Things My Mother Left Behind

Can I share you some thoughts?
That often come to mind
Here are some things that
My Mother left behind

In your life’s journey
With all souls you find
Remember to be
Humble and kind

For a lost cat
Or a thin dog you see
Each day for the birds
Leave out food plenty

A love for flowers
Decorations so great
Life’s simple joys
To celebrate

Store in your soul
The joy life can bring
When dark clouds are looming
Think of happy things

With self-sacrifice
For family to care
Always take time
To lift up a prayer

Though she’s moved on
To our God above
The greatest remains
Is the gift of her love

Do things while you can
With this thought in mind
What are the things
That you’ll leave behind

Fragrance of Presence

On opening the door
Something here is known
A fragrance beyond senses
To the soul is known

Deep the welcoming
Of soft, gentle embrace
The fragrance of Your Presence
Fills this empty space

One of falling into
A simple being prayer
Offering my Presence
Is the response to share

Binding into One
Absorbing in above
Gratefulness for grace
To be consumed in love

Doors

It occurred to me as our life, we explore
That it is a series of many doors

Ones that are open and ones closed too
Ones we ignore and ones we go through

If we approach it from this point of view
Life can be less stressful and more joyful too

Selecting the doors of our journey, pursue
With a step of faith of trusting in You

And if the door closes may we still proclaim
Although disappointed we trust in Your name

For this is the door of greatest value
Let us open it wide to know Your love true

Today a door opened with gratefulness, pray
We rejoice together the Lord blesses your way

Burdens to Bear

A prayer in the morning
Of Presence to be
A pasture before me
Horizons beauty

With cross that is heavy
Of burdens to bear
Your arms of grace open
You welcome me here

With a deep breath
We open the spout
And like a rain cloud
We pour them all out

Into the ground
You take them away
Free now the Spirit
In peace now to pray

Brother Deer

Hello, my brother dear
Oh, blessed one so free
Without you even knowing
A lesson you teach me

You live by rules of nature
To eat what God provides
In resting in His hollow
Is where you reside

No concept of man’s laws
Of no property
The pasture blessed to all
With no boundaries

I cannot live that way
But still a soul to be
With a heart that’s grateful
To give generously

Angels of the Hour

In the blessed stillness
Before my day begins
Open my grateful heart
To the silence of within

As this hour opens
A new day to see
I rise to give thanks for
New opportunities

Accepting tasks today
Tackle them with courage
Through mindful, cheerful work
To serve and to encourage

At this mid-morning hour
Grateful for life’s’ gift
Taking a deep breath
A prayer for peace, to lift

At hour of high noon
I lift up heart and mind
And in this moment
Grateful silence, find

Day declines to evening
May I be renewed
In Spirit and not tired
To give my best, pursued

As this evening hour
The harvest of today
To give thanks from my heart
Learned for another day

And in the rest of night
A prayer to all, impart
And for the gift of dreams
I open up my heart

Meet the Angel of the Hour

Eyes See, the Heart Looks Through

Our eyes only see
But with our heart gleaning
We can look through things
To their deeper meaning

Our nose detects scents
But with heart, inventory
Will track like a hound
Its ethereal quarry

Our tongue can taste
But with our heart savor
A feast for the soul
Of spiritual flavor

For skin touches skin
A thought to impart
But being in touch
Is a matter of heart

Our ears they can hear
Just sound in them lands
But a listening heart
Truly understands

— based upon words from A Listening Heart

Heart, Mind & Body

Are we so blind
That we cannot see
That all of creation’s
Such a gift of beauty

Are we so deaf
That we cannot hear
The spaces of silence
To hear His voice clear

Are we so numb
That we cannot feel
His touches of love
That He wants to reveal

Are we so mute
That our tongue cannot say
We are so grateful
With our soul to pray

Are we so stupid
That we cannot think
That we can trust Him
Let this truth within sink

Are we so prideful
That we can’t bend our knee
To say He’s our Lord
And receive His mercy

With heart, mind and body
Claim this knowledge, true
That God’s great desire
Is to love me and you

Are we so lame
That we can’t move to share
The love that God blesses
With our neighbor here

Moment of a Butterfly

Moment of a butterfly
A flower blessed with wings
An offering of gifting
Of joy to heart it brings

Drifting on a breeze
Dancing in the light
Oh, to be so free
Spirit of delight

Let us join within
Of soul to be carefree
Rejoicing in this moment
Of breath God blesses me

A dancing here and now
Of celebration be
Light of soaking, shining
Of God’s love here in me

Accepting the baton
From messenger of prayer
Grace of the receiving
Love and joy to share

Dance of the Soul

A moment of blessing
Of sweet morning prayer
Soul of rejoicing
To dwell with You here

To drift in the air
To bask in the light
With Spirit of movement
To shine colors bright

The dance of the soul
In heaven to be
How we wish we could view
This great mystery

Now open the eyes
In wonder to see
The butterfly mimics
This dance of beauty