oh God have mercy

it’s so hard to see
a gray sadness
has descended
can anything be mended
oh God mave mercy

senseless invasion
the devastation
of so many souls
destruction is all they know
and the children are crying
and the children are weeping
oh God have mercy

it’s so hard to see
a gray numbness
hides the light
can it ever be made right
oh God have mercy

homes are burning
dreams are dying
are we learning
anything at all
one heart of hate
is all it takes
to steal the joy
from men and boys

it’s so hard to see
a gray weight
seems to crush my heart
to see these lives
torn apart
oh God have mercy

mothers and daughters
witness the slaughter
heads bow heavy
in hands of anguish
and the children are crying
and the children are weeping
history is here again
oh God
please God
have mercy

what i saw at jones beach part 2

Another set of images from a long walk on a windy day at Jones Beach.

what i saw at jones beach

Grateful to be back in New York spending time with my elderly parents. Equally grateful to take long walks at Jones Beach. I love the winter shore.

a valentine’s life

My mom and dad have been married for 62 years. They both have their physical struggles and they take care of each other. My dad takes care of my mom’s arthritic feet every morning. I felt privileged to watch him carefully wash, dry and apply topical aids on her feet. They have lived a Valentine‘s life together, and not just a Valentine’s Day. I was also reminded of what Jesus taught us. Take a moment and read the gospel of John chapter 13 today. Thanks for stopping by.

just be

o eternal
Light of the world
i need Your peace
it's so stormy
in my soul
and there's trouble
in the world
let me find peace
in You

o eternal
Light of the world
come fill my mind
with gentle whispers
from your Word
all the truth
i think i know
i surrender
i need to see
and i want to rest
just rest
in You

o eternal
Light of the world
thank You
for the
quiet morning river song
thank You
for dancing colors
and of course
thank You
for a little tugboat
help me to
swim upstream today
in Your love
in Your peace
i'm still trying to do
when all You desire
is for me
to be
just
be
in
You

happy february

Happy February to you. Happy February to you. Happy February, happy February, happy February to you! It’s a new day. Make it a great one.

galena time

Galena, Illinois was “born” in 1826. It is known as the town that time forgot. This beautiful town is filled with shops, candy, lots of chocolate, delicious coffee, great eateries and, apparently, ghosts! This is my bride, and we enjoyed celebrating 39 years together in Galena!

help us dream

so i wonder
dr. king
what you would say
we have done
with your dream
it seems
we got it wrong
and there’s no song
to help us anymore

so i wonder
dr. king
what you would say
as you stroll
on our main streets
sit in our bible studies
and share a meal
at our dinner tables

i wonder
dr. king
if you don’t mind
would you help us
dr. king
we
seem to
have
lost
our
mind

and there’s
a greater loss
dr. king
we don’t love
our neighbor
as we love
ourselves
dr. king
i’m so sorry

but just
one more thing
dr. king
would you
help us dream
dr. king
help us to make
one day
now
dr. king
we are asleep
dr. king
and we have forgotten
how to dream

a brrrrrreautiful morning….

…hope you have a beautiful day! Thanks for stopping by!

see

how can we still be
missing so much beauty
our brother
our sister
all the treasures
of the world
right beside you
right beside me

how can we still be
hurting each other
oh can't you see
the glorious ruin
for that is who we are
who we all are
and we cry
for love
just to be loved

oh God
open our eyes
to your presence
image bearers
all around us
and let us
treasure
the treasures we see
and let
this love
start in me

how can we still be
silent
speak
let your words
embrace the sorrow
let your words
heal the pain

speak
be present
embrace
the treasures

oh God
help
me
see