6-5-15 Age With Grace

² That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate,

sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

³ The aged women likewise,

that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness,

not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things

Titus 2:2-3 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

As much as you despise it you must age,

Until one day you feel the weight of years,

But with the wrinkles brings the knowing sage,

Experienced in laughter, calm and tears.

If you should ever act your age it’s now,

For younger eyes are looking up to you.

Let sober living shine upon your brow,

And all the words you say be sound and true.

You have a grave responsibility

To be the light of Christ in faith and love.

Endure the world each day more patiently,

And show us how to pray to God above.

To all the aged men and women saints,

Spend all your time in praise and not complaints.

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

sonnet #380

5-12-15 Worth the Weight

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,

worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory

2 Corinthians 4:17 KJV

            ~~~~~~~~~~~

We strain beneath the stress of misery;

Our bodies and our minds begin to fail.

Though as we age we have our memory,

Yet also it plays tricks on us as well.

No matter what may happen to us here,

Disease or loss of limb or far much worse,

And even when we face men’s final fear,

We’ll know that we are not within the hearse.

The glory that awaits the child of God

Is worth all of the anguish of this place.

No matter how severe we’re crushed and clawed,

It can’t outlive the splendor of His Grace.

            If we knew all the joy this next life brings,

            We never would complain about a thing.

            ~~~~~~~~~~~

 

sonnet #358

5-5-15 The Love of God

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39 KJV

            ~~~~~~~~~~~

Of all of the uncertainties of life,

And there is nothing certain, not but one:

The love of God, through peace and change and strife,

Is absolutely true and not undone.

Not life or death will kill His love at all,

Nor angels, kings or principalities,

No power in the universe at all

Can stop His love in time or in degrees.

Not heaven, earth or hell can end God’s love,

No creature in the sky or earth below.

It’s easier to count the stars above

Than find one thing His love can’t overthrow.

The love of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Is undeniable across the board.

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

sonnet #351

1-27-15 Nothing

The moment you were born you did not bring

A whit beyond the barest flesh and bone;

You do not really own a single thing

Belonging to this world of wood and stone,

And all the stuff that you accumulate,

No matter what it’s worth to mortal man,

Will still be here when you leave this estate;

In fact you’ll have the same as you began.

Be grateful for the things that you possess

For it can all be gone within a flash;

The only matter you should dare obsess

Is being more like Christ, His way suffice.

From nothing bodies come, to nothing go

Yet all you do between your soul will show.

~~~~~~~~~~~

For we brought nothing into this world, 

and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

1 Timothy 6:7 KJV