A Fresh Start

Spring is coming.........summer, too!

Isn't this a picture of hope and promise?

Well. After several months of silence, I am ready to burst upon the scene again, or maybe I should say sneak in with my tail between my legs. ~smile~ Have I any faithful, long-suffering readers left? If so, God bless you!

I could just have aptly entitled this post, "New Beginnings," or, "Another Path". Once upon a time I posted Robert Frost's beloved poem "The Road Not Taken". At the time, I was imagining my agrarian leanings to be my chosen path, but the Lord had other plans, and my particular schemes were detoured by my health issues. And so, with the Lord's leading, I have retraced my steps down that golden road and find myself upon a new one, no less golden, one on which I tread with my eyes gazing upward rather than inward. He leads, He guides, I follow, stumble, rise, and continue. Ever onward. Family, homeschool, church, friends.........these are all parts of my life that have formed who I am and continue to be used by the Lord to mold me and sanctify me.........all for His glory.

(This is not to suggest that my writing will prohibit contributions from the henhouse, but beyond laying an occasional egg and attempting to barge into my warm kitchen, they remain relatively bored and inactive. They, too, are ready for spring.)

Can you relate to the feeling of suppressing your creativity to the point where you are ready to burst with the fullness of it? I've found an outlet for writing when engaged in studying the Scriptures, penning a note of encouragement to a friend, and in my not very faithful journal-keeping, but not for the utter relief of letting burst the dam that restrains the river of thoughts rushing through my mind at every moment of the day. I am glad to be here.

Not long ago at my weekly ladies' Bible study, I shared a prayer I had written in gratitude to the Lord, and one dear friend suggested I publish it. Thanks to "Mrs. T.'s" encouragement, I shall do so here:

To You, O Lord, do I lift up my voice to praise Your holy name.
Hail to Thee, O Prince of Peace, whose gift of life has made a new creation of me.

All that was filthy and unrighteous in Your sight has been made pure and clean;

Not through my efforts, works, or deeds, but by Your gift of faith imparted to me, unmerited,

undeserved.

Kneeling at your feet, I offer You, in exchange, my very being, knowing full well that it was You

who created me, and chose me as Your own -

Setting me free, setting me apart, setting my feet on high places.

Grant me, O Lord, greater love for Thee, and a savage unquenchable thirst for Your Word.

In You is all that I could ever desire or hope for; in You I am complete.

View Your lowly servant with mercy, O great and loving God, and pity my unworthy soul;

Instill in me a passion for Your commandments, and the strength and means to obey.

Never leave me, nor forsake me, O God, for without Thee, life is a desert and I am but dust.

Good and kind Father, how I do love Thee and Thy Son, my loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

by whom all things were created and to whom all glory be given forever and ever. Amen.

You may note that the first letter of each line combines to form the word Thanksgiving. I find this to be a good exercise in writing thematic poems as well. Perhaps your children might like to try their hand at writing a prayer or poem or even a bit of prose using this idea. In the future I will be sharing more ways we play with words.........better known as creative writing.........here at our home. It's an art with many different means of expression, and if you would like to share yours, I would love to hear about it.