The Hymn of Joy, 1907

Joyful, joyful, we adore TheeGod of glory, Lord of loveHearts unfold like flow'rs before TheeOp'ning to the Sun aboveMelt the clouds of sin and sadnessdrive the dark of doubt awayGiver of immortal gladnessfill us with the light of day All Thy works with joy surround TheeEarth and heav'n reflect Thy raysStars and angels sing around …

Need Wander No More

While I wrote this poem, some Bible verses came to mind, and you will find them linked in the superscripts and listed below. Thanks for reading! ~C.J. Human performance - a striving for perfection.I try to save face before a Holy God. God - the Creator of the Universe.He is All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Present. He is …

Advent: Precious Jesus

Jesus, how can I describe your beauty? You are an artist marveling at your work, crafted so carefully. You are a flickering candlein the heart of a mother. You are like the clarity and freshness of forest-air, soil, and streams. You are seen in soft rain drops, tears that grace the surface of a scorched land. You are …

To God,

    It's easy to lose sight of  the beauty in this world and to settle for elusive joy. If I forget who I am, how can I go on? Yet people move forward day after day, not knowing, but accepting. Maybe this pain is momentary Maybe I can go on. If I take a walk through …

Always Return

The sand was silk between her toes - in-between - doing the thing natural for sand to do. It's ill fitting to be permanent. Maybe that's what makes it "soft." Many years worked side-by-side to grind it into the fine powder that it is; a dusting of rock, mineral, shell. Once possible to distinguish - …

If each tear were a prayer

    If each tear were a prayer, I would have prayed a billion times. A billion asks that float up to the sky. And God would have heard me one billion times. Without uttering a single word, yearning together for different world. A friendly one, a healed one. If each tear were a prayer, …

Jesus, how can I describe your beauty?

Jesus, how can I describe your beauty? You are an artist marveling at your work, crafted so carefully. You are a flickering candle in the heart of a mother. You are the clarity and freshness of forest-air, soil, and streams. You are soft rain drops, tears that grace the surface of a scorched land. You …

the little|big things

I want to take a step back from my life and examine. I want to see, What have I been up to? What is my impact? How am I choosing to follow after Jesus day after day? Honestly, I have been stressed out and trying to do things on my own.. But God humbles me. I …

Meditation|2

We Break the bread we pour His wine we are the scum of the earth. // We pray in cathedrals we kneel silently Behind pews thinking. thinking about the One who is Alpha and Omega. \\ We are the scum of the earth. We are His royalty. The bells are ring ring ring- -ing crisp …

A Red Fruit

I pull stories from deep within Lolo’s heart. “Lolo, what kinds of fruits were your favorite?” I want to see the Philippines through his memory. There is a fruit he remembers. It grew from a big tree. He stood under that tree, a little boy. Staring up at that sweet, red fruit soon to fit …