The mighty eagle spreads its wings.
Upon the waves of wind it sings.
Through mountains, valleys, low and high,
It touches earth; it touches sky.
How will I find the peace I crave?
I must be strong; I must be brave.
From worldly rage, beyond control,
I must protect my living soul.
The mighty eagle spreads its wings;
In storm or sun, its call still rings.
Through mountains, valleys, low and high,
Glides undisturbed in raptured sky.
(with Tom Rodeheffer)
I saw a rainbow,
And it held the promise
Of better things to come
My spirits lifted;
I sensed a message
From God, the Holy One …
He had not left me
The storm was passing,
The billowing waves —
Were calming, calming
Down
And rather than destroying,
They lifted me
To better things to come
When fear comes to haunt you,
Just say, “I am not going there.”
When fear comes to taunt you,
Just say, “Your lies I will not bear.
“The Master said, “Be not afraid,”
And on His shoulder gently laid
My trembling heart,
And said again, “Be not afraid.”
It’s a land of many strangers,
In crowds — and some lone rangers.
You might be in some danger,
But making friends — a game changer.
You look for what’s in common:
“Do you like pasta, or ramen?”
“Do you say ‘ae-men’ or ‘ah-men’?”
“Or how about ‘crawl-ING’ or ‘crawl-IN’?
You want to be understood,
But you don’t know if you should
Speak up or keep your peace —
“Just pass the paprika, please.”
It can be so confusing —
The culture clash I’m losing.
But having no fear, must dry my tears —
Here’s wisdom for the years:
You look for the best in people,
Look up to the heights, like a steeple.
It’s others’ problem if they mistreat you,
God, who is love, won’t reject you.
There’ll always be those who mistrust you,
Or just tend to misunderstand you.
It’s just human nature; they don’t have the big picture.
Let it go, and you’ll be the victor.
Pleading with you, Lord —
The world at times seems cold,
My courage less than bold.
Emptiness does threaten,
The world my spirit dampens;
Please let a new thing happen.
I cling to You in trust,
My faith in You a must,
Till I go down to dust.
Deep down, there’s something solid
Since childhood I have followed —
Your Name, may it be hallowed.
Though many times I’ve wandered;
My talents I have squandered,
But then, forgiveness pondered.
Your love; I don’t deserve it,
So let me be Your servant,
And sing Your praises fervent.
The air —
Laden with care —
With guilts, not graces,
With long-gone places,
With regrets, what-ifs,
With laundry lists.
And then —
A gust of wind —
The Spirit comes
And speaks in tongues,
Slamming doors,
Awakening snores.
The lightning strikes —
And thunder rumbles —
The tension crumbles.
Then sweet release
Of pent-up rain —
God comes again.
His tender care
Dispels all fear.
All will be well,
All will be well.
Ah, the shade, on sultry day,
And wisp of wind against your skin.
Thank you, magnolia.
Thank you, styraciflua,
For braving winter wind and cold
‘Til summer — leafy arms unfold.
And water from faucet,
With ice cubes, too,
Or lemonade, or brown iced tea,
Down the throat, deliciously.
Without the heat, ‘twould be no pleasure,
Without the heat, we could not measure,
Blessed relief, after the heat.
What are memories for?
To haunt, to taunt, and still harass?
To calm, to heal, forgive at last?
What are memories for?
Connecting us to times long past,
Is memory true, or false, we ask?
To weave a story, to give God glory,
To dream a dream, or nightmare gory?
What are memories for?
To be a human, safe from danger,
Or so afraid — beware that stranger!
What are memories for?
Without memory, we cannot learn —
Life’s long lessons grow strong and stern,
And yet, through hardship, we are stronger,
In trials and tempests, fear we conquer.
Cottony clouds and lullabies,
Seagulls wings and loud crow cries,
Blustery winds and rustling leaves —
Wondrous — and a joy are these.
Birds a-flockin’, squirrels a mockin’,
Kitten cries and puppy sighs,
People, ‘spite their sins and lies —
Glory, though appearance belies.
Storm and calm, a laugh and tear,
Worry, confidence, faith and fear.
Things aren’t always as they appear.
Through it all, God must be near.
clarakatalin 