Mine.

But yet, not as I will
But as Thy will be done."
And when pain shot through My heart,
I knew My hour had come.

A noisy crowd shatters the night,
My heart begins to race.
And then a traitor's lips,
Plant a kiss upon My face.

They scourged Me at a pillar,
And whipped Me till I bled,
But this was just a taste
Of the agony ahead.

A wreath of thorns upon My head,
I arched with every breath,
I went before the multitude,
They sentenced Me to death.

A cross I had to carry,
The splinters tore My skin,
The treacherous road to Calvary,
Was just now to begin.

The midday sun took its toll,
My knees buckled and gave way.
My heart was beating very fast,
As on the ground I lay.

My head began to spin around
And I felt the blistering heat,
I could not go on, and once again
Fell... at My disciples' feet.

I looked up at a tear stained face,
And even though they tried,
To hold back their emotions,
They looked at Me and cried.

I stumbled again and fell once more,
As time seemed to stand still.
Bruised and bleeding I arrived,
At the sacrificial hill.

And now I lay exhausted,
Tormented by seething pain.
While nails are driven through My flesh,
Piercing through the vein.

The agony is unbearable,
As spikes drive through bone.
And they nail me to the cross,
To suffer all alone.

I now look down from My cross,
And see the brutal few.
"Father, please forgive them,
They know not what they do."

To My right and to My left,
The two thieves I behold.
One this day finds Paradise,
But the other's heart is cold.

Below Me I can dimly see
those gathered at My cross,
Trying hard to hold back tears,
As they suffer great loss.

"Woman, behold your Son"
It hurts you, that I know.
I can see the torment in your eyes,
As tears begin to flow.

For My robe they cast their lots,
To see who gets it first.
My whispered word goes unheard,
As I cry to them, "I thirst."

My arms are getting weary,
And I am numb with pain.
The aching and the throbbing
Seems impossible to sustain.

Now I hang here all alone,
For all the world to see.
My heart cries out, "My God, My God,
Why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

I see the sky above grow dark,
And not a sound I hear,
And I know deep inside My heart
That the end is very near.

Yet, My praise can ascend to My God
as from this earthly life I go
because I can say: "It is finished"
As Resurrection I will know!

"Into Thy Hands I commit My spirit,
Father, take Thy Son."
I see the light of life go out,
"Father... it is done!"

John 3:16 (NKJ)
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Author Unknown

God's Grace

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.

Author: Unknown

Heaven's Grocery Store

As I was walking down life's
highway many years ago
I came upon a sign that read
Heavens Grocery Store.

When I got a little closer
the doors swung open wide
And when I came to myself
I was standing inside.

I saw a host of angels.
They were standing everywhere
One handed me a basket and said
"My child, shop with care."

Everything a human needed
was in that grocery store
And what you could not carry
you could come back for more.

First I got some Patience.
Love was in that same row.
Further down was Understanding,
you need that everywhere you go.

I got a box or two of Wisdom
and Faith a bag or two.
And Charity, of course,
I would need some of that, too.

I couldn't miss the Holy Ghost
It was all over the place.
And then some Strength and Courage
to help me run this race.

My basket was getting full but I remembered I needed Grace,
And then I chose Salvation for
Salvation was for free
I tried to get enough of that to do for you and me.

Then I started to the counter
to pay my grocery bill,
For I thought I had everything
to do the Masters will.

As I went up the aisle I saw
Prayer and put that in,
For I knew when I stepped outside
I would run into sin.

Peace and Joy were plentiful,
the last things on the shelf.
Song and Praise were hanging near
so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the angel
"How much do I owe?"
He smiled and said
"Just take them everywhere you go."

Again I asked "Really now,
how much do I owe?"
"My child" he said,
"God paid your bill a long, long time ago."

Author Unknown

How do I find You, God

God is Love.
If you have ever loved,
If you have ever been loved,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without

God is Truth.
If you have ever told the truth,
If you have ever discovered Truth,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without

God is Beauty.
If you have ever helped to create something beautiful,
If you have ever witnessed beauty in any of it's myriad forms,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without

God is Good.
If you have ever done or thought something good,
If you have ever recognized goodness in or through another,
You have experienced God
from Within and Without

All of those experiences, those gifts,
of Love, Truth, Beauty and Goodness
were directly from God through you.

Author Unknown

Two Boxes

I have in my hands two boxes,
Which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black,
And all your joys in the gold."

I heeded his words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I store.
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why?
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be?"
He smiled a gentle smile at me.
"My child, they're all here with me."

I asked, "God, why give me the boxes,
"Why the gold, and the black with the hole?"
"My child, the gold is for counting your blessings,
the black is for you to let go."

Author Unknown