What Love Means

[Judy Harder]

Better than life
Is Your steadfast love;
My lips praise You,
One reigning above.

Your love fills me,
It embraces my soul,
It uplifts and inspires,
It makes me whole.

How can this be,
Lord, that You love me?
You keep me as Yours
For all eternity.

Sweeter than honey,
Brighter than the sun,
Is love You lavish,
O Eternal One.

I bask in Your brilliance,
I sing Your praise;
I embrace Your warm love
Today and always.

Your sweet steadfast love
Is better than life;
You beautify even
The pain and the strife.

To You, my Savior
My all I now give;
Priceless joy I find
When for You I live.

O, reign in me, Jesus,
Just as You reign above;
Far better than life
Is Your steadfast love.

~**~

Caroline Gavin ©Sept 2012
Purposeful Pathway

Because your steadfast love
is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
Psalm 63:3

[Judy Harder]

Surely goodness and mercy
Shall follow me all my days;
I shall dwell in the house
Of the LORD God always.

Glory to You, O God,
For Your goodness and grace;
How sweet it is
Your love to embrace.

I come on bended knee,
I bow before Your throne;
Take all I have, all I am,
Lord, my life You own.

Tell me what You desire,
Lord, this I shall do;
My will, my longing,
Is to always please You.

I am but a vessel,
You are my eternal King;
I hold nothing back, Lord,
I give You everything.

With Your Holy Spirit
My heart, Lord, do fill;
I empty myself for You
That I may do Your will.

Wherever You lead,
It matters not to me;
All that matters
Is that Your face I see.

And surely goodness and mercy
Shall follow me all my days;
I shall dwell in Your house,
Lord, for I am Yours always.

~**~

Caroline Gavin ©Sept 2012
Purposeful Pathway

Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the
house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 23:6

[Judy Harder]

All Things You Make New

The cool morning air
Embraces to refresh me;
The dawn of a new morn
I now delight to see.

Dew blankets the earth,
Light streams through the trees,
Whispers of promise
Sing in the breeze.

This morning is precious,
It is unique and new;
Today I shall do things
I have yet to do.

All things You make new,
Yea, even each day;
All things You make new,
This is Your way.

A glimpse of Heaven,
Lord, surely You give
In the precious moments
Of this life I live.

Today I shall do things
I have yet to do;
May my every moment
Be pleasing unto You.

As dew blankets the earth,
As light streams through trees,
You whisper Your promises,
You sing in the breeze.

And as the cool morning air,
You embrace to refresh me;
All things You make new
Today and for all eternity.

~**~

Caroline Gavin ©Sept 2012
Purposeful Pathway

He who was seated
on the throne said,
"I am making everything new!"
Then he said, "Write this down,
for these words
are trustworthy and true."
Revelation 21:5

[Judy Harder]

If I Were the Devil-

If I were the prince of darkness, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness.

And I'd have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn't be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — Thee.

So, I would set about however necessary to take over the United States.

I'd subvert the churches first, I'd begin with a campaign of whispers.

With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: "Do as you please."

To the young, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I'd confide that what's bad is good and what's good is square.

And the old, I would teach to pray after me,
"Our Father, which art in Washington ..."

And then, I'd get organized, I'd educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting.

I'd threatin Tv with dirtier movies and visa versa

I'd peddle narcotics to whom I could. I'd sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I'd tranquilize the rest with pills.

If I were the devil, I'd soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves and nations at war with themselves until each, in its turn, was consumed.

And with promises of higher ratings, I'd have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions just let them run wild, and before you knew it, you'd have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

Within a decade, I'd have prisons overflowing, I'd have judges promoting pornography. Soon, I would evict God from the courthouse then from the schoolhouse and then from the houses of Congress.

And in his own churches, I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I'd lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.

If I were the devil, I'd make the symbol of Easter an egg
and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.

If I were the Devil I'd take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

What'll you bet, I couldn't get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich?

I would caution against extremes and hard work and patriotism and moral conduct.

I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun and that what you see on Tv is the way to be.

And thus, I could undress you in public and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is "no cure."

In other words, if I were the devil,
I'd just keep right on doing what he's doing.

~**~

Essay penned by Paul Harvey
1918-2009
Radio commentator and syndicated columnist

~**~

The thief cometh not,
but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life,
and that they might
have it more abundantly.
John 10:10

[Judy Harder]

As the sun rises,
I offer myself to You;
Lord, this day I consecrate,
May I please You in all I do.

Your voice I hear
In these still moments of morn;
My heart is renewed,
My spirit reborn.

Take my hand, my Savior,
Lead me now this day;
Show me what to do,
Give me words to say.

My life is nothing
Unless You are with me;
My life is Yours, Savior,
Yours for all eternity.

Should this day bring joys,
I offer them to You;
Should this day bring trials,
I delight in them too.

For all You do is perfect,
Good is all You send;
You are my God, my King,
My Brother and my Friend.

An instrument of righteousness
For You I shall be,
To do Your will, O Lord,
Brings great joy to me.

Show me what to do,
Give me words to say;
Take my hand, my Jesus,
Lead me now this day.

How I delight to see You
In these still moments of morn;
My heart is renewed,
My spirit reborn.

You are the Son of my sky,
The Light of my path too;
Jesus, I give You all I am,
I offer myself to You.

~**~

Caroline Gavin ©Sept 2012
Purposeful Pathway

Do not offer any part of yourself
to sin as an instrument of wickedness,
but rather offer yourselves to God
as those who have been brought
from death to life; and offer
every part of yourself to him
as an instrument of righteousness.
Romans 6:13

[Judy Harder]

The butterfly dancing,
The splashing waterfall,
I made them for you,
I, the Creator of all.

Do you hear the bird sing?
Do you see the sun shine?
These are My gifts,
My blessings divine.


Embrace them, My daughter,
Enjoy the gifts I give;
I am Goodness itself,
It is through Me you live.

See the blanket of grass,
Behold the jewels of dew,
These are My gifts,
Yea, I give them to you.



I shower you with blessings,
I kiss you with graces,
I warm your soul
With Son-shine embraces.

For I am Your Jesus,
It is through Me you live;
Rejoice in the blessings
I freely give.



With the birds do sing,
With the sun do shine,
For I fill your heart
With My Presence divine.

See the butterfly dancing,
Hear the splashing waterfall -
Yet the greatest Gift is Me,
I am your All in All.

~**~

Caroline Gavin ©Sept 2012
Purposeful Pathway

O LORD, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom has thou made them all:
the earth is full of your riches.
Psalm 104:24

[Judy Harder]

Take Up Your Cross


Lord, my cross is heavy,
How will not I fall?
Lord, my cross is heavy,
Do You hear me call?

The weight is heavy,
So too is my heart;
Come to me, Lord Jesus,
From me never part.



Alone I cannot do this,
I must lean on You;
Through You, my Lord,
All things I can do.

Worry not, My child,
For I am right here;
Worry not, My child,
Please do not fear.



The weight is heavy,
Yet you can rejoice;
I am here with you,
Do you hear My voice?

In the trial, in the cross,
I am closest to you;
In pain, in suffering,
Your heart I renew.



So smile, My child,
Look up at Me;
I wipe away your tears,
Sweet Son-shine you see.

This cross you carry
I shall transform to a crown;
Let not your heart worry,
Let it not be cast down.

~**~

Caroline Gavin ©Sept 2012
Purposeful Pathway

Then he said to them all:
Whoever wants to be my disciple
must deny themselves
and take up their cross
daily and follow me.
Luke 9:23

[Judy Harder]

Burst into Song

The sun glistens in the lake,
Children laugh as they play;
My heart swells with joy
On this glorious day.

How I love You, Lord,
Your beauty shines before me;
I praise You, O Jesus,
Love shines in all I see.



In rhythm with the song
My heart too does beat;
Smiling are my eyes,
Dancing are my feet.

Jesus is my Savior,
This song I sing;
Jesus is my Friend,
My Master, my King.



I am Yours forever,
With You I belong;
For You mountains and hills
Burst into song.

The warmth of Your Son-shine
Embraces eternally;
I praise You, O Jesus,
Your love shines on me.



So as the sun glistens,
As children laugh in their play,
I sing of You, my Jesus,
My love, life and way.

~**~

Caroline Gavin ©Sept 2012
Purposeful Pathway

You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12

[Judy Harder]

God is Love

God's love streams to me
As rays of sunlight;
More brilliant than the sun,
His love shines bright.

For God is love,
His love knows no measure;
Yea, God is love,
His love is my treasure.



His loves fill my heart,
His love embraces,
His love blossoms in my life
As a thousand graces.

Where can I go
Away from the Lord's love?
Not to any depth,
Nor to any height above.



In the heights of the sky,
In the darkest depth of the sea,
God's love is there,
God always loves me.

His love knows no end,
His love always is;
Eternity I feel
In the warmth of His kiss.



Praise You, O Jesus,
Love is Your Name;
Your love transformed me,
Never will I be the same.

I shall sing Your praises
Now and forevermore;
My heart beats for You,
It is You I adore.

~**~

Caroline Gavin ©Sept 2012
Purposeful Pathway

Whoever does not love
does not know God,
because God is love.
1 John 4:8

[Judy Harder]

"Rejoice in Rebirth"

The rain falls from Heaven,
It kisses the earth,
The cool water on my skin
Feels like rebirth.

Although the gray clouds
Hide the sun on high,
God's glorious beauty
I still see in the sky.



The clouds dance above,
Releasing water within;
Without gems of water
Life could not begin.

For the Living Water
My soul does thirst;
I crave my Jesus,
He is Last, He is First.



As the raindrops parade
From the Heavenly height,
I praise my Jesus
For this wondrous sight.

The world is bathed
In many a glistening drop;
Only when God orders
Does the rain parade stop.



Although gray clouds
Hide You, Son on high,
Your glorious beauty
I see always in the sky.

So as rain falls from Heaven,
As it kisses the earth,
I celebrate my Jesus,
I rejoice in rebirth.

~**~

Caroline Gavin ©Sept 2012
Purposeful Pathway

Jesus answered him,
Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God.
(John 3:3)