Introduction

Time is past, present and future.

Time is something we have so much of (a lifetime), yet we seem to have so little of.

Life today is so rushed that we often forget the most important time. That is time spent with God, praising him, asking his forgiveness, seeking his guidance.

How is it that out of a full day, we often forget to spend time with our Lord?

It’s easy ……… Time is needed to shop, wash, work, school, endless jobs to do…….

The theme of time runs through a lot of these poems (especially the early ones), and shows what a struggle I had to find that time to spend with God. It's only by finding time, making time, taking time that he can speak to us in rhyme and through His Word, through our everyday lives, through prayer.

Joyce

My most precious book. To anyone who reads this, may you feel God’s love in these words as I have done in writing them.

As You Work in our Lives

We are but pots of clay.

Living for our Lord each day.

Allowing Him to have His say.

As He works in our lives.

We will allow Our Potter to mould.

To turn the dross into gold.

For Him we will be bold.

As he works in our lives.

We will take hold of His Word

Use it as we would a sword.

Bringing harmony, not discord.

As he works in our lives.

We look to our Potter to guide.

From Him nothing can we hide.

He’s always by our side.

As he works in our lives.

We are but pots of clay.

Being re-moulded every day.

Lord teach us to pray, know what to say.

As you work in our lives.

1.12.90

Feed on Me

Let your fasting, be a feasting.

Taking in your daily bread.

Fill you up, relieve the hunger.

Read My Word, on Me be fed.

Let your resting, for Me be working.

Praying for those who need my care.

Be still, let Me inspire you.

In your writings, in your prayer.

As you’re resting, fasting, praying.

Open up your mind to Me.

Just be led by my Spirit.

You’ll be surprised by what you see.

10.10.90

(Written during fasting for operation)

Another World to See

Another world unlike this.

Of calm and peace within.

Of love and glory all around.

A world so free of sin.

Not by bus, nor car, nor plane.

Nor boat of any kind.

Just one mode of transport to this world.

It’s by prayer, the path you’ll find.

Take the journey, come and see.

A new world, beyond our own.

Let God’s Spirit take you there.

Let this New world become your own.

10.10.90

(See last line of “Feed on Me”)

Not to try to understand

God only asks that you will seek.

And promises that you will find.

Not to try to understand

The intricacies of your mind.

A willing heart is all He asks.

To come to Him in prayer.

Not to try to understand

The world and all its despair.

He only asks you come to Him.

To trust Him with your life.

Not to try to understand

All that’s happening, all the strife.

To ask, to seek, to open the door,

Of your life to let him in.

Not to try to understand.

The world and all its sin.

11.11.90

Luke 11 : 19

And so I say to you; Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

The Promise of the Rainbow

A spark of inspiration,

Starts the idea going

It’s into gear we get,

The idea keeps on growing

We’ll have a silent auction

To raise money for our church.

We’ll need plenty things to sell

So onward with our search.

Before we go much further.

There’s one thing we must do.

That’s to commit the idea to God

For his help to take us through.

We prayed for his blessing

On our plans about to make.

We asked for a Happy Day.

We hoped, much money we would take.

People were so generous

They gave such lovely things.

Food and Dolls and Glassware,

Time and talents, a parrot that sings!!

The day of the auction,

Has eventually arrived.

After much preparation.

Yes, we have survived.

Stepping out to fill the car up.

There, up in the sky

The promise of the rainbow.

Our spirits lifted high.

A slow start to the day.

People come in ones and twos.

Looking round at all the gifts.

Deciding what they’d choose.

Then they’d take a break.

Have a cup of tea.

A chat with a friend.

A raffle there to see.

As two o’clock approaches,

The room begins to fill.

Bidding now is “serious”.

Will we get our bid or NIL.

The whistle blows and bidding stops.

The auction now is ended.

The day has been a great success.

Both happy, profitable , as intended.

A spark that lit and set afire.

An idea inside the mind.

It was the promise of the Rainbow.

God’s promise of success we find.

15.10.89 (Worked with Ivy Thompson)

The day raised £320 for decorating the church

The Battle

There’s a lot in the world
That causes us concern.
Let’s look at it as a whole,
And let us just discern.
That though there is much evil,
And many things are wrong.
Let’s seek out the good,
And on it build up strong.

It may be a small fraction
Of what’s going on around.
But we need to build upon it
To make love and peace abound.
We can’t just give in,
And take a back seat.
Or it’s Evil that will win,
And it’s Love it will defeat

So let’s take up our stand.
Fight against Evil all the way.
With God’s armour to protect us.
It’s Love that will win the day.

8.2.87

Romans 12 v21 --- Do not let evil defeat you, instead conquer evil with good...

We Are One

I am in you.
You are in me.
That is how God
Said it should be.

Jesus' fervent prayer
We read in his book,
In John 17
If you take a look.

That WE – YOU and I
Should all be ONE,
So the world may see
Our disharmony gone.

That we worship ONE God,
With one voice, one prayer.
That we look to each other
With a loving care.

There has been deep hurt.
Many have lost so much.
But we start afresh.
Asking for God’s healing touch.

Oh! What a day.
To start anew.
This glorious Easter Morn,
We give thanks to you.

For it is only YOUR love,
That is CONSTANT and TRUE,
That can bind us together
YOU in ME - ME in YOU

15.3.98

(John 17, see v21)

I pray that they may all be one. Father may they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so the world will believe that you sent me.  John 17.21

It Takes So Long

Why is it Lord I always come,
When trouble and worry prevail.
It should not take all of these 
To make me see the Nail.

The Nail that held you to the cross.
That took those troubles away.
So why does it take so long
For me to come to you today.

Today is a new beginning.
Like the one that went before.
But it will take me so long
To come to You once more.

Once more I come to You. Oh Lord.
As often as I do.
To pray, and to ask You Lord
To love the one for who……
I pray today.

(My Mum)