To My Friends

This is a poem I wrote late last night after two of our dearest friends had left following supper and a movie (which, by the way, was funny).

The candles stand dark in their vases,

And dark is the room where we dined,

Yet still I remember their faces,

In which a holy light shined.

We laughed till we cried all together,

And talked of the sorrows we bore...

Yet still we look forward to Zion,

When we shall weep nevermore.

We've walked on a narrow, old pathway,

As the angels accompanied we,

And still we will walk with our Father,

Until rest in Zion we see.

Oh, dearest the friends of the Master!

How sweet the Spirit they bring;

And I shall always remember,

The times we spent praising the King.

August 29th, 2016

H. Paige Edwards

To Auntie J and Juanito ;)

Arise, For Zion Cometh!

Arise, for Zion cometh,

Lie idle not today.

Arise, for Zion cometh,

Go forth; prepare the way.

Prepare, for Zion cometh,

Thy Savior cometh now.

Prepare, for Zion cometh,

And wilt thou be allowed?

Be pure, for Zion cometh,

Thy hearts shall be as one.

Be pure, for Zion cometh,

And left behind are none.

Go forth for Zion's coming,

And spread abroad My word.

Go forth for Zion's coming,

Go and declare thy Lord.

The Parted Road

I stand before a parted road;

I see now two paths ahead.

And both are straight and narrow ways...

I cry to Christ Who bled,

"So bright the things I could achieve --

I'd be rich beyond compare!

Yet still I find I'm asking me,

'Would I find my Savior there?'

There's a widened road ahead of me;

I see it now so near...

Yet if I take that winding path,

I'd lose what I hold dear.

Though other callings tempt me still,

I'll walk the narrow way --

Though bright the things that call to me,

I'll go for You today."

August 27th, 2016

Unnamed Poem -- A Sonnet

On Tuesday, my grandma read me one of Shakespeare's sonnets.  I never knew before then what a sonnet was, except I knew it was a kind of poem.  Since that day, I felt like there was a poem I needed to write.  I prayed about it from time to time, but nothing came.  This morning when I woke up, somehow I knew today it would come.  And it did.

I am thy Fortress in battles tough,

I am thy Comfort in darkest night.

I am thy Compass when seas are rough,

I am thy Knowledge filled with light.

I am thy Water, thy Living Bread,

I am thy Hope when all seems lost.

I am thy Savior, Who once was dead,

I am the One Who bore your cross.

I am thy Father -- My child, fear not --

I am the God of all the earth.

I am the One Who gave you this lot --

I called you and held you since your birth.

I am the Hands that were wounded for you;

I am the One Who rose again, too.

Unnamed Poem -- The Call

I can't believe You love me

Still the way You do,

The way I chased worldly things,

And ran away from You.

I thought I knew what was good;

It looked like pure gold...

But what I took as perfect,

Caused damage to my soul.

I barely heard You calling --

Still, it stronger grew.

And as I heard You louder,

I then turned back to You.

But -- O!  How could You love me?

I, Your sinful child...

Yet I ran into Your arms,

Cheered by Your happy smile.

You welcomed me and loved me;

Made me whole again.

Now I climb the higher road,

Unfettered by my sins.

August 14th, 2016

Unnamed Poem -- The Map

I glanced at Your map;

It didn't match mine.

"Lord, where are we going?" 

I started to whine.

"I'm lost and confused;

Where are You leading me?"

As through tunnels we passed,

A light I did see.

"Child, I never left you,

Even if you left Me.

My map has been planned

From the start, don't you see?

"I wrote all this out

Before you were born.

I knew just how

You'd be broken and torn.

"Do not be frightened,

For, Child, you see,

I kept you safe,

Right beside Me."

August 10th, 2016

Unnamed Poem -- My Sacrifice

I have nothing much to offer;
No gifts of purest gold.
My soul my only sacrifice,
I offer to Thy fold.

I have no pearls nor riches,
No talents of my own.
Everything I give to Thee,
Already Thou dost own.

I haven't much to offer Thee;
My God, my life I give.
My hope that in Thy shining light,
I can now holy live.

August 7th, 2016

There Is A Hand That Leads Me

I love to look back on my life and see the Lord's handiwork, and I love to see Him leading me for the future.  One of my most favorite pastimes is listening to or reading others' testimonies of how our Heavenly Father orchestrated things to make them turn out perfectly.  I love to learn and grow with Him as He leads me through paths I have never encountered before.  As a result of that, I wrote this poem tonight.

There is a hand that leads me

Though changing winds rage fierce;

It keeps me always on the path

And shows His will so clear.  

There is a hand that leads me

Through fire, storms, and pain

And guides me to the Cross, which means

I can be clean again.

There is a hand that leads me,

When I'm lost and alone.

It holds me firm within its grasp;

It has it's power shown.

There is a hand that leads me,

Brings me to sunshine, bright,

And though I've passed through darkness, cold,

I shall live in the light!

August 3rd, 2016

H. Paige Edwards

Mark

On August 3rd, 2015, our church lost one of its dearest elders, and our family lost one of its closest friends.  This poem is dedicated to him.

That was a valiant man of God,

He who died yesterday.

He is one we'll always miss --

For us he lit the way.

He walked the straight path of the Lord;

He strove to do the right.

He served God with all his strength,

His heart, his will, his might.

But though he traveled through the veil,

He is not far beyond,

For he's in heaven, now, with God;

He has his new life donned.

And so, we'll see him, when time ends,

When Zion has returned;

And we shall sing for joy abroad,

When we have new life earned.

August 4th, 2015

In Memory of Mark Ballantyne

Gone, But Never Forgotten