Lord plant me here

Lord, plant me here, Where hope star of Bethlehem Soaks the dark all year round. Lord, plant me here, In the light of Your courts In love of a different sort. Lord, plant me here, Let me live all my days Fully know your ways. Lord, plant me here, Beside

Let me tell you about children

Let me tell you about children. They are loud noises from small bodies. “Sooo big” but still so small. They are busy and clumsy and silly and serious. They are working and trying and growing and failing and struggling and falling and getting up again. They are exploring and questioning

Don't pity the plant

Pity not the plant As Jonah did that day In wake of fearful judgment stayed Thousands repent And honor now his name Oh pity not the plant. When your shade removed When the sun beats down Don’t pity then the plant. Think instead of enemies Made friends And the

The path to Heaven

If I could show you How He longs to know you And be known still in return, If I could tell you He would only compel you To the solid hope of Him. You’d set aside “ought,” For your heart would be caught Up in the brilliance Of all

Savor you Blessings

Savor your blessings Take them one by one Savor your blessings See what God has done. Let the gratitude wash And the full cup slosh Savor your blessings Do tell, what God has done! Did he free you And never leave you? Did he name you And never shame you?

Simple Steps

Simple steps, not mighty leaps. Simple steps, my path he keeps. Simple steps, round Jericho’s wall. Simple steps, answering the call. Simple steps, contentment blooms Simple steps to Satan’s doom. Simple steps with simple faith, Simple steps for stunning pace. Simple steps saw millions reached Simple steps the

Being

The ache of not being Of no one caring Of taking up space And no one noticing Has a way of hollowing out Who are you are deep inside It echos It bakes It stings And it stays. It tremors in love It tremors in joy It tremors in failure

Taxes

Have you ever tried to pay your dad taxes? I have. After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?" “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house,

Love hunting

Did you set out to look for love, friend? Did you step out your front door and start love hunting as a young woman? In safe places, of course. (Or maybe not.) Maybe a boyfriend, or a mom-figure, or a best friend would help? But you never questioned exactly what

A green bean for His glory

I used to sit in my grandma’s living room and just watch her knit. I know, I know. That sounds frightfully boring. But I truly loved it. I hardly understood why, but the quiet click-click of her needles, the resonant tick-tick of the grandfather clock, the soft sounds of

I stand at the Jordan

I stand at the Jordan. Shoes sinking in mud Heart sinking in fear As I watch passing flood. 40 years doesn't seem All that long to wander Away from a dream, And those giants I ponder. The moment to chose From safety remove, With so much to lose. Good spies

Pain is a gift

Pain is a gift Though heavy to lift Left unfelt It won’t roll away. It gathers. It cakes. It starts to decay. It’s carried around Pound upon pound. So let's set it down now give it a name, And take a good look Soft courage in hand. Suffer

Bottled up brilliance

If I could bottle up the brilliance Of this stunning fall day Dear friend I would. You’d crack open the top And smell deep the draught Of sunshine and chill Of the color of still The breeze would caress Your face and your soul The sun would soften The

Here's the rub

What about sin? Reality is, things are better and worse off than we thought. Hear me out. I hate calling sin, sin. I hate calling it out. Even with my kids. Because I deeply long for my girls and all the people I know to know they are loved, valuable,

Love

Not having love is an ugly kind of lack. Because you don't know what you're missing And you can't quite grasp What you've never held. Like a body that never felt the sun. Or a fish that never saw the ocean. Or a house plant that never tasted fertilizer. You

We have only five loaves

“But we have only five loaves and two fish!” (Matthew 14:17). But we have only two evenings a week that are free, Lord. But we have only time and attention for these children, not the neighbor kids, Lord. But we have only enough food for us, not for having

Blog Announcement

Dear readers, Many of you I know… many I don’t. But I want to thank all of you for your lovely support as I’ve started writing regularly here on Full of Good Things. It is truly a pleasure and honor that you give me a few minutes or

A word to the weary

“You’re such an encouraging couple.” Her words poured into my parched heart. It wasn’t much, but it meant the world to me. I admire her and deeply respect her. And after all she had done for us that day — taken us and our 4 rowdy girls out on

The Song

In dark dreary church, In suffer torn city of pain, She took seat at the keys, Silent fingers poised, In grief smothered pause. Before notes pierced the night. Hope tumbled, It rose In ripples, in waves, It pushed and it gave, Filling the church, Defying the dark. Rebellion it whispered

I'm going to sit down

I'm going to sit down To read, to study, to wonder I'm going to sit down To make, to shape, to sculpt I don't often sit I stand, I give, I serve. I pass out what I have In comfort, in food, in good. But I cannot keep standing Else

Here in the waiting

Here in the waiting   While I chafe to get going Here in the waiting Hot tears are still flowing. Here in the waiting There’s work to be done. Here in the waiting The true value’s won. Here in the waiting, We give out cool water Here in the

Everything Grows

Everything grows People, ideas, sin. Plants and worries and wonder. How long did they push Down before up? And hidden before known? Spreading quiet below Unseen by you and me. But everything comes to light Someday. Shoots or scandal or character Come from The roots, foundation, the ballast. They take

Before the Throne

There is a river that flows from the throne of heaven. Water normally comes from the rain, the runoff, the streams and rivers, the mighty lakes and oceans we love. But this water? It inexplicably flows from the throne. He said once to a wandering soul, “The water that I

There's a seat at the table

There’s a seat at the table For the defective, the shamed. There’s a seat at the table Each one has been named. There’s a seat at the table For the weary, the maimed. There’s a seat at the table For you to be claimed. There’s

4 and 11

*A gentle warning before you read — this post deals with infant loss. A bereaved mother always has one hand in heaven The rest of her days. I know, because I lingered There oh so long. And again, off and on. Over three souls taken A lifetime too soon. Before I