10/31/22 10/31/22

Poetry The Message

***Photo by*** ***Efrain Maldonado*** on ***Unsplash***

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

If only I could tell the world,
The message of salvation free,
Of God's own Son who came to earth,
To die at Calvary.

If only I might spread His Word,
To each and every person on this earth,
To tell them of Jesus and His love,
Would be more than gold in worth.

But I will write the message,
I shall share the simple message true,
That Jesus died and rose again,
To give us life anew.

Lord, give me the skill and the courage to share your love with others. Amen.

From Journey of Faith

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11/10/21 11/10/21

Poetry Am I Walking with Jesus?

Walking with Jesus should
Make a difference.
Do I?
Does it?

He keeps his promises.
Do I?
He is willing to forgive, forget.
Am I?
Do I?

He seeks truth,
is truth.
Do I prefer my assumptions to His truth?
He is loving and kind.
Am I?

Or do I rationalize negative attitudes,
And respond accordingly?
He hates evil, sin and wrong,
knowing they destroy.
Do I love and trust Him enough to fight against them, too—
In my life, family, community, nation?

Am I willing to follow His way, not mine?
Allow Him control, to live within?
Realizing walking with Jesus means
Becoming all He created me to be

For in letting go,
I find forgiveness and hope,
And a Savior friend who never lets me go.

© 2021 Carolyn R Scheidies
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11/3/21 11/3/21

Poetry Let it Slide

Easy to let things slide,
Grab the time for me
Today I’ll skip my time with God,
No big deal, right?
One day I won’t take time to read His Word
Or pray

Today I’ll hurry to work
Rush off without hugs goodbye
Today I’ll focus on ME
Who are “They” to tell me what to do?

Yet, I grind my teeth when the car ahead stalls
Tense when a colleague tells the same worn-out joke—
For the thousandth time
Work without rest or lunch

Home again with excuse, “Sorry kids, spouse, too tired for
A hug, or a moment of time, or even a smile,
Go play, go to the kitchen, go to your room…go away!

Lord why do I feel so defeated?
Now my spouse is angry and upset,
My kids too quiet and hurt

Surely I have time for only me, true and yet
There are others to consider
I’ve had no peace today
Maybe tomorrow, Lord,
I’ll start my day with You.

(C) 2021 Carolyn R Scheidies
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10/21/21 10/21/21

Poetry Devotion Let Go

Let go and let God.
Cliché
Easier said than done
Letting go the need to control
Letting go pride and unforgiveness
Letting go hurts
Letting go…

Beginning to understand, finally.
Life happens
Yet only God can change my heart
Bring wholeness as I let go my burdens
They hold me back,
Make me miserable,

As I offer them up
He takes my hurting, angry heart
And helps me let them go, move forward,
Lighter, whole, without anchors holding me back

He asks what is both simple and difficult
To come, ask, hand Him those things
We’re holding on so tightly,
For letting go and letting God
Sets us free to be all God designed us to be.

Let go…it can be done.
It is a choice.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
——Matthew 11:28 NASB

10/18/21 10/18/21

Poetry His Special Gift

***Photo by*** ***Jess Bailey*** on ***Unsplash***

It’s all a gift, all that I have
However I strive to earn or get
If I am honest,
So much is not me at all
Some call it Good Fortune, Luck, Serendipity
Not willing to face the truth
Of a God interactive in time and space…and in our lives
Who loved enough to come and live and die,
Loved enough to sacrifice His life
For yours and mine and why?
That we might see our need and come to Him
Acknowledging what we hate to admit…our sin
We’ve goofed up more than lifted up
Hurt more than helped
We’d rather pretend self-confidence
Boasting of self-esteem on ephemeral things
Rather than basic truth—God exists
He loves us
He died for rebellion, mistakes and sin,
He conquered death, that you and I might live
Asks in exchange for comfort, peace and hope,
My trust, my will—so hard to give up,
But as I choose to do just that,
My Savior Jesus Christ
Turns luck into blessings,
Pain into promise,
And fortune into a sure future with Him
For Jesus offers forgiveness and salvation
Fills our hearts with compassion and caring,
And the realization that it isn’t my striving,
But His love that rescues me—freely given
All a gift
Because of His love.
I bow.
(C) 2021 Carolyn R Scheidies
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10/12/21 10/12/21

Poetry Worn Out and Stressed

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
—Matthew 11:28-30

I am tired,
Worn out by daily stress
Business affairs
Hives and health concerns.
Time running away.
I stop.

Where am I headed?
Why am I so stressed?
Am I spending my time wisely?
Do I make a difference?

Who reads what I spend so much time and effort writing?
Where did I leave time for Him?
I need to rest. Reassess.
Reorganize my time, priorities, life,
Release my hold, release the stress, refocus…

Ask God for His plan and purpose, not mine
That I might make the best use
Of the time, moments God has given me,
Focus on following and letting go.
Finding relief and rest

Perspective changes everything
When Jesus is my center I make a difference.
What I am, do matters.
Choose to let go my stress…..and wait on Him,
Realizing He’s got this

When my time has come,
He’ll say, “Well done, My good and faithful one.”

9/26/21 9/26/21

Poetry Offense

So simple to take offense
Someone does or says something
That hurts,
That angers,
That leads to, often, unfounded assumptions
And thoughts of sounding off,
Of retaliation.

Yet the words or actions
were not always meant to offend,
Emotions raise the stakes
We complete the cycle only if we
Acknowledge it,
Hold and hang onto it,
Nourish it.

Instead,
Why assume offense was meant?
Temper initial, unthinking, inner response
Was it simply an awkward attempt at words or action,
Not vicious, just unwise?
Think it through
Deal with it,
Discover truth

If not meant to offend
Forgive and let it go.
Let it slither away,
Under the rocks where it belongs,
Not completing the cycle,
Refuse to be offended.

Offense seeks to snare, entrap us,
Yet it is only as deep,
As encompassing as we allow.
Why not refuse to close the cycle,
Refuse to rise to the bait?
Redirect
Replace with prayer,
Allowing God’s peace to calm.
Set free.

Offense?
I refuse to let it fence me in.
Ensnare me,
Entangle me.
What about you?
Next time, what will you do?
" Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."Romans 12:21 NKJV

9/26/21 9/26/21

Poetry Come without Rash Words

Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2

May the words of my mouth
Be a bouquet of truth and right
That all might know Jesus’ heart of
Love,
Forgiveness,
Hope, and
Come to His Holy Light.
Amen

9/17/21 9/17/21

Poetry Not Alone—He Was There

Lord, you’ve been our refuge from generation to generation. Before the mountains were formed or the earth and the world were brought forth, you are God from eternity to eternity.--Psalm 90:1-2

He was there when we entered the world,
There when babbling became words.
He was there that scary first day of school,
And the joyful, but even scarier last.
He is present not just in those important times of life,
But every day walking beside,
Guiding our steps,
Providing a refuge when we're hurting or confused.
And, if we listen closely as we follow His lead,
We hear the quiet, "Well, done..."
Realize through it all,
He's been near.
Never have we walked alone.
I bow in gratitude,

9/15/21 9/15/21

Poetry Devotional Who Can Reach the People?

What the singer,
Who will sing
the salvation songs
of Christ our king?

What the writer,
Who will write,
gripping words,
to share God's light?

What the teacher,
Who will teach
the love of God
the world to reach?

Will we use
The talent given,
Hone our skills
to use for Him?

Lord, help me use the talents you've given to share your message of hope. Amen.

Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 28:19-20

9/13/21 9/13/21

Poetry Devotional God’s Message

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. —Matthew 5:16

If only I could tell the world,
The message of salvation free,
Of God's own Son who came to earth,
To die at Calvary.

If only I might spread His Word,
To each and every person on this earth,
To tell them of Jesus and His love,
Would be more than gold in worth.

But I will write the message,
I shall share the simple message true,
That Jesus died and rose again,
To give us life anew.

Lord, give me the skill and the courage to share your love with others. Amen.

9/10/21 9/10/21

Poetry Devotional True Security

Praise ye the LORD.Praise the LORD, O my soul. —Psalm 146:1

I’m glad
God has a plan
And I rest safely
In the palm of His hand.

Sometimes I wander off to do my own thing. Forgive me. Thank you, Lord, that you are there when I come running back, ready to shield and protect. Amen.

8/19/21 8/19/21

Poetry Devotion Truly Free

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
—I John 2:15-16

Grasping tightly is God's plan,
But only to His proffered hand,
Not to the car, the house, the ring,
Not to the bank account which pays for everything.

Then there's the little plastic card,
Which makes present living easy, the future hard.
Debt becomes a way of life,
Greed producing endless strife.

Selfish persons, selfish ends,
Compromise, escape the trend,
While honor and honesty but names,
In a vicious cycle of the game.

God's own people caught up as well,
Is there a difference, hard to tell!
Rationalizing all the way,
Hold fast to what's mine, the only play.

But He calls us to a higher aim,
Jesus who died, His hurting people to reclaim.
Conquered death and hell and sin
The choice is ours to ask Him
to take command within.

Can I tell He lives within?
Or do I keep His love locked in,
Never show His out-poured grace,
Because I cling to my social place.

Oh, Lord, I see what I have done,
In substituting possessions and status for your Son,
Let greed and pride possess my soul,
Never giving you the whole.

In repentance, I lay all at your feet,
The very things I thought so sweet,
Things that warped all I was meant to be,
Lord, I stand condemned before Thee.

Honor and honesty your plan,
Wide open in both heart and hand,
Forgive me, Lord, that I might stand,
Holding tightly to your hand.

With the other, I reach out,
So others might know what your love's all about.
As your unselfish love flows through me,
I thank you, Lord, that in you, I am truly free.

Lord, it's easy to let things take priority in my life. Help me, Lord, to put all on the altar for you. Amen.

8/15/21 8/15/21

Devotion Poetry The Wisdom of Solomon

When asked, "What shall I give?"
Solomon hesitated not,
"Oh, Lord, not for myself do I plead,
but for wisdom and knowledge to wisely
rule, more than that, I do not need."

Because he asked not for himself,
But to be a ruler wise,
God blessed him with both honor and wealth,
And an empire of grand size.

Like Solomon, I want to be,
Wise in all I do,
Help me Lord to live unselfishly,
As I give my all to you.

Lord, I am not very good at taking advice. Help me learn, not only from others, but also, and most of all, from you. Amen.

(A rhyme to share with your children.)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:but fools despise wisdom and instruction. —Proverbs 1:7

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7/21/21 7/21/21

Devotion Poetry Broken or Whole

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
—I Peter 2:24

God sees me as whole
But heals when I am broken
Offering forgiveness and hope.

I see myself as broken
Holding onto anger and hurt
Searing my soul.

Jesus, help me see myself
Through Your eyes
Broken, but whole within Your grace.

Thank you, Jesus, that in my brokenness, you are there.

7/13/21 7/13/21

Poetry Devotion Sadly Crying in the Rain—Heart Sorrows

***Photo by*** ***Valentin Müller*** on ***Unsplash***

O Lord my God, I cried unto You, and You have healed me. —Psalm 30:2

Sadly crying in the rain,
Despairing from the sorrows of a heart in pain,
Sunshine then doesn't seem the same,
Though whole the body, the spirit's lame.

Inner being--twisting strange.
The wretched mind--resisting change,
Preferring to wallow in the sorrow,
Refusing hope for a bright tomorrow.

Sorrow may be but for a moment,
Gone as the crisis is spent,
The future beckons like a beacon of light,
Leading from chaos and dismal night.

Healing tears wash away the pain,
Forgiveness unlocks the despair chain,
Inner strength, compassion gain,
Freed to live for Christ again.

No matter how bad things may seem, Lord, help me to trust You for today and to look forward to tomorrow with renewed hope. Amen.

7/8/21 7/8/21

Poetry Ode to a Friend

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. —Proverbs 17:17

A friend is a friend
no matter how small,
For a friendship’s not based on
how little or tall.
The size of a friend
shouldn’t matter at all,
Only the size of the heart
that hears when you call.
For a friend that is there
when the other falls,
Is a friend who is truly
the greatest of all.

Lord Jesus, help me appreciate my friends and not to turn away when they need me. Amen

7/6/21 7/6/21

Politics Lost Generation

Where are the doctors to treat the ill,
Researchers to find the cures,
Scientists, inventors to solve problems galore,
Creative entrepreneurs?

So many questions unanswered,
And the minds which might have found
The answers to many a thorny problem
Lie forgotten in the ground.

A generation gone,
Sacrificed to selfishness and fear,
But in the holocaust of unborn children,
Have we made a sacrifice too dear?

Did we abort one who might have found,
The cure to many a disease?
Or maybe another Einstein, Madam Curie,
A Plato or Socrates?

In destroying a whole generation
Have we not lost humanity as well?
And, in choosing death brought closer still,
On earth a living hell?

As we choose active euthanasia,
Tomorrow who shall decide your fate,
When no longer can you speak for your life?
Your mother? The doctor? The state?

Today as we play executioner,
(Though given many a fancy name,)
By whatever term we take human life,
We diminish the compassion
of all who remain.

Let us halt this senseless destruction
Of a race bent on killing its weak,
Remember the love of He who died,
The helpless lost to seek.

Replace hate with compassion,
With love like He offers you and me,
To value life as did our Creator,
A love that sets us wholly free.

Thank you, Lord, for making each of us unique. Help me, help others recognize the value of each individual human life. Amen.

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” —Mtthew 19:14

6/11/21 6/11/21

Poetry Hope He Gives

Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. —Psalm 119:114 KJV

He gave me hope
When darkness clouded
mind and soul
When pain beyond reason
Clutched and tore the
fabric of my insular world
Left me bleeding from every
Physical and emotional pore.

He offered life
When my own ebbed and I
Wished only for the end
Yet, I clung to that nameless something
Implanted deep within
This cannot be all there is!

His gentle voice called, comforted, cared
Even in my rebellion,
Even in my indifference,
Even in my anger
He showed me sacrifice
Someone even dared to die—for me!

Love held Jesus to that cross
God became man—lived, died.
Rose again—for me, for my pain
For my anguished cries
Of heart and soul and mind.

Jesus offered forgiveness, life, hope
He stretched out His hand
My choice. And I, in dread anticipation,
Clasped His palm--Found Him.

Thank you for finding me. Help me to live for you. Amen.
(C) 2017 Carolyn R Scheidies
From The God Connection
Print and Kindle versions

3/12/21 3/12/21

Devotion poetry My Will—Yours Lord

Lord Jesus,
You are my Savior
I pray to and praise Your name
Even though the path is rough
I will trust You care, are there

Remembering how Your presence in the past
has protected,
provided,
and brought peace.

You are faithful, Lord,
I will stand on Your Word
And offer You what You want most
My heart,
my mind,
my will.

My hands I raise to You
In grateful praise.
Find in surrender that
I know forgiveness,
peace and hope...
Abundantly.

Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name; for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

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