When persistence and passion unite
When done in the presence of God's Light
You will bring to the table what some call Grit
With confidence you can say to life: "Bring It"
You have just become an Overcomer
Moving in the grace of God's own drummer

The world today is searching for the key
The future is held in the hands of the youth
Life is what we make it out to be

All of creation stems from one great tree
This we believe to be our truth
The world today is searching for the key

From the shackles that bind us, we are set free
Through joy and thanksgiving our souls are renewed
Life is what we make it out to be

Live your life with patience, perseverance, and purity
In all that you do, let love be imbued
The world today is searching for the key

Growing together from difference toward unity
Sometimes all we need is a new point of view
Life is what we make it out to be

Here we find a living of the highest quality
And from this point we can conclude:
The world today is searching for the key
Life is what we make it out to be

Some days you got to get out of your head
Stuck in the mire of a muddy mind
And just do it
Whatever it is, just do it
Don't overthink or overanalyze
Don't allow your fear to paralyze
Everybody has a different way
A path a journey they must take
If you can dream it, you can do it
There's really nothing to it
In yourself you must believe
That you are able to achieve
You can make your dreams come true
If you have the will to see it through
But remember you're not alone
You don't have to do this all on your own
No one has all the answers
We've all got a piece of the puzzle
Together we fit and find the bigger picture
Don't fret about what happened yesterday
Don't worry about what will happen tomorrow
Live in what is happening right now
Be present and be closer to who you're meant to be
Just do it...
What will happen?
You'll see

When life is out of order and things just don't make sense
When I'm left out in the dark and the cold and I'm in suspense
Everywhere I turn I am closed in by walls on every side
There is nowhere I can run and nowhere I can hide
If life was a car, I'd be careening out of control
If life was a gamble, I'd have one foot in the hole
When my life is chaos and disorder
Of sanity and insanity, I'm hanging on the border
I would be lost if I didn't know who was in command
I would be lost if I didn't recognize the good that He had planned
So, Jesus, take the wheel and turn this car around
Take my feet and place them back on solid ground
I know I should trust you: this has happened before
But doubt creeps in and I hold back, afraid once more
I like feeling like I'm in control even though I'm not
It terrifies me that, for certain things, I have blind spots
I want to channel this love inside, but I go about it all wrong
It leaves me feeling emptier, it never satisfies for long
I won't find the answer where I've been looking until now
I'll only find the answer when I finally allow
You to take control over me entirely
To give you all I am and have and ask you to take over
To fill me with the joy, the passion, the pleasure
Help me live a life in purity and truth
Until the day you say here is the one I made for you
Jesus, command my thoughts, conform my will
Satisfy me daily so I can have my fill
Take me past my blindness so I can more clearly see
How perfect your plan and how great your love for me
When I give up my control and truly surrender
I am freed from the grip of that wily pretender
I call upon your grace and strength as I struggle day by day
To walk with you in faithfulness and let you lead the way

You call me to step out on the ledge
"I will catch you, I'll make good on my pledge"
And Lord I trust you, but I'm filled with fear
'Cause I can't see you even though I know you're near
Come to the edge and be not unbelieving, but believe
So, slowly I approach the edge of the unknown
You push me and, into the air, I find myself thrown
Expecting to fall, expecting to die
Surprised to find that, instead, I fly!
It takes faith to walk upon the waters of the ocean
It takes faith to learn that kind of deep devotion
It takes faith to trust when the senses fail
And faith that, through it all, life and love prevail
It takes faith when we step across that line
That He will lift us up and all will be fine
It takes faith, it takes patience, it takes love
But we will rise up on wings like eagles and learn to fly above

Lord, you call us to the edge and ask us to jump. We can't always see you. Help us to trust and have faith that you are always there and will never let us down. Fear often holds us back from reaching our full potential and some fear is healthy. It helps keep us safe and out of danger, but sometimes we need a little push. You know just what we need Lord and when. Push us just a little, help us have that faith, and trust (and just a little bit of pixie dust?), take that leap of faith and learn to fly! we ask this and all things in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

So often my love is shallow or fake
Unwilling to do what I know it takes
I am too wrapped up in my self-love
Self-interest and self-pity
To see that my vision is itty-bitty
I miss the sunset staring at the ground
Tenser than a spring I'm so tightly wound
In the war between the spirit and flesh
Caught in the middle, I'm a hot mess
So easy to say I love you
But so difficult to really prove
You love me without condition
And you send me out on mission
Jesus; source of love in pure perfection
In your love help me be a reflection
Imperfect as I may be shine through me today
Grant me grace to turn back to you
And the discipline to obey

For freedom is found in following
The law of the Lord is the light of love.
Perfect peace and power passes over
When we watch with awe and wonder
What happens when, in our need, we kneel.
Sorrow and sadness in the savior's shadow
Are arrested in authentic love's atoning act,
Shed for sinners in the ultimate sacrifice.
Body and blood broken and beautiful
We are given the gift of God's great grace.
Recall the wretched reign, be reborn renewed
For Christ has come to call his child.

Listen to the world around you
Take in all that it has to offer
Tune out the distractions of life
Tune in to the love of God in creation
Listen to the song of life and love
Feel the Spirit move in the air
And for a moment just be present, aware
There is more to this life we are living
We can be giving, we can be forgiving
We can find peace and joy when we stop
Or even if we just start to slow down
We are chasing after shadows
Insubstantial projections of what is really real
If you're not careful, your soul they will steal
So listen and let the Spirit surround you
So listen and let the love of God enfold you
So listen and let peace pervade you
So Listen

This man he is writing, writing in the sand
But the what and the why, I cannot understand
They condemn me and he bends down in the dirt,
Does he even care that I'm going to be hurt?
"Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone"
I look around and not one rock has been thrown
Once more he gets down and starts to write
I can't explain it, but somehow I feel like I'll be alright
One by one they start to leave, their stones left untouched
Stopped by a man whose only response was writing in the dust.
The elders leave first, and slowly, each go home
Until it is He and I standing there all alone.
What could he write that caused them to leave?
Here was a story none could explain and few could believe
He rose, turned to me, and said:
"Where are they who would have you dead?"
"They are left. They are no longer here"
The wind came and whatever he wrote had disappeared
"They do not condemn you. Neither, my child, do I.
Go now and sin no more in the grace of the Most High"
This man has given me a new life, a second chance
The man who looks at me with such a loving glance
I know not what he wrote or why he even cared
But from a stranger's kindness, my life was spared
So here I stand this day, this very moment
To witness to the power of atonement
So let me live as his word commands
And pay the price that true love demands
The wisdom of a stranger's writings in the sand

The mouth speaks what the heart feels
And hidden truths are now revealed
Our words can give life or bring death
The power of God is in our very breath
What is in our hearts comes out of our mouths
We have control over what is allowed
If we are what we consume
There shouldn’t be any room
For vileness and hatred to take residence
When we show the overwhelming evidence
Of love and truth gentleness and peace
Patience, faith and prayer that doesn’t cease
This is how they know us: they know us by our love
In this we show our kinship with the Father in Heaven above
And let us not dwell on other’s faults
But seek first to find our own
And bringing judgement to a halt
We find that we have grown
Love your sister and your brother
Though they may have a different mother
There are hundreds of languages in the world
But love is universal and a smile is unfurled
They know us by the fruit we bear of peace and unity
With eyes of love striving for a world in harmony
The outside is a manifestation of what is within
Do we reflect Christ or are we soiled by sin?
We are Christ bearers light bearers
Salt and light to the ends of the earth
We are truth sharers and Armor of God wearers
We are here to bring about a time of rebirth
So my friend guard your heart and guard your tongue
So you may stand victorious over the evil one
I pray your words would give life and your life would bless
And God provide what you need no more and no less
So Speaks the Heart

Won’t you take me back to a time before
When life was simple no one keeping score
When I was full of innocence and total trust
Before the dreams that I held turned to dust
I was filled with a sense of awe and wonder
I heard you in the soft wind and in the thunder
Over the years that faith has slowly faded
And life’s experiences have left me jaded
Won’t you take me back to when I was a child
Young and free, rambunctious and wild
I would leap off and with perfect faith I know
You would catch me and never let me go
You would set me right where I needed to be
I could safely be anything. With you, I could be me
I feel sometimes as though I’ve forgotten your voice
I’ve been distracted and concerned with the other noise
Help me relearn Lord like a child once again
To recognize the sound of your voice and then
To listen for you purposefully and with great care
In the stillness and silence I feel the breath of air
The spirit is moving and lifting and healing
The very word of God in truth revealing
Come upon me and illuminate the dark
I love your law for it helps me hit the mark
I know I can’t go back to where it all began
I know that it is all a part of your great plan
But if I could know again a little joy and laughter
It would help remind me why and what it is I’m after
Someday you will take me back and I’ll be home once more
To be with Him for all eternity: Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord

Be merciful even as your Heavenly Father is merciful
Thy kingdom come thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
The Father who loves us died for us and paid the debt we could not pay. May we strive to be merciful, loving, forgiving for the small things. Let us be like Jesus to others. God is LOVE. The reason the world does not know God is because it does not know LOVE. And what is Love? Love is patient, love is kind, slow to anger, protects, trusts, hopes, believes, perseveres. Love never fails. Forgiveness is a great weapon. It disarms, diffuses, stuns, kills hate, squashes vengeance. It heals and sets free, but surprisingly it most often frees us. If someone can forgive you for something and move forward, never think for a second that God can’t forgive you and hasn’t already. God is so much better and so much more merciful and loving by far! The challenge is you need to learn to forgive yourself. God, help us to be merciful, forgiving, loving and kind to all, especially those who probably don’t deserve it. In these moments Lord, remind us gently that we didn’t deserve your mercy, forgiveness, love and kindness, but you gave it anyway and we aught to do likewise. Amen

Lord you reveal yourself to me in a way so profound
That if only I would seek you, there you would be found
For I opened the doors and there you were waiting
My steps falter and my words are now hesitating
I opened the windows and, on my heart, you alight
You were singing so happily like a bird that’s in flight
Once you were there you began to build a nest
And for now and always it is where you now rest
Lord I have found you in the hearts of the poor
And seen you dwell in those I thought were the least
I have known you when I doubt if anything is real
I have felt that when I’m hurting you helped me to heal
This is the revealing of the soul’s great lament
The moving of the spirit by which we are sent
The yearning to be united to our Lord once again
The working and waiting that we have until then
You know my inmost being Lord you know my every thought
Nothing is secret; all my efforts to hide are for naught
So Lord help me open myself to your holy and perfect will
To accept you and in my empty spots, won’t you fill
In your love and by your power, make me complete
Won’t you melt and refine me and turn up the heat
By the power of your passion, your burning love and desire
Burn me and brand me with your Holy Living Fire
Little by little you restore and reveal and I am being remade
Some things are sharpened and some places seem to fade
One day when this life is finally over
And I go walking through the golden field
Questions will be answered, eyes will be opened
And that which once was hidden, in truth, shall be revealed

I need someone to lean on and to trust
I need someone who will love me no matter what
I need someone who will find the hidden beauty
Someone who helps out of love and not simply duty
I need someone to defend me when I am under attack
Someone who is in my corner and who always has my back
I need someone to see the real me and still not leave
I need someone who will also give back not only receive
I need someone who is gentle and yet strong
I need someone at my side as we walk along
I need someone who will listen to me when I need a friend
Someone who is faithful and true to the very end
I need someone who will treat me the way that I deserve
I need someone who is willing to surrender and serve
I need someone I can turn to in any situation
Someone who will share in both sadness and elation
I need someone who understands what makes me what I am
I need someone who will be with me to hold me and take my hand
I need someone can tell when something isn’t right
Someone who will watch over me both by day and by night
I need someone who will tell me that things will be okay
I need someone who isn’t afraid to kneel down and pray
Someone to forgive me and help me forgive myself
Someone who makes me feel like there is no one else
I need someone who knows I am special and unique
I need someone who will be my light when life is bleak
I need someone to care to act with loving kindness
Who will open my eyes to see and remove my blindness
I need someone so rare there might be only one
And I pray it’s not too late before the search is done

Lord right now I’m lost and confused
Hear my cries Lord I’m begging you
My life was going so well and you turned it upside down
And now I can’t tell which way is up and which is down
Lord I’m trying so hard to understand
How this all fits into your grand plan
I feel you calling me to be to be a husband or wife
I feel you calling me to married life
I know I ought to trust but right now my heart is as dust
To follow you I’ve tried and tried
But what you want I can’t decide
I’m hurting Lord can’t you feel my pain
And world is gray and my sky is all rain
Help me Lord I don’t know what to do or where to turn
What is it Lord that you want for me to learn
Part of me should feel happy but part of me feels dead
The days are painful reminders and most nights I cry in bed
Oh Lord my God why must you wound me so
Please hold me close and never let me go
There are moments when the pain is too much to bear
And when I pray I don’t seem to feel your presence there
I know you love me and you are by my side always
And, if you chose, could turn this protest into praise
But even if you don’t right now I know I’ll be alright
And from this darkness deep inside will come a brilliant light
I’ll be there eventually, but right now what I really need
Is your patience, your guidance, your love, and your lead

I know. I was there. I am here.
You are never alone. Turn to me and I will be your comfort and your peace. One day I will dry your eyes and the joy will never cease. I know you feel pain right now so deep and so profound. Caught in the undertow of sorrow and feeling like you’ve drowned. I know. I was there. I am here. I have never let you go. You have never left my sight. Trust in me and everything will turn out all right. I know it seems like the end right now but you don’t know the plot. Please believe me when I say that, the end, it is not. I was there nailed on the cross and I felt all: the pain the sadness the loss. I took it all so you that you could understand and place your hand in my hand. I have danced. I have laughed and I have wept. I understand how it feels to lose someone you love. But I also know they look down from above. No more hurt and no more hunger no more older no more younger. No more sickness no more death. Only joy and praise with every single breath. I know sometimes you wonder about the meaning of it all. And sometimes you question whom and when I call. I know it seems impossible now, but you must remember and move on. Remember that nothing is impossible with me. I know. I was there. I am here. On the days when it gets too hard, lean on me and I will help you up. I will give you the strength you need as you eat this bread and drink this cup. I know. I was there. I am here. Let this be a gentle reminder not to take life for granted but to live each moment out. Live each day as if today was your last day; make every second count. I know. I was there. I am here but do not live in fear. I am with you now and always even through the end of the age. The world and it’s things are fleeting and will eventually pass away, but the word of the Lord is eternal and His love is here to stay. I know. I was there. I am here. I love you. Be at peace.

I, the Lord of all creation, give you a new name
And, from this day on, you will never be the same
Be transformed in your life and follow my will
And know that no matter what I love you still
Take this moment here and now you are a new creation
Learn from your mistakes and live in right relation
Channel this energy this love and passion
And find a love that’s never out of fashion
I call you my child and I am your Father
Call out to me always I won’t be bothered
I want to hear from you and I want you to listen
There is a beauty in the eyes that glisten
I call you forward to my loving merciful heart
That you and I are never very far apart
Cling to me in the storms, the wind and waves
I will be your anchor and the hand that saves
Cast out in the deep and try once more
And know the wondrous things I have in store
You aren’t perfect, but it is you that I chose
With time and grace your faith will grow
I know it’ll be hard, but I believe you’re worth it

Open hearts and open hands
Help us do what love demands
To give of self to serve and uplift
True love is the most precious gift
To lay down one’s very life
To make the ultimate sacrifice
We must have open hearts and open hands
There is peace and comfort where love reclines
And it lives in a house big enough for all mankind
With open hands we both give and receive
And together marvelous things they can achieve
From Jesus side both blood and water flow
To unite once more heaven above and earth below
The nails that pierced his hands and feet
Now the act of love was complete
We pray Lord Jesus let our hearts be open wide
That upon your grace and strength we always rely
Let our hands be opened not closed in anger
And in the storms of life your love is our anchor
When we live with open hearts and open hands
We will not seek first to judge, but to understand
Though, at times, we may wander and go astray
We are never too lost to be found if we pray
Open us Lord to see in others what you see in me
With open hearts and open hands we are setting prisoners free
Giving food to the hungry money to the poor
Never turning someone away from the door
Clothing the naked and visiting the ill
We pray most of all Lord, help us do your will
These are all important but help us not forget
What matters first and matters most I bet
In all we do to pray and act with open hearts and open hands

So many choices, options, decisions
Bombarded barraged created divisions
The possibilities are endless; a veritable buffet
This is the world in which we live today
We choose how we act, how we feel and what we wear
We choose what we say and how much we want to care
God gave us free-will he gave us a choice
He gave us our minds and he gave us a voice
Tricked into the sin of jealousy and pride
Realizing the mistake and trying to hide
Like Lucifer we too fell from Grace
And sin entered in to the whole human race
But God in his mercy would not be outdone
For in the fullness of time he would send his one and only son
To suffer and die and rise from the grave
Not to judge or condemn but that we might be saved
He gave himself freely; his body and blood
The ultimate expression of his divine love
Our hearts are broken and we seek things to fill
But no matter what we try nothing fits the bill
His body as bread he joins his heart to ours
His blood the wine sweeter than flowers
United on a physical and fundamental plane
So intimate and so profound you can never be the same
We have a choice: we can be believe and accept
Or we can deny, and doubt and be circumspect
But we have a choice and it can’t be coerced
What will satisfy this longing this deep thirst
And when all is said and done at the end of the age
It’s your turn in the spotlight it’s your time on the stage
Our choices carry a surprising amount of weight
Did you choose to love, did you forgive instead of hate
Did you follow in His footsteps and help others on the road
Did you ease someone’s burden, help them carry the load
Many times you have to make choices that are hard
None come through not bruised or cut or scarred
Though the way is hard and the journey ever long
We are not alone and together we are made strong
In the world of a million choices there is one that I will make
Find something that will mark me like a stamp or seal
I choose to live a life of love that’s real
and not just some cheap fake

There is power in a moment. A moment of weakness a moment on your knees. A moment of silence a moment of ease. A moment can feel so long and pass by in the blink of an eye. Between life and death there is but a moment. How did I use the moments I was given? So much can be said, conveyed, felt in a moment of silence between friends and so often we want to fill these moments with noise because the silence is deafening. There are defining moments and moments that take our breath away. All these moments and many others make up our lives. Just sit still and be quiet for a moment and you begin to realize everything you’ve been missing. We are so distracted and we distract ourselves so we don’t have to listen to the uncomfortable truth and the tough love. We become oblivious to what is in front of our eyes. And what is in front of our eyes right now is Jesus. He leads us so he should always be in front of our eyes. Jesus loved us so much that he died for us while we were unworthy to free us and be with us one day. It was over in a moment. Let us take a moment now to stop and listen and feel the power of that moment. The moment that God said “I Love You. See how much I love you!”.

A flower dances under a sky of blue and white
Petals outstretched to take in the sun’s great light
A bloom so beautiful and pure that none can match
No words can contain nor brush that can catch
The radiance of this single solitary rose
Of how it came to be, no one truly knows
But here it stands tall and strong
Blessing all those who happen along
Is it just a hardy stubborn thing or is it something more?
Is it a message for someone and, if so, who is it for?
For myself it is a reminder of all that life can be
And a statement of all that we can achieve
We can overcome heartache and sorrow and pain
We can be an example and stand strong in the rain
With patience love and kindness we can cultivate the seed
And with grace and peace and quiet strength, be what people need
But like the rose we must open to the sun
And by our living lead others to the Holy One
He is our strength he has given us this gift
So let us now sing out and our faces lift
How Great is our God who alone can save
Whose death and resurrection brought vict’ry o’er the grave

Big or small thick or thin
No matter the place you live in
Black, white, brown, red
I know every hair on your head
I know you, I know your name
And when you hurt I feel your pain
Do not listen or pay heed when the world calls you freak
Because, in you, there is something special and unique
And because I love you as you are
If it seems you don't fit in, can't find a place where you belong
When the world says they're right and all you are is wrong
There are people of compassion who look beneath the skin
To find the light that burns inside, the beauty that's within
And remember I love you as you are
Sometimes the world can be cold and cruel
They might mock your belief and call you a fool
Being different can make people uncomfortable
They'll try to define you and give you a label
But you already have a label more important than the rest
You are called my child and it is you that I will bless
And I love you just as you are
Be yourself, be honest, be gentle and kind
And, throughout your life you will come to find:
You don't need to change who you are to make me love you
For I love you as you are
Always

I feel the kiss of Heaven press against my brow
And it’s gentle touch changes me somehow
Feel the love. Feel the power of that precious act
Be filled now with what it was you had lacked
Let it wash over you and may you be forever blessed
In the chaos and confusion we find peace and rest
Heaven has marked you and chosen you as it’s own
It is the greatest thing to be not only loved, but also known
Here, in this place, where Heaven and Earth meet
I sit here watching with a front-row seat
Take a moment to let the weight of the kiss sink in
Let the gravity of the situation bring a grin
The kiss of Heaven given just for you
Is a miracle that can make your wildest dreams come true
My prayer for you is that you be at peace friend
And that you know this divine love until the very end

I will take you in my arms and hold you while you rest. Who am I that I should be worthy to hold the savior of the world close to my chest. Singing so softly a simple lullaby, hush now my darling and close your little eyes. Enjoy this moment of love and of peace for now, just your mother I’ll be. My Lord and my love I’ll be by your side both day and night. You shatter the darkness you are my light.

Thank you for the epiphany Lord for the three wisemen who were seeking the truth followed the star that led them to your truth and changed their lives to listen to the truth. Who is my star? Who or what is the light that I follow that leads me to you Lord? Adoration can be a sort of epiphany a revealing of you as God and we can find insight and revelations through prayer and experience. Sometimes Lord I am the wisemen seeking the truth searching for you and other times I am the scribes and Pharisees who are comfortable and seek to destroy or stop the truth because it threatens the way of life I am accustomed to. Sometimes I travel in lands that are green and lush and still other times I am following the star across a barren desert. In these times, my spiritual life is dry and desolate. I am weary and begin to wander. Sometimes I get lost or turned around and need to ask for directions. I take solace in this long hard journey, because I believe that at the end of the journey I will find something so incredible and joyful and full of life. I will find you.

To lead by example to live out your love
To speak words of wisdom and live a life of grace
To show others the way to see Jesus’ face
Loved by the Father of Heaven and Earth
Wanted to be with you he became human by birth
I want to lead your children help me to follow you
Help my heart be a place where you can grow
Be born in me as I bear you within
Cleanse me wash me from my sin
Bring me to your heart, the heart of the father
A love that has no end it is unconditional, forever
We can’t earn it and don’t deserve it
But that’s what makes it a miracle
Show me how to love, and pray, and work
Help me to write and play and sing
In a way that gives you glory and brings a smile to you
Turn your face to me, look with favor upon your child
Thank you for loving me

Forgive me Lord, when I doubt you and don’t believe what you say. I don’t think I’m qualified to lead anyone. There are so many more people more qualified, more experienced and more wise. But like Jeremiah, you show me that you can use anyone and you don’t call the equipped, you equip the called. You are Emmanuel (God With Us). You are with us always even to the end of the age. Help us take comfort in that and grant us the strength and courage to stand up and lead your people trusting that you are in control and you have a reason. Something that we alone can do. Lead us Lord always and help us to lead your flock with wisdom and grace. Amen

Here we are again just me and you
Sitting here showered with a love so true
Let’s be personal it’s time we got real
Sometimes I gotta cry a little so I can heal
But you know me full and love me still
You are by my side now and you always will
You stir in my heart a new song
A melody you put on my lips
I know that here and now is where I belong
In the Eucharist where Heaven and Earth kiss
You and me we’re a miracle a thing so divine
That to me you would say “I love you and you are mine”
It’s so hard to imagine it any other way
I want you I need you a part of every day
In your presence troubles vanish and worries melt
In their stead deep joy and perfect peace are felt
This time it is personal it’s how it has to be
Because our relationship is between you and me

Draw me close to You Lord and never let me go
Arms outstretched on the cross to love me so
Open my eyes Lord to see the beauty around
Place my feet upon the rock and on holy ground
Open my ears to hear the voice of the one who saves
For love of you the dead will rise from their graves
Put a joy in my heart that can’t be contained
A fire, a passion that can’t be dimmed
Your word lights my way through the dark place
And everything is brighter in the light of Jesus’ face
With peace flowing like a river
From the throne of the giver of life
You have shown us the way to the father
You know us and call us by name
You see us as we are and you love us the same
And when the day comes for this life here to end
Lord protect us and let sweet sleep descend
Grant us the peace and the comfort
Wrap us once more in your gentle loving arms
Bring us home to be with you in the fullness of your glory
To be in your presence a saint among the saints of history

As I turn my face again to you
I see your light come breaking through
In the darkness and the pain of life
And the sorrow that cuts like a knife
I look to you to help me through this hour
As I call upon your Heavenly Power
I turn my eyes again to see your face
And feel your presence fill this place
I see you stretched upon that cross
I see the love and I feel the loss
I try to fix my eyes on you
But I stumble and lose my way
Sometimes I get distracted it’s true
But as I practice it gets better each day
I know you still love me and call me your own
And even in the hard times I am never alone
I lift my gaze to the heavens a song will I sing
Glory and honor and praise to the Risen King
You have my undivided attention I am restored
Speak to your servant for he is listening Lord
I turn my face to you in humble form concealed
Through the eyes of love is this mystery revealed
Turn to me oh God your face do not hide
Please continue always to stay by my side

So you say you’re gonna need a reason
A reason if you’re gonna believe
You’ve got a long list and it’s not easin’
Lies and let downs, how you’ve been deceived
You say it’s a nice story, but how can it all be truth
You heard the words and read the tales
But now you want to see the proof
What good is this faith if logic has failed
Have you felt a hunger you could never satisfy
Have you ever felt had a chill in the middle of July
Did you ever wonder if life had purpose and meaning
Or pass by someone why was positively beaming
It’s a chance to be part of something greater
It’s a family you can turn to when things are looking grim
A place to love and be loved in plenty and in trim
Look at the beauty all around fill your lungs with air
If there is even the slightest chance that my life was not in vain
Then I will take all the hardships and bear all the pain
To believe that life is meaningless would make me lose all hope
And when troubles come and sorrows fall I couldn’t ever cope
It is pretty radical and some might call me crazy
But love is irrational though it makes you do crazy things
And yet when you feel it you know and your heart just sings
And if it all turns out to be just as you say You haven’t lost anything there was no point anyway
But if it just so happens that there is more
I’d want to see you there on that distant shore
So take a leap and hold on tight you’re in for a wild ride
I know it’s crazy but sometimes I get a peek on the other side
Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all

Following star: God’s great light
Traveling far: Bethlehem night
Bearing gifts full of meaning
Little baby sweetly dreaming
On a journey far from home
Guided by the Spirit as they roam
So much unclear, so much unknown
Young girl and mother scared and alone
Come Lord Jesus from Heaven above
Make the space all aglow in perfect love
The path is long the road is hard
Angels sent in dreams to guard
The light of the world the hope of salvation
Watching with faith and finally joy and elation
Peace on earth let all creation ring
The coming of Him whom angels sing
Christ the King in helpless child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Not even death could keep us apart
Saved in the depths of your merciful heart

The same sun that fills the morning sky
Makes the artist’s paintbrush fly
The same wind that flows softly in the trees
Fills the singer’s lungs and sets the words free
The same water that covers the earth
Can give the people a kind of rebirth
The same earth alive beneath your feet
Gives the poets their steady beat
The same song that’s free and clear
Gives the dancers something so dear
The same life that ebbs and flows
Gives art its thorns and rose
Life is art and for some their art is life
So much beauty and mystery it is always
New and fresh and profound
You see the place we stand is on Holy Ground
We have been blessed with such gifts
We are called to share and use them to lift
Others up who may be searching or hurting
Needing to know they are loved and aren’t alone
Your art may be the only encounter someone has
With faith, with love, with something greater
We ought to be light, to bring light to a world that is dark
To give hope, to show love this is a chance to leave your mark
To make this place a little better than when we first arrived
The world is our canvas paint it with hope and a future
Share your vision, lift your voice
Move your feet and make your choice
Color the world in brighter hues
These are your gifts it’s up to you to use

Candy canes and Caroling up and down the street
Hearts aglow with everyone we meet
Ringing in the New Year with hopes and dreams held high
Inside we come to sit by the fire to warm up and dry
Snowman snow angels snow that softly falls
Time to remember what is truly important and make those calls
Making the most of the precious moments spent together
And if we have each other there is nothing we can’t weather
Sleep sound in sweet heavenly peace

Our Marian Consecration today intimately parallels the actions of Knights before their queen in years past. Knights would come before their queen, kneel, swear their fealty, and solemnly dedicate themselves to be in the queen’s service and do her will. In our consecration today we are essentially doing the exact same thing. Our Queen is Mary, we pledge our loyalty to her and her cause (which is her Son’s Will, for love and for souls), and solemnly dedicate ourselves to her service and being obedient to what she tells us.

Knights were often called to go and fight for queen and country. We are also called to stand and fight for there is a war that rages a great spiritual battle. We fight not with hatred and anger and bitterness and intolerance, but with love, truth, peace, hope, and joy. We do not fight to steal, **** and destroy, we fight to give, to save, and to defend.

When we bend our knees, we humble ourselves. It is an action that leaves us vulnerable and open. It opens doors, opportunities and a whole world of experiences beyond our wildest dreams.

St. Maximillian Kolbe was right in creating the Militia Immaculata. The order of the Knights of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We are like the knights of the past. It is also interesting to note that they specifically consecrated themselves before the Queen and that through the Queen they gave themselves in service to the King.

As Knights we are also called to be courageous and chivalrous. To be kind, gentle, and to honor and respect all especially the women, the children, and those in need. To be a knight was to live a life of service, charity, obedience imitating the life of Christ and his values and teachings. We are knights: go forth now under the Queen’s blessing and favor.

I am tired Lord and my thoughts drift
Incomplete and jumping one to another
I am safe and warm in your presence here
I feel my body relaxed and drifting to sleep
I will sit with eyes closed and breath deep
And pray that you would help still my mind
My heart my mind my soul find their rest
And in your abundant love I am so blessed
Let me be the one to quench your thirst
For love and souls until you burst
Let me be the one to care for you and dry your tears
Let me be your hands and feet, eyes and ears
Let me rejoice in my weakness and glory in my suffering
That I would lean on you for every single thing
Unite my heart to yours and bring me deeper still
I pour out myself so that you can enter in and fill
The missing piece the hurt deep inside
With love so deep and arms so wide
If it is your will then by your grace allow me to lead
Your children your sheep your people in need
To bring you the love and souls you so desire
With the help of the Holy Spirit to truly inspire
In Mary’s hand I place my own
To walk with her; faith is grown
The quickest way to the heart of the Son
Is through the heart of his mother
Their hearts are connected in more ways than one
The bond they share is like no other
Let me be the one for Jesus with you
And serve Him who is holy and true

Stand up for Jesus can you hear Him call your name
Stand before the one who took on your sin and shame
Stand up for the truth that sets men free
Stand for the one who laid down His life for you and me
Stand for life and justice let your actions show the way
Stand and deliver the message of love without delay
Stand up though you may be small or weak
Stand up in faith and be bold when you speak
Stand with courage for your God is at your side
Stand and be a witness let your heart decide
You are the future and in you I see hope
Hope that lingers even at the end of a rope
Sometimes all you need to start a great fire
Is a spark a passion a burning desire
I see that spark in you it’s time to get ready
Take careful aim and hold it steady
It’s what this world needs now more than ever
This is great don’t hesitate it’s now or never
Stand firm upon the rock of your faith foundation
Join us in the song of the beauty of creation
Stand up for something much bigger than yourself
Put bitterness jealousy and pride upon the shelf
Rise up oh Children and take this whole world by storm
For Jesus loves the children and he will be true to form
You were made for greatness but it’s up to you to choose
Will you be as sweet melody God’s instrument to use

Lord, help me remember
In a love so warm and tender
That nothing is going to happen to me today
With my hand in yours as your love lights the way
No valley too deep no mountain too high
Lifted up on eagles’ wings so I can fly
There is no storm that we can’t weather
Nothing that You and I can’t handle together

Let everything I do give glory to you
Oh Lord my God
Known by many names, still you stay the same
You are more than we can imagine
Greater than our hearts can fathom
Farther than the east is from the west
Hold us close against your chest
Knew us perfectly even before we were formed
You still our fears in the wild raging storms
Crafted with such purpose love and care
To your beauty there is nothing we can compare
You are holy and righteous and worthy of praise
And how I am blessed let me count the ways
I remember vividly the day that you found me
Woke me from my sleep opened my eyes to see
For a second I saw a glimpse of your glory revealed
And in that moment I knew that you were real
Now it seems that something had been planted
An idea a desire spiritually enchanted
Now, years later, it has sprouted and taken root
And, one day perhaps, it may bear great fruit
It all comes back to there the day my life began
You took me on this walkabout so I could understand
A picture is starting to form but it’s hard to make out
It’s clouded and shrouded in mystery and I start to doubt
But I know you walk before me Mother Mary walks beside
Trusting completely in my spiritual guide
So, in faith, I’ll follow you:
Live in spirit and in truth

Today I sit and look at you in heart-pondering prayer
Watching and waiting in stillness I am then made aware
That this is Advent and I am waiting for your birth
And when you come there will be peace on earth
I am here before you in quiet contemplation
And here before me is the soul’s Salvation
Help me love and know you deeper than before
And live the life that you have called me for

Amen

Mary surrendered her heart to do God’s will
She was ever present then and she is with us still
Help me be obedient and follow where you lead
Use me as your instrument to serve those most in need
Kindle the burning passion deep within
And by your grace help me avoid more sin
Help me be humble so I might not fall to pride
Through these gifts may your name be glorified
Bless and perfect them bring them to your son
That, in all things, Your holy will may be done
I try to fight on my own, but I am weak
In all things it is your quiet strength I seek
One way to know Jesus is to know and love you
You are our Holy Mother ever faithful, ever true
Turn your eyes of love on us in your mercy have pity
Heal our world our land, heal our broken family
Soften our hearts shatter our defenses
Open our eyes, bring us back to our senses
Give us the courage to share in your “Yes”
And, in doing so, we walk the talk that we profess

Surrender doesn’t come naturally
It goes against everything we think we know
It reveals imperfection letting weakness show
And we can’t be weak we must be strong
We must be strong for ourselves and our family
We must lead our children and our wives
For as we know only the strongest survives
We fight for their rights we are modern day knights
It’s a war zone out there with our souls on the line
A battle of good and evil of temporal and divine
But there can be freedom in surrender
When we lay down our burdens and chains
We find a love so soft and tender
We can sing and dance unrestrained
I have found there is power when my knees touch the ground
A peace and strength that, nowhere else, can be found
Bowed down with my head to the floor
It is surrender, but it’s so much more

I come before you Lord humble and broken a sinner for all my days and still you call me  your precious child. You call me to live for you, love for you, worship and adore you. In all my faults and failures you have never loved me more and paid a price that I could never afford. Saved by faith and your grace I cannot earn it, I don’t deserve it I am the worst of the worst. But while I live I try to give because you Lord loved me first.

The gifts we bring an offering
To place upon the table
You gave us these treasures
See what we have done
Take Lord and Receive
The work of our hands
The fruit of the lands
Break them bless them and multiply
Let all we do Lord glorify
We are your people called by your name
You showed us love and call us to do the same
We come together to pray and to dine
A place for all people to come and recline
Jesus gave thanks broke the bread
Then he blessed it and said:
This is my body the bread that sustains
Then with the wine a similar refrain
This is my blood I pour out my heart
The depth of my love from the very start
I find myself so amazed
How inadequate is all praise
When I catch but a glimpse of your face
I am drowned in a sea of amazing grace
How it is that you would choose someone like me
Like Peter I can only wonder what it is you see
But you are purposeful and though I may not see the end
I will trust and follow where you lead I will go where you send
You are the way you are the life you are the truth
I have seen the light of youth help me lead them home to you

Lord, into your presence I come
Singing songs of worship and praise
I come to give glory and share in your story
Of sinners and saints throughout the age
Our lives our stories are as sacred hymn
Precious gifts; music unto him
Shine your face upon us rain down your love
Holy Fire of God fall on us from Heaven above
I sing for you as words pour from my tongue
I dance for you as if you are the only one
I live for you every hour every minute
I try to love for you without limit
I lift up my voice and raise my hands to the sky
Offering up all to the one enthroned on high
To what shall we compare you when nothing comes close
When the greatest eloquence is nothing more than verbose
But in your goodness you have blessed us to express
A vivid if fleeting glance of your glory and grace
A moment of heaven revealed in this place
We come with heads bowed on bended knee
That in our humility we may start to see
The gravity of what you did and what it means
This changes everything turning life upside-down
But he is our rock our anchor our solid ground
Hold fast to Him when life is all sound and fury
Cry out to Him and be not afraid you need not worry
I stand here today to speak as one who understands
Both fear and uncertainty, and still the peace from his plans

How glorious this creature you have made
Not one more precious or more fair
Made with love her skin her body and her hair
Through sin and in our fall
We have marred the divine scene our hearts are scarred
Now we look at beauty only on the surface
Fail to see what is just inside
Mind and heart within mortal flesh hide
We look now, but Lord we fail to see
The true value of this stunning beauty
There is more to her than meet the eye
A mystery in an enigma in a sigh
Thank you Lord for this special gift
The flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone
Created specially so we would not be alone
Not a thing not an object but a partner companion
To love and to cherish to have and to hold
To talk and to listen and together grow old
In your love Oh Lord grant me your sight
To look upon women in a more holy light

Lord God we pray for all souls on this day, especially those whom we have lost recently. Have mercy on their souls and bring them into the fullness of Your glory to be with You forever in Heaven. We pray for our souls that those lost or in the dark may find their light once more. We are all sinners and have turned away from You and Your love. Have mercy on our souls. For all the unborn for all those who never saw the light of day, take special care of those precious souls in your presence Lord. We pray that, by Your gracious will, we may all be reunited with the ones that have gone before us that one day we may all glorify You in Heaven forever.

Many are the trials that will come to pass
Many are the hearts that are made of glass
The faithful will be tested, shaken to the core
In the coming in the presence of the Lord
Many are the sorrows and challenges ahead
Many will despair, I cling to hope instead
The days are coming when the world will be dark
And in the light of Christ the contrast is so stark
Many are the sufferings we will undergo
We have a chance for our faith and love to show
Soon and very soon we are going to see the King
He will come in glory, justice and peace shall ring
Hold fast to your anchor as the storm rages
Soon is the coming of a new golden age
When all will be made new and mysteries revealed
No sickness death or hunger and hearts will be healed
We will see his love perfected in the Holy Trinity
To see this Circle of Life it is as divine poetry
But until that day comes when we finally meet the Son
We must do our best and pray that His will be done
There will be trials but together we will overcome

Jesus is calling you so soft and sweet
Quiet as a whisper wanting to meet
Listen, can you hear him knocking
He is waiting just outside the door
Open your heart what are you waiting for
Jesus is thirsting, He is thirsting for you
Longing for a chance to make you new
He is thirsting for love of souls
He is dying for a chance to hold
His children in His arms one more time
The beauty from the pain was a sign
He made life from the ashes a new beginning
Paying the ultimate price our Salvation winning
Jesus is calling rest in his heart of love
Filled with holy longing from above
Jesus is calling you will you answer the call
Will you turn from your way and abandon it all
Will you give what you have to the poor and sick
And with joy and a smile do it
Take up your cross and follow me
The life, the way, the truth shall set you free
Jesus is calling you to come to the holy of holies
Enter into the mystery into the true presence
See with eyes of faith and beyond your sense
Feel the peace so heavy and deep
Experience that sweet release
Breathe in, breathe out, fill your lungs with the spirit
In the stillness and the quiet you can finally hear it
Hear Jesus Calling
Lord into you I’m falling
Falling for you
Jesus Calling

When I take a moment now and I look back on my life
From the mountain top of joy to the valley of strife
From the biggest ways to the smallest shifts
In the crosses borne and the priceless gifts
I see it here I see it there; it’s the evidence of you

Sometimes I would wander and sometimes I would stray
Sometimes I would stumble or forget to pray
In every path I followed in every trail I tracked
Every choice I made, every road I travelled led back
Every way and every day; it’s the evidence of you

I didn’t always walk a straight line I didn’t always try
I found strength when I wanted to give up and die
And when I lost sight of the path a time or two
Somehow I still went the right way when I hadn’t a clue
It feels right this insight; it’s the evidence of you

Here the human heart of man tries to make its plan
But in His wisdom our steps are directed by His hand
We end up getting to where we are going
Even though at times we aren’t always knowing
So I find most all the time; it’s the evidence of you

The songs we sing and the words we write
Are like a family we hold so tight
History reminds us
Our past does not define us
Not after God has found us
We come to share our stories we come to break bread
We share a meal and a tale or two
A gift for me and a gift for you
Every story is specially unique
Each one touches people for different reasons
They are not bound by race or religion or language or place
Stories help us remember as well
The people and times in our lives
Even after death stories still survive
We pour out our heart we bare our soul
All we have and all we are blessed and broken
Given for all: love freely spoken
The words we write not only for our benefit
The stories told so we might not forget
Your story is dynamic growing and changing

The same blood that flows in you
Flows in me too
The same song that stirs and shifts
Stirs my soul and bears gifts
The same melody that rises like perfume
Permeates the air in every room
The same sweet notes that ring out so clear
Have power to move me even to tears
The same heart that beats so steady
Keeps time with mine already
The same eyes, the same ears and nose
The more I think, the similarity grows
We are different, unique but so much the same
And, over time, it becomes quite plain