Sense of Change

The fog is lifting
The scales are falling
The sun is shining
I see a future.

No more worrying
No more crying
No more sleepless nights
I feel hope.

Ignoring naysayers
Shunning ignorance
Tuning out hatred
I hear only peace.

No bitter attitude
No foul words
Swallowing my pride
Life tastes sweet.

Sins' stench sanitized
No odor lingering
Love fills the air
The smell of eternity near.

The old has departed
And with it fear
The new has arrived
Strong and free.

Your Face

I am dumbfounded, awestruck
Left with no words, no breath
Your photograph has captured my soul

All that is in me, yours for the taking
You have my undivided attention

Though I feel speechless
Words begin to form in my mind

"If time stands still, I want to be,
In front of you, on bended knee,
Looking up, so I can see,
Your beauty, throughout eternity."

A poem of love, only words
Still not enough to describe
The disturbance you create in me

My time of trying is over
Your features burned into my being
My heart beating within your chest

I fall silent, but for these words
Clinging to my lips
I love you.

Heed The Signs

Fall in place of Spring,
Spring in Winter's stead,
Seasons willy-nilly,
Farmers in the red.

Common knowledge moot,
Normalcy on hold,
It fascinates the young,
But perplexes the old.

Nature changing course,
Or simply adjusting,
Or merely mankind,
Still not listening.

God speaks to this world,
In many different ways,
He wants us to know,
We are in the last days.

Earthquakes and famine,
Pestilence and wars,
These are the beginning,
There will be much more.

Neighbor against neighbor,
Parent against child,
Relationships broken,
Society going wild.

When signs are on the road,
You read them, and obey,
God's signs are everywhere,
They're pointing to a day.

Reckoning and judgment,
Await the human race,
All that ever lived,
Will look on Jesus' face.

If He was your Savior,
You will live with Him,
If not, you face damnation,
The sentence for your sin.

No one knows the hour,
You cannot know the day,
It could be in the night,
When you are swept away.

Heed the signs given,
The day is almost gone,
Make your divine appointment,
Make Heaven your final home.

Lord Of All

As I break the bonds of this mortal flesh,
And set free my spirit from gravity's hold,
I set my mind on the Shepherd of Paradise,
To confirm my assumptions, of this One I call Lord.

I start out my journey, on hands and knees,
Slowly crawling through epistles of old,
Hungry, I search for crumbs of wisdom,
To ease the pangs, in the belly of my soul.

Seeking sustenance, for building my strength,
I find a piece of honeycomb, and a broiled fish,
It helped me to grasp, one aspect of Jesus,
Completely a man, but yet God in the flesh.

Now thirsty, I found a woman by a well,
She gave me a drink, then started to cry,
She told me of a well of living water,
A well of the Spirit, that would never run dry.

Departing, wandering, I passed by a tomb,
Open, and empty, folded grave clothes left inside,
Just then, a man approached, tears streaming down his face,
He shouted, "He's not there!, He's alive!, He's alive!"

As I pondered on all I had just seen and heard,
A sense of peace flooded my mind, and my soul,
My contemplative journey, had come to an end,
The God I now serve, is indeed, Lord of all.

My Time To Go

Flowers, candles, beautiful music,
Pictures of me on the wall,
Family and friends, laughing and crying,
Children playing in a room, down the hall.

There are more here than I expected,
I thought there'd be fifty at most,
I won't tell the actual number, though,
It's rude for a dead man to boast.

The mood is somber, as mourners file by,
Some looking, others looking away,
They pay their respects, to my grief-stricken wife,
Then they leave, and get on with their day.

Next day, the funeral, the final goodbye,
Close friends and family, all dressed in black,
The service, at church, per my request,
Most in attendance will never come back.

The preacher delivers a wonderful speech,
Reminding them of where I have gone,
The eulogies are read, sad, short, and sweet,
They want to say more, but it's time to move on.

Again, they file past me, one last time,

The crying much louder than before,

Long lost family take time to reminisce,

Until my casket is rolled to the door.

The cars are lined up, row after row,

Little flags, blowing in the wind,

They'll follow the hearse, to my resting place,

Contemplating their own life's end.

They arrive, they notice the well-kept lawn,

So serene, but sad, just the same,

They make their way, to the freshly dug grave,

They admire the headstone, they notice my name.

The preacher delivers some comforting words,

Quiet sobbing, the only other sound,

They lower my coffin, so careful, so slow,

'Til it comes to rest, in its' place underground.

The service is now over, the crowd is all gone,

My body is resting in the earth below,

My soul has gone on, to be with my Lord,

'Til they're reunited, 'til the trumpet blows.

My wife always visits my grave site,

She comes every chance that she gets,

The boys come with her on Memorial Day,

They all laugh, and tell stories, and reflect.

They are happy.  I am happy.  Amen.

For Heaven's Sake

Why do you worry so?
Why do you fear?
Have you forgotten that Jesus is near?

When life takes a detour,
And you don't have a clue,
He will provide the direction for you.

Ask and He will answer,
Seek and you will find,
Knock and He will open up just in time.

He's ready and willing,
To do just what it takes,
And He'll do it all for Heaven's sake.

No Greater Love ( A Communion Poem )

Grace and mercy, mercy and grace, 

Two words that brighten up my face,

Mercy, not getting what I deserve,

Grace, receiving what I haven't earned.

Why should I, a sinner, be blessed so,

I, by rights, should pay what I owe,

But the Son of God, Who made His tree,

Died on it, to pay my debt for me.

It makes no sense, to perishing minds,

That God should die, to save mankind,

No man, born of woman, could understand,

The height, and depth, of God's perfect plan.

That He made the world, knowing sin would come,

And it would take the life, of His precious Son,

His broken body, and His blood required,

To save a lost, and unworthy world.

So from now, until the end of our time,

Take the broken bread, and fruit of the vine,

Think on the One, Who forgave you of sin,

And do this always, in remembrance of Him..