What Love Means

[Judy Harder]

Faith



My Lord, My God
Forgive when with faith I do not see
Help me, O LORD,
To appreciate the unseen with clarity

For our faith lies not in the seen
But rather in those things beyond sight
It is in those with deep faith
That You give favor and find delight



So often I stumble
Because I do not see
I see the world around me, yes
But forget the unseen of eternity

Grant, O Lord, that I may see
As you do, seen and unseen, both
For it is to You and to Your Kingdom
That my life I will always devote



Guide me, Lord, and show me
The path of life abundant and pure
With only You as my Compass
Can the course of my steps be sure

Let the depth of my faith surge
As the deep and beautiful sea
Let never the doubts and worries
Wash over a faithless me



For with faith I will live
And with faith I will die
Only to find eternal promises
Granted from the Most High

Thank you, O Lord, for your grace
To grant me the faith to live
I pray that you increase my faith
And more to me each day You give



For I will please you with faith
And I will serve with hope and love
Knowing You so closely here, Father
And even more so when we meet Above

~**~

© Caroline Gavin
carolinegavinre@aol.com

[Judy Harder]

He could have called 10,000 angels

They bound the hands of Jesus
in the Garden where He prayed,
They led him through the streets in shame.

They spat upon the Savior,
so pure and free from sin,
They said, "Crucify Him,
He's to blame."



He could have called 10,000 angels,
to destroy the world, and set Him free.
He could have called 10,000 angels,
but He died alone, for you and me.

Upon his precious head
they placed a crown of thorns,
they laughed and said
"Behold the King."



They struck him
and they cursed him
and mocked his Holy name,
and all along he suffered everything.

He could have called 10,000 angels,
to destroy the world, and set Him free.
He could have called 10,000 angels,
but He died alone, for you and me.

Written by: Ray Overholt in 1958
Sung by Loretta Lynn
Directly licensed for
internet public performance on A Lighthouse.com

[Judy Harder]

God Sent A Butterfly ~

God sent to me a butterfly
It landed very near,
He said to me all will be well,
There is no cause for fear.



It hovered there so softly
With fold of pretty wing,
I sat and watched its prettiness
And felt a warmth within.



I love it how God sends me
A butterfly or bird,
To whisper little secrets
The promise of His word.



He never fails to come
In ways I cannot guess,
I love my Father dearly
The ways He loves to bless.



For when life has its questions
Its confusion, doubts and tears,
God says to me, keep trusting
Your every cry I hear.



There's always so much more
Than we can see or know,
And He must have His reasons
When we are hurting so.

~**~

Soft Whispers from
Derry's Heart Poems ©Oct 2011
heartwhispers@iinet.net.au
Poetry From The Heart

May not a single moment of my life
be spent outside the light, love,
and joy of God's presence and not a moment
without the entire surrender
of my self as a vessel for Him
to fill full of His Spirit and His love.
~ Andrew Murray ~

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said meekness
is being submissive to God's will
and responsive to His Word.
When He directs you to do something,
He will tell you the manner in which to do it.
If His will requires gentleness,
He will help you to be tender.
If it requires boldness,
His power will surge through you
to accomplish what He asks.
~ Joy Strang ~

[Judy Harder]

A Valentine For All The World

A valentine for all the world to span down through all time,
Was the heart that God, through Jesus gave, the heart of love sublime.

The heart that beat within the body that bore the pain,
The heart that let itself be still, that I might heaven gain.

The heart that pumped the blood that flowed and dripped from Calvary's cross,
That everyone who claims this blood be saved, none need be lost.

The heart that breaks when we turn away,
Putting off salvation until another day.

I thank God for His infinite love for all He's done for me,
For His love that lives beyond all time through all eternity.
@Lillian Carol Russell

[Judy Harder]

Sweet Valentine, Sweet Love of mine

Sweet Valentine, Sweet Love of mine
I give my all and my heart to Thee
So precious are You to me, LORD
Your Love is all I know and see

Never have I known a man
To love me more sweetly and true
Than You, my beloved Savior
In all You ever say and do



Truly you are the Love of my life
You are the One for Whom I sing
Great is the joy, the peace, the comfort
That every day to me You bring

Stay with me, my Beloved
I plead that You never leave my side
Betrothed I am, with all Your Church
To be Your pure and beloved Bride


You died for me, my Love
On Calvary You poured out Your all
How can I but answer and follow
When You, my Lord, do call?

Bind my heart to Yours, my Jesus
Grant that You and I may never part
For to know You is to know love
So I give You my all and my heart



On this Day of Saint Valentine
I celebrate You and the love You give
Wondrous it is to be in love with You
To be one with You is to truly live

May each one know you, dear Lord
May each one experience Your love sweet
May each one find You and Your Heart
May I express Your love to each one I meet



Life Eternal and Love Unceasing
Both I have found in You, the Son
You are to me everything, yes, all things
You are my meaning, my passion and my One

So a song of Valentine I sing to You
My heart beats for You as I sing rhyme
I have found my eternal and my true Love
Yes, He will be with me until the end of time

~*~

© Caroline Gavin
carolinegavinre@aol.com

Happy Saint Valentine's Day !

[Judy Harder]

 

The First Valentine Message
For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

The first Valentine message
is still the best one ever sent.
God bless you Today and Always






From My Heart to Yours
You're loved-
not just a little, but a lot...
not just on this day, but always...
not just by God, but others too...
(me, for example)

Happy Valentine's Day
from my heart to yours.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God.
I John 4:16 NIV

[Judy Harder]

The Sweetest Valentine is Love Divine

Celebrate now we do
The season of Saint Valentine
A season of sharing our hearts
And expressing love divine

We commemorate the Saint in Rome
Who with Valentine went by name
A Saint martyred for Jesus Christ
Giving all for love and not for fame



Valens itself in Roman times
Meant worthy, powerful and strong
Thus this worthy martyred Saint
With our dear Savior does now belong

What is this Day of celebration then
Of candy, roses and sweet greeting?
Is it one of passionate romance
Of feelings powerful yet fleeting?



At its core and at its essence
This Day is far more than these
It is a Day of love pure and holy
One which brings us to our knees

For God Himself is love
Christ embodied love in His Life
He is our beloved Bridegroom
We, the Church, to be His Wife



Oh, glorious is this truth indeed
It touches and warms my soul
When I give my all to Christ
He completes and makes me whole

So strong is the love I have for Jesus
So passionate, so deep, so wide
Yet even greater is His love for me
And for His Church, His beloved Bride



Sing to sweet Jesus, then, on this Day
Sing of His love perfect and pure
Sing of His unending and undying love
In which you and I can rest secure

For greater love has no man
Than to lay down his life for friends
Our dear Lord died for us, mere sinners
We know then His love never ends



This, dear Christian, is the meaning
The heart of the Day we now celebrate
It is a day of sacrifice, of true love
It is a day of expressing agape great

Such is the agape-love expressed
In the martyred Saint Valentine of Rome
He poured out his life as a love offering
For his Father in his Heavenly home



And such is the love shown by Christ
Yes, by our sweet Savior on the Cross
All I have known before meeting my Lord
I consider all merely but waste and loss
So sing, dear Christian, on this Day
Lift your heart to the Eternal One
Raise your voice in songs of praise
To the Father, the Spirit and the Son



For sweet is the love we know in Christ
Precious, priceless, undying and true
A love that He shows today and every day
To me and, yes, dear friend, to you

~*~

© Caroline Gavin
carolinegavinre@aol.com

Happy Saint Valentine's Day !

[Judy Harder]

Longing for Love

Glorious this love to know
Joyous this love to feel
Sweet this love You show
Inspiring this love is real

Love streaming from my Savior
Love lavished by my God on High
Love poured out on mount Calvary
Love which draws me to Christ nigh



Love existing before the stars
Love gleaming before the first man
Love long foreknowing salvation
Love which laid the merciful plan

Love who is God Himself
Love knowing me before my birth
Love wondrously stitching me
Love setting foundations of the earth



Oh, sweet Love, please fill me
Lord, may Your Spirit in me overflow
Father, let Your love shine in me
Let my life Your love always show

Your love warms and embraces me
Your love lets me soar to new heights
Filling me with passion and peace
Brightening my days and my nights



Powerful is Your precious love
Opening my eyes and bending my knees
Lord, I long for You and Your love
I desire that You I will always please

For Your love has changed my life
Your love has transformed my mind
Your love has renewed my spirit
My heart to Yours, Lord, forever bind



Sing joyously of Your love I will
I will dance and sing your praise
Let Your love consume me, Lord
For to You my heart I raise

Come with me, dear Christian
Come, let us sing with joy great
Glory to God in the Highest
In Him we rejoice and celebrate



Glorious is God's love to know
Joyous is the love of Jesus to feel
Sweet the love You, dear Lord, show
Inspiring to know Your love is real

Oh, sweet Love, please fill me
Lord, may Your Spirit in me overflow
Father, let Your love shine in me
Let my life Your love always show

~*~

© Caroline Gavin
carolinegavinre@aol.com

[Judy Harder]

              Hope

Great is our hope, dear Christian
A hope which endures beyond time
Hope through the resurrection of Christ
Hope sacred, spiritual and sublime

Yes, our loving Father gives to us
A wondrous birth in living hope
It transcends our understanding
Eternal and all-encompassing in scope



Let us wear this hope as our helmet
A sure and steadfast anchor of the soul
Yes, through the joy and peace of believing
Hope abounds in us to make us whole

So my hearts sings praises to our Savior
For His hope does carry me above trial
Yes, rain and shadows may encompass me
But His hope keeps me joyful all the while



Things external cannot overcome me
No, my eyes are fixed on hope of eternity
For hope that is seen is not hope at all
I instead wait for what I do not see

Christian, then, do not grow discouraged
Do not quench the Spirit living in you
Fix your eyes instead on God's Promises
Set your heart upon the eternal and true



Then surely hope will well in your soul
Surely it will burst forth as a fountain
It will embrace, uplift and encourage you
Both in deep valley and on towering mountain

So join me, dear Christian, in praising God
May hope keep our eyes fixed on Heaven above
For nothing is more beautiful or more sweet
Than to experience Christ and His eternal love



Rejoice we do in the hope Jesus has given us
It is a hope which endures beyond time
Hope through the resurrection of our sweet Savior
A hope sacred, spiritual and sublime

~*~

© Caroline Gavin
carolinegavinre@aol.com

[Judy Harder]

Our Lord made quiet time for prayer
How much more then should we?
He withdrew in the morning while dark
So that with His Father He could be

The Word made flesh, the Son Himself
He relied upon His hours of prayer
For in prayer we commune with God
We speak to Him, and Him we do hear



Oh, so precious is this gift divine
So lovely it is for you and I to know
We can speak freely to our dear Father
In all things to Him we must go

Rejoice, my heart, in this gift
Be ready always my lips to pray
Eager to commune with my Father
Incessantly each night and day



My spirit touches His Spirit
In prayer I feel this, yes, deeply so
God wraps me in His eternal arms
And Heavenly things I see and know

How could we ever be lazy in prayer?
How could our hearts not long for this?
How could we not want to see our Daddy?
How could we not want to feel this bliss?



Let us grow deeper in prayer each day
Let us make time for it all the more
Let us approach the Heavenly throne
Let us rest with our Father secure

In the quiet, dark hours of the morn
May we like our sweet Savior be
May our Father find us deep in prayer
With lifted arms or bended knee



As sweet incense may our prayers rise
As the fragrance of flowers sweet
May our prayers ascend to our Father
Pleasing to Him when they do greet

Join me, dear Christian, in sweet prayer
Raise your heart to our Father with me
Grateful I am to pray with you, dear one
Let us commune with our Father joyfully



Yes, so precious is this gift divine
So lovely it is for you and I to know
We can speak freely to our dear Father
In all things to Him we must go

And rejoice we will in this gift
Be ready always our lips to pray
Eager to commune with our dear Father
Without ceasing each night and day

© Caroline Gavin
carolinegavinre@aol.com