You Should Be Here

42 years gone. I thought of you today. Just like I promised. You should be here. Wherever you are, you should know I still carry you with me.
Cole Swindell: You Should Be Here [Lyrics] by

Forgiveness

"Forgiveness is choosing to pardon those who hurt us. It is not excusing ,forgetting or pretending. It's just not allowing them to hurt us again.  Do not punish them.  Leave that to God. Be kind and break the cycle of retribution and replace it with Grace."

**taken from Denison Forum on Truth and Culture 9/14/16

The God I Know

If it  was all about religion
What to do, what to say, 

what to wear on a sunday,
All about perfection
Black and white, wrong or right,

never grey.

I'd never make it.
I'd never be good enough.

I tried to walk the line, 

pray that I'd find somethin' that I knew was real.
But I began to realize, the harder I tried
The colder I'd start to feel.
Until the moment....
The second I met Your love.

Then I threw my hands up, 

worries down.
I remember when He showed me how
To break up with my doubt.
Once I was lost, but now I'm found
No strings attached when he saved my soul.
I want you to know the God I know
You gotta know the God I know.

Read more:  Love & The Outcome - The God I Know Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Hello Again - Raul Malo

How is it that "one night we're making memories, and then that's all you are"? Here's to you old friend. You know who you are.

Well, well, hello again, tell me where you've been
It's been a while oh honey, my old friend.
You've been there for me, faithful as you can be
You're the one I count on in the end.

I wish it weren't so but that's how it seems to go
One night you're making memories then that's all you are.

Well, hello again, here's to what might have been

We've got no secrets, no reasons to pretend
Talk about old times, laugh until we cry
We haven't done this since I don't know when

Well, hello again, tell me where you've been
Well, hello again, here's to you old friend.

If I Could - Regina Belle

If I could
I'd protect you from the sadness in your eyes
Give you courage in a world of compromise
Yes, I would

If I could
I would teach you all the things I've never learned
And I'd help you cross the bridges that I've burned
Yes, I would

If I could
I would try to shield your innocence from time
But the part of life I gave you isn't mine
I'll watch you grow, so I can let you go

If I could
I would help you make it through the hungry years
But I know that I can never cry your tears, babe
But I would if I could

If I could
In a time and place where you don't wanna be
You don't have to walk along this road with me
My yesterday won't have to be your way

If I knew
I'd try to change the world I brought you to
Now there isn't much more that I can do
But I would if I could

If I could
I would try to shield your innocence from time
But the part of life I gave you isn't mine
I'll watch you grow, so I can let you go

If I could
I'd help you make it through the hungry years
But I know that I can never cry your tears
But I would if I could

If I could

Not My Problem

Separate Ways

Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched
And went our separate ways...
 If you must go...
I wish you love

Nichole Nordeman - Slow Down

Slow down
Won’t you stay here a minute more
I know you want to walk through the door
But it’s all too fast
Let’s make it last a little while
I pointed to the sky and now you wanna fly
I am your biggest fan
I hope you know I am
But do you think you can somehow
Slow down

The Gospel In Four Minutes

The Angels Are Crying In Heaven Tonight

Peter Noone & Natalie Noone - The Angels Are Crying In Heaven Tonight

It was getting dark
Across the park,
When I saw her sitting there,
A little girl who must have lost her way.

The night was clear and I could see
The tears welled up in her eyes.
She didn't say a word,
She just kept staring at the sky.

I asked her why she was so sad,
And did my best to make her laugh
And when she finally spoke,
Her words took me by surprise. She said:

(REFRAIN):
The angels are cying in heaven tonight
Their hearts are so heavy,
They've got tears in their eyes.
The angels are cying in heaven tonight
'Cause they can't understand,
Why we can't find the light.

She said they cry for all the lies we live with everyday,
And for all the children sick and in the rain.

For the noble dreams that somehow seem to always be in vain,
And for the the gentle hearts who still believe in the miracle of faith.

It seems so strange that a little girl could know so much about a troubled world,
But now I see, she had to be an angel in disguise.

Happy Birthday - Mike- Never Forgotten

I look to the sea reflections in the waves spark my memory
Some happy some sad
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had
We live happily forever so the story goes
But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold
But we'll try best that we can to carry on

 Styx - Come Sail Away

I Know Your Out There Somewhere

Moody Blues - I Know Youre Out There by jpdc11

The mist is lifting slowly
I can see the way ahead
And I've left behind the empty streets
That once inspired my youth.

And the strength of the emotion
Is like thunder in the air
'Cause the promise that we made each other
Haunts me to the end...

Happy Anniversary , John

"Friday night it was late I was walking you home,  we got down to the gate ,and I was dreaming of the night ,would turn out right ? How to tell you girl, I want to build my world around you, tell you that it's true, I want to make you understand I'm talking about a lifetime plan. " ......1978
We  were stopped at a light and this song came on the radio. John started singing... the rest is 37 years later. Happy anniversary, John

Forgiveness

Some reflections on forgiveness...

"A good marriage is the union of two forgivers." Ruth Graham

"Once a woman forgives her man she must not reheat his sins for breakfast" Marlene Dietrich

" Whoever forgives ends the argument"

"To fogive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you"

And then of course there is ...

" Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
Colossians 3: 13

All Is Grace

"God loves you unconditionally as you are, not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be"..
-Brennan Manning

I'm Soaked

If blessings were raindrops how wet would you be?

Stand Back

No one looked, I walked by

just an invitation would have been just fine.

So no to him, again and again,

then he took my heart and he ran.....

Right Here Waiting- A time of missing

Oceans apart day after day
And I slowly go insane
I hear your voice on the line
But it doesn't stop the pain

If I see you next to never
How can we say forever

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I took for granted, all the times
That I thought would last somehow
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears
But I can't get near you now

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

Happy Mother' Day

The closest a human being can come to unconditional love is a mothers love for her children.

Good Friday : If We Had Been There

If we had been Jews, would we have spoken out for Him

when the Sanhedrin accused Him of blasphemy?

If  we had been Gentiles, would we have defended Him

when the Romans condemned Him to death?

If we had been disciples, would we have stayed with Him

when the crowd became a crucifying mob?

Or would we have been like Peter-

who followed Him and loved Him

and denied Him three times before dawn?

And the Christ who was crucified there, once said:

"As you have done it to the least of these, My brothers,

you have done it unto Me."

As nations rise in war

As governments oppress the poor

As passive people turn and look aside

In silence

We crucify

Again-

We crucify.

As indifference forms the pattern of our lives,

As hungry children cry for food,

As widows mourn alone in empty rooms,

In apathy-

We crucify.

Again-

We crucify.

I think of the nails that crucified my Lord.

They were made of iron; but more-

They were made of hatred, prejudice and greed.

And I wonder-

What part of myself creates mails in other forms

that wound my brother or sister-and my Lord?

You know how many times I have betrayed you, Lord.

You know the times I have chosen evil over good.

Guilt lies upon me like an iron cloak.

My soul is heavy-my burden hard.

In the act of death He absorbs our sins.

In love, He forgives our failures.

In the act of resurrection He gives the promise of acceptance,

the assurance of forgiveness, the affirmation of eternal life.

"Your sins are forgiven you", He said, "Go and sin no more."

Through You love, I am made whole,

Through Your death, I have found new life.

You are my shield, my redeemer and my hope.

My sins are forgiven-Hallelujah!"

-Marilee Zdenek

Do Not Be Discouraged

My encouragement for the day:

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Dt 31:8