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	All poems are ©copyrighted and registered at the Library of Congress. Feel free to contact me if you want to use one of the poems and God bless you in your labor of love.

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I Have Known
	The tear of a child upon my shoulder I have known The smile of a child in innocent days I have known The words of a friend spoken in anger I have known A friendship restored yet better I have known The valley of a loved one gone on I have known The mountain of God’s assurance I have known The rejection of one I loved for self I have known The love I have found with you I have known The limitations of my own abilities I have known The Grace of God in my weakness I have known The failure of doing things on my own I have known The victory in Christ Jesus I have known The sting of sin in my life I have known The joy of God’s Forgiveness I have known
I Saw My Name
	At one point I was deeply concerned Was it true what He told me I’m forgiven I think But, how can this be in my life If I know Him, then, what is this Happening all around me is trouble I must take a closer look into my soul I will know what my heart will show Drawing closer now to take a look Yes, I see His Blood applied I feel much better now For in the Book He held in His Hand I saw my name

I Thank Him
	I thank Him for the sun and the rain For snow and sleet and all that falls Things that sit and things that stand For all of life's bridges and walls   I thank Him for wake and sleep Life's smiles and life's tears For what I see and see not Each time He calms all my fears   Thank Him for the time of day And yet when turns to night When life's darkness covers me And I walk in His Light   The secrets and the open things What He hides and what He shows When I can't seem to understand I thank Him for what He knows   I thank Him daily friend and foe For what I can and cannot do For the Precious Blood of His Son And yes I thank Him for you
I Was His Cross
	At times I felt I could not clearly see I was unsure if not a dream He looked so tired yet walked on Blood and pain from a thorn made crown Just another way of mocking Him Stripes glistening in the early sun Flesh jagged and ripped from its place Look upon a face thought to be that of a man Yet marred not to be clearly seen Looking, trying to see upon His Back Love moved on down that dusty road Its eyes fixed toward Heaven I knew that none could stop this journey Love had chosen a path This it would follow until the end Now it becomes clear upon His Back It was I that He carried I was His Cross

I Will Marry You
	Will you marry me is what I heard A question for life decide Is this forever I asked Forever to be by my side   This thing I must contemplate Tell me what has in store If I should accept your invite Then you must tell me more   Will there be times of doubt That Your Love is true When others come against my choice Pray tell what will you do   I know my time here is short Compared to a life with you I have but self to offer now So I’ll give myself to you   This life you offer yes is free For all you had to do To your request I now accept Yes I will marry you
I Wrote You Many Times
	You say you never heard from me In all your days down here You walked the paths that you did choose For yourself in all your years You heard your family talk of me From friends that you passed by Never pausing to take the thought That one day you would die There were letters in my Holy Word On bathroom walls and signs I wrote you in the little tracts Love was written in all those lines I always continued to write In hopes you would reply I wrote on TV and radio I said I’d always try Yet death is now here for you As you hear life’s ending chimes I wished that you had answered me I wrote you many times

I'd Like to Talk to You

Sometimes when I am feeling sad And there's nothing else to do I'll search my mind for a friend I'd like to talk to you. I'll try not to waste your time For you're a friend that's true Because you seem to understand I like to talk to you. So many times before I felt There were things you had to do But you gave a listening ear I like to talk to you. And I thought it was a shame I only call you when I'm blue So from now on when I'm feeling glad I'd like to talk to you.

If I Could Have a Dream

If I could have a dream of choice To guide it’s every move And nothing there could walk or talk Without ‘les I approve I’d have you sit upon a throne Your beauty I’d behold I’d look upon your smiling face Your hand I’d always hold We’d laugh and talk for aye and aye We’d sing a happy song We’d share our moments forever And nothing would go wrong But alas, it’s only a dream I see But this I know is true If I dream my dream of choice My dream would be of you

If I Could Tell Mother #1

The words to say I now have found To say to one I love For in her tender care I lay As God looked from above. The things she prayed for me in life I surely now have found For the paths I had chosen before On a different road I'm bound The peace she always wanted for me Now lies within my heart The joy she gave had led me on To each place I would start. She pointed me into a light Where God's love could be found To hear her voice so I can say Thank you for your love so sound. But yet a time I cannot find Still from my heart I do Though' she rests in her Father's arms If I could tell mother, thank you.

If I Could Tell Mother #2

The words to say I now have found To say to one I love For in her tender care I lay As God looked from above. The things she prayed for me in life I surely now have found For the paths I had chosen before On a different road I'm bound The peace she always wanted for me Now lies within my heart The joy she gave had led me on To each place I would start. She pointed me into a light Where God's love could be found To hear her voice so I can say Thank you for your love so sound. And yet a time I shall find Still from my heart I do Before she rests in her Father's arms I will tell mother, thank you.

If I Had Love

If I had love I’d know what to do To nourish it with tender care So when I saw someone in need I’d have enough to share A glass of water to a burning thirst A smile to a teary eye A shoulder for a weary soul A kiss before a good-bye Oh yes I like this thing called love It has worked for quite sometime I’ve seen it do unthinkable things Even change an angry mind I heard about it for many years And watched its story unfold It started before the world began As in His Word it’s told Oh yes, oh yes, I’ll say again As I look to God above I’d feel so much better about myself And others if I had love

If I Had Never Met You

How could I say to be known The words come forth from my heart Just to say how life would be To you these verses impart Is said of one who has found love Has found a crown of gold To walk proudly in this life And happiness then to unfold Yes I know it is to be said What love means that you did send And change a life once without hope The once shattered vessel to mend And if I had never met you Never know the things that I feel I would spend the rest of my life In search of a love that is real

If Thoughts Could Kill

What crime would we all confess When we stand before our God And humbly bow to know His ways When our last path is trod Would it be a thing we've done For all to plainly see Did it bring tears to someone's eyes Tell me what would it be Would it be done with our hands To cause harm to someone An unkind word that pierced a heart Could these things be undone A plot that we had thought upon Because of what was done To bring about a way of God Before it's time had begun I believe the thing we're guilty of Sometimes can seem so real How often someone would be dead To think if thoughts could kill

If You Could See My Old Heart

She asked why do you believe in God Is there anyway that you can show To prove to me so I can believe About this God you know I said when you see the trees grow And a rainbow in the sky The snow upon a mountaintop Or see the little hummingbird fly A small child in a mothers’ embrace The fingers of a helping hand A kiss placed on a boo-booed arm The beauty of a smile so grand But most of all this thing I know That this truth will never part It would prove that God exists If you could see my old heart

I'll Always Remember

Days may come since then I saw Your face stand over me Was in sickness upon my bed I lay But like an angel was you I could see Were you friend or family At time I could not recall But yet I’d seen your face before You stood there through it all Though words were not spoken I understood All you were wanting to say There in your presence was comfort assured As You Love for me shown that day When help from no other I find You were there with me all along Silently touching with Spirit I felt My soul was moved to a song Your presence felt in time of need As a blanket in cold of December Never to leave until healing was done Your faithfulness I’ll always remember

I'll Be Looking at You

Trembling hands I held in mine I could hear the angels sing A choir rejoicing time is past For God has done this thing To bring His own at home to be That place of rest He made Prepared for all who would believe The ransom has been paid A smile of joy upon his face A twinkle in his eye His hand then he slowly lifts As if to say good-bye I felt a tear roll down my face As sadness filled my heart I knew one day this would be Was pain to see him depart Then that moment of time arrived I thought what can I do Then that nod of assurance came As he said, I’ll be looking at you.”

I'll Gladly Serve

Hold tight He said we’re crossing o’er Death’s dark and chilling tide Come go with me without fear To the place where I abide Oh Crystal River I can see By faith I’m going through He promised always to walk With me that’s what He’ll do There is no power that can withstand The Blood He freely gave For all who would but believe Their soul He'll gladly save I stand now to sing His praise To tell what He has done The God who created all Then gave His Only Son And for this I must give thanks Much more than I deserve So the blessings that He gives For Him I’ll gladly serve

I'll Need Your Grace
	Oh what wonders Grace has brought To all of fallen man It understands the Will of God To forgive again and again   Not for deeds we can do Not earned by work done Eternal life that’s freely given Was paid by God’s Own Son   Oh Grace, Oh Grace what can be said I praise the One who gave His Life upon a rugged cross His Blood mall men to save   The Love of God that called Your Name And revealed it then to man Gave all power in Heaven and earth Your Name Grace finished Your Plan   So though I stand now by faith I know until face to face That each and every day I live In all things I need Your Grace
I'm Glad School's Finally In
	I remember distinctly what I said The day that school was out I was so happy for that day Hallelujah! I began to shout I thought this day would never come Now my life I can enjoy I hope that fun and happiness Will be in my employ But now I've found a hectic pace Much more rapid than before Each child is running to and fro I hardly need a door Going here and going there I seem to have more children Will I ever regain control Of my life once again Summertime has come and gone And I know it will come again I thought I'd never say these words I'm glad school's finally in.

I'm Glad They Prayed

Where would I have been? Within this life was laid For friends and family of love For me I’m glad they prayed My life was on a reckless path In sin I might have stayed To spend eternity from God For me I’m glad they prayed Love is not just words alone The price has once been paid And lives held up by faith For me I’m glad they prayed I looked up to show to God This bed of life I made And said forgive me I confess For me I’m glad He prayed

In Him

What could you possibly see? What is there to be found? No appeal at this moments role As the times we gather round For now this face we behold Not as the one before When we walked side by side And talked beside the shore Upon the ship we crossed with Him When life held so much hope And now those hands pierced with nails To the cross tied with a rope But looking beyond what eyes can see When all looked oh so grim To see what death nor grave could hold Was the beauty love shown in Him?

In Him Forever Live

Looking to the Sonrise beyond Where my sorrows now play Upon the worn strings of my heart And cause my soul to pray I’ll not complain of things in Him For this He’s clearly shown The storms of life all pass away When His Will to me is known An honor to serve the King Who for me gave His all Died that I’d truly live Arose by the Spirit’s Call Planting that Seed of Hope I love Know all He said is true In His Word my life be found My desire His Will to do I’ll not hide what I feel Thanks to Him always give And gather with all the same In Him forever to live

In Jesus' Name

Turn away slowly as you leave I'll keep these moments inside For while I am with you this to share The time flows like quiet ebbtide As over the mountain the snow should fall To cover with brightness of white Your presence now has fallen on me And turned my dark days to light Bring me again that I might know A thing you did once before In touching my life with a stroke of your hand And this one thing I implore Turn not away as I said in a line It's more of the same I desire Not once, not twice but times untold At your throne i enquire Up to your face and down on my knees Let Your Blood cover my shame For this sure thing I know and believe All this comes in Jesus' name

Influence

Was it? My father’s belt or my mother’s hickory tee? Seeing my mother and father argue and then kiss as if nothing had happened? Being held when I was sick? The schoolteacher who paddled me and then taught me math? The school principal who prayed with me just before he paddled me? My brothers and sisters who I argued with and then played together all day? The friends who drank and did drugs with me? The people at church I found to be human? The teacher who persuaded me to go back and finish school? Being picked on in school? Being made to feel inferior? Having no job, nothing to eat and no place to sleep? Feeling lonely and not wanting to live? Being invited to church? Not being able to get out of jail? Being prayed for? Hearing “for God so loved the world”? Believing “for God so loved the world”? Accepting “for God so loved the world”?

It All I Clearly See

This is not at all a dream As one would might suppose For it all seems very real And this my trusting heart knows For all I read in His Word Is life abundantly Given freely through His Son For our hearts to see Fill me with your Spirit now Each time I bow to pray And thank for unspeakable Joy you give each day All hail the King of Kings I see Him on His Throne A city called New Jerusalem And I'm never left alone Yes He said it in His Word And said it all to me So when I read what's written down It all I clearly see

It All is Written Down

She said, “I remember you Your face I still recall From a place I lived before In a time my hope was small Was not but a life ago When on earth we did live You took the time to share with me A prayer for life to give When on a path of hopeless end Stood an angel in my way To change it all to a life complete Yes I recall that day.” And then one dressed all in white Adorned with a golden crown Spoke softly, “what she says is true It all is written down.”

It Didn't Matter

Oh the way they spoke to me Cut deep into my heart Why would they say such things To tear my day apart I rose in morn to say a prayer To take me through the day But oh how things did change When they treated me that way Mountain to valley quick as a wink How did it happen so fast Oh I moan and groan and complain How long will this anger last I need to get hold of myself Before somebody I kill Or say some things to hurt in return I know would not be His Will And now I laugh at foolish thoughts These things I now shall forget It didn’t matter really at all I can say now without regret

It Was a Good Year
	As I closed the last page I knew the book was written All that could be said About this year was finished I thought on these things And I said “I know the Lord, and I know you.” Then I said: “ It was a good year.”

It's Worth It All

I had been driving for sometime, seemed like years, when I saw this place and decided to stop. There weren’t any other cars when I pulled up, so I got a good parking place. That’s a pleasant change I thought. The building was shaped different than anything I had ever seen. Oh well, I thought. When I entered, the man behind the counter asked if he could help me, but I replied I was just browsing. Quickly I noticed there were no shelves or anything, no merchandise that I could see. But before I could ask a question, a lady walked in with a baby that looked sick and she was crying as she spoke to the man behind the counter. He turned to his left and spoke with someone I could not see. He then turned back to the woman and said something. As she turned and walked away I noticed a smile on her face and the baby was “cooing”. Then a man with a limp walked in and the same thing happened with the man behind the counter. When he turned to walk away the limp was gone. I found myself getting caught up watching people walk up to the counter with so many different things wrong and all come away happy. I finally got a chance to walk up to the counter and noticed the man was dressed in white and was sitting on a chair made like a throne. I said,” What is this place, and who are those people. I think I recognize most, if not all of them.” The man replied, “This is the throne of grace, and those are all the people you gave directions to during your life.” Immediately I woke from my dream and felt peace inside. It’s worth it all I thought to myself.

It's You I Love

I was glad You spoke those words I knew what You said was true They'd been said many times before But not like the sound from You I'd heard others speak the same But showed a different way And walked away in trying times You'll be fine as if to say But as a friend You knew how to be What no one else in life could Your Father sent You here for that Because He knew You would What can be told beyond this truth He gave His only Son To live and die upon this earth The victory for us won Sent to us for His Name' sake From His throne in Heaven above Was true these words belong to Him When He's says it's you I love

I Met a New Friend

Thought I’d stop on a normal day And take a walk in before To visit again places remind And see what I could see more Back to fields and trees and birds Things my heart used to do Join with them hand in hand And sing a song not blue Here in this time of past As I search diligently day by day Was there a path I might have crossed And failed with something to say Would more time have given a chance That more than your shadow to see A passing face grabbed my mind I wonder what your name might be I wish now to have taken the time That to your life I might lend Still you stay fast in my mind Because today I met a new friend

I Wished You Could Hear

The music and words well to be Oh but the joy they bring Floating down upon my ears As each line they sing Truly put together for angel voices Yet given to the strings of man Spring forth to give words of life And flow as only it can Up, up to horizons anew Take my thoughts and dreams once again To a place I’ve been before When words fell on my ears like rain Yes the best of life’s words chosen And put in sweet songs of rhyme Saved in memories by numbers untold And kept by will and time Would I could share this beauty with you Hid by the darkness in your ear Kept away by no fault of your own These words I wish you could hear