Poetry of Christian Faith

41, 5-1, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS, updated 1/24/2022, pm (Scheduled 1/28/2022 )

Today’s poems are all unpublished.  They were, however, posted on the God Still Rhymes Facebook page.  I have a few files saved of unpublished poems. These are random poems from the PROPOSED Rest Poems 5-28-18 until . . . file.  They are in no particular order.  I just randomly looked at poems and these are the ones I chose.

Discussion:

June 11, 2018

Another poem written while resting.  Not for any future book, just for me, and maybe you the reader.

THE BOY AND THE MAN (and the writer.)

I. The Beginning of Thoughts and Words

I apologize for yesterday.

I really had nothing to say;

A word here, a thought there,

A lot of nothing everywhere.

Chilled to the bone,

Stuck to the chair,

The pencil kept moving,

The page was filled.

Not even a story for tomorrow,

Nothing to give, nothing to borrow,

An exercise not lifting the weight

As in the lifeless fog I wait.

II. The Words That Followed

I once knew a boy

Who had a favorite toy.

It was his pride and joy.

But now may be a memory.

He had a favorite song

To which others sang along,

Moving forward and onward,

Singing the music, the words.

I see that boy most every day.

The toy is gone, so is the song.

Age has stolen for far too long

His ability to know what to say.

He counts every word

Remembering the long lost song,

Hoping that what he has heard

Will make him again strong.

The toy at some time lost.

That loss has a cost,

The tears and the fears

Of forgetting past years.

3. Hope

Once in awhile

As he walks a mile

He remembers a name,

Once and always the same.

As he walks,

As he talks,

The voice of the Spirit,

Listening, he hears it.

His daily salvation,

The constant revelation

Giving him peace in his walk

Through the voice that does talk.

Giving him peace of mind

As memories he does not find.

So looking ahead he takes the hand,

The hand of his Savior so he can stand.

With peace and joy,

Just ask that boy,

He has known God’s Son,

Not worrying over what is done.

4. There Is No Ending

Once we know God,

Once we know Jesus,

He never forgets us.

Never, not ever.

6/10/18, tcarter

Discussion:

January 19, 2019

This is the result of an overdose of news.  There is man’s news and there is the Good News that gives us hope.

WILL YESTERDAY AND TODAY BECOME TOMORROW?

I am beginning to wonder

Where we have gone asunder.

All around us is thunder

As lightning abounds

With so m any sounds,

Like ships run aground

Looking for lifeboats

To keep us afloat.

There are those who shout

As they run about.

Time is running out.

Who do we follow?

Words that are hollow,

Words that divide

And sometimes deride

The thoughts of others,

Our sisters and brothers.

I look around,

We are not alone

Living at home.

There is a tone

Everywhere,

Lack of care

In how we speak,

Of what we seek.

To every argument there are two sides,

The right side and the wrong.

But now too often neither side

Is right as they sing their song

With unrighteous rejoicing

In the words they are voicing.

“Hatred stirs up conflict,

but love covers all wrong.”

Proverbs 10:12 NIV

Before we decide

Which path to take

Time we must make

To seek out the right,

To seek the light.

If we look to One

Before we are done

Our answers will justify

To what we testify.

We will understand

Where we should stand.

If we take His hand,

We will no longer demand

That our words be heard,

But rather God’s word.

Let our hope rest in Him

To lead us from sin

Of our pride

That divides.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding:

In all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

1/19/18, tcarter

Discussion:

June 21/22, 2019

The last few weeks I have been thinking of the life of a poet. It is satisfying, gratifying and mystifying. Thoughts become constant rhymes of the times ,the crimes one commits and admits have been done knowing there is One who understands yet commands that we love others, our sisters and brothers whether or not they live in accord with the love of our Lord. I know this will pass as I look through the window glass. I must continue to concede that it is the Lord who does lead me through times of good and bad, all that I have had, who delivers me from the strife and gives me the life He wants me to live so I may give to others as He has to me so they may see what He has done for us through His Son Jesus.

My life has become a run on sentence, one without end that I do gladly serve.

BEFORE THE DARK OF NIGHT

I have been spending time

Reminiscing about the rhyme

That I always find

Running through my mind.

It is a rhyme I have been given,

So as I write I have strived

To write this word

Others have heard.

It may be in a line

That is no longer mine,

As others awaken,

As others have taken.

It does settle in their spirit,

At times the moment they hear it,

Leading them to find

Peace beyond their mind.

Their life is changed,

Life rearranged

By the One who does atone

They are no longer alone.

Now knowing a birth,

Now knowing their worth

Living on this earth,

Now seeing His works.

The words I still write

Of now in God’s sight

Through the One who redeems us,

Living through God’s Son Jesus.

The Way, the Truth and the Light,

Through Jesus we see the father.

Now justified in His sight

Through Jesus we see even farther.

I heard a sound

Looking around

When I found

That all around

Love does abound!

6/21/19, tcarter

 Discussion:

January 7, 2019

A new way of saying what I have written before because it is always on my heart.  My life is more than better through the grace of God,  His love for me, The sacrifice His Son to cleanse me of my sin,once and for all.  I believe and I pray there are more to receive.

WITH HIM

The times of His rhymes

May vary as we carry

Our burdens alone

As if they were stone.

It is at these times

He will welcome us home

To bless us with His rhymes,

No longer alone.

Wandering and lost, at what cost?

Will our life end before He can mend

The brokenness in which we live?

No, He has so much more to give.

As the sun rises every day

His Son has saved us in every way,

More than we can understand,

But not more than we can withstand.

By the world demeaned,

By Jesus redeemed,

Forever blessed

In God’s rest.

Believe in Him

Who defeated sin.

May our life He uplift

As we accept His gift.

The gift of life everlasting,

The end of our fasting

From all that is good,

All we misunderstood.

Be healed, eternity sealed.

Find the way and with Him stay

For the days beyond forever.

He will leave you never.

ONCE WRITTEN

I have written the words before.

I will write the words once more.

Do not be deceived

By what others have received

The lies of deceit.

As they repeat

Words meaning nothing,

Words wanting something,

Leading others astray

So they will lose their way.

Following the ways of man,

Who never will, never can

Fulfill their hope

So they may cope

With the life they live,

Hope man can never give.

However,

Under the sun

There is One,

One of Three

Who sets us free.

1/2/19, tcarter

Discussion:

March 22, 2019, # ??

It was the end of day, the time before bed that this one came to me.  I find that some of  my favorite times are when the unexpected rhymes come to mind.  (The ??, I have to go back and look at the last poem with a number.  They are the a total of what I have written since the last book.)

PRAY THEN WALK

There is time each day,

The rhyme as  you pray,

Those times you need it,

The rhymes, His Spirit

That dwells inside.

As you hear it

You cannot hide.

At the rising sun

See the risen Son,

The answer to prayer.

He is always there.

As you have believed,

As you have received

The gift of God’s grace

You will see His face

In those  you meet

Along the street.

As you walk

Stop to talk

So they see His smile

As they walk their mile.

3/21/19, tcarter

Discussion:

Do we  have time for another?

One From Living In God’s Rhyme

Draw Me Closer

Dear Lord, draw me closer to you

In all I desire in all I do.

Lord, open my heart to your Holy Spirit,

Your spirit that dwells within me.

Lord, I do not want to knock on the door

So that you may open it for me,

I want the door to always be open.

I never want it to close.

Those moments when we share

My prayers and your answers

Are special moments I pray

Will never end, but continue

Throughout my day.

With the door open 

I allow you to lead me from temptation,

I allow myself to be in your presence,

 One with you, Abba, Father.

Abba, that relationship

I pray will never end.

Thank you, Father

For leading me to 

The way,

The truth

And the life 

With you 

Through your Son, Jesus.

Amen.

Closing Prayer

If you give

Him the times

As you live

His word rhymes

And don’t forget, “We are the Kings kids and you will never get rid of us for we are His with Jesus.”

Follow is on our website

www.livingingodsrhyme.com

You can buy Tim's books at the following websites

god rhyme tim carter | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Amazon.com : God's Rhyme Tim Carter

https://www.lettrapress.com

Please follow us on Facebook and Like us

(6) Tim Carter, God Still Rhymes | Facebook

Please follow us on Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSR3-0c9FfAZnblwJ2u0dA

You can hear us on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Pandora, Stitcher, IHeart radio, Tunedin Radio. and all the other podcast sites. 

Please subscribe to the podcast

Tell all your friends about us and have them tell thier friends,

Thank you for being here, we are blessed that you listened.

Tim and Dave

"If you give Him the times As you live His word rhymes "

"We are the King’s kids and you’ll never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus."

Living In God’s Rhyme ©2018 by Tim Carter

God Still Rhymes ©2019 by Tim Carter

God’s Rhyme ©2019 by Tim Carter

40, 4-10, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS, REVISED 1/17/2022(Scheduled 1/21/2022)

Today is Episode 10 of Season 4, our 40th podcast on Living In God’s Rhyme. 

Today we are going to read and discuss God’s rhymes from all 3 books.

I’ve said before there is a poem in everything, good or bad.  For me there is a rhyme in everything with God.

THE RHYME OF GOD, THE RHYME OF ME ( Living In God’s Rhyme, pg. 34)

There may be no rhymes

As in other times.

But it is not that the Lord

Has struck a lost chord.

(if he did it would be sung

as every church bell was rung)

His rhyme is his word,

The scriptures we read

Through which he plants the seed,

With hope that we have heard.

It is through his grace

That we see his face

In those we meet

And those we greet.

If we believe,

In us lives his rhyme

Forever in time.

He will not deceive.

Then I decided to write

About something right,

But got it wrong

Because it was me,

Me, just me, alone.

I can wander in this world,

Oblivious to all that is good.

I can try by myself

To lift myself up,

Up above the 

Hustle without

The bustle,

And fail 

Because the bustle

Of this world

Is the hustle

That tells me

All I see

Is all I need.

Then I awake from what I hope was a dream,

Hoping that all is not what it seemed.

I look in the mirror and see

The reflection of what I used to be.

What I used to be before

My Savior redeemed me,

Made me righteous in his eyes,

The eyes of his Father in Heaven above.

Every moment of every day I felt his love.

A love for me and those who surround

My life, who have oft times run aground.

I pray that what I dream

Is never real.

I pray that what may seem

Somewhat surreal

Is nothing more than a bad dream

From a bad movie scene.

As I live I pray that temptation

I turn over to my Savior

Who has conquered my sin

No matter where I’ve been.

When I turn my back

I lose my sight

Of what is wrong

And who is right.

May I focus my eyes,

The eyes of my soul,

So that to my sin I die.

He has mended the hole.

Reflection on The Rhyme of God, the Rhyme of Me

Someone once asked me at a book signing where the name God’s Rhyme came from for the first book. From Him I said, He is the Rhyme. Later I realized that I also had a poem in the book with that title. What a memory!

Discussion:

The next one, from God’s Rhyme, is the first time God and rhyme are both in the title of a poem.  (We’ve read this one on an earlier podcast.)

GOD’S RHYME  (last stanza) (God’s Rhyme, pg. 86)

I’ve seen God

how odd He seems

in faces I meet

as life races by

I pick up my feet

from the burning street

& see a smile

from a simple child

picking a wild flower

an hour is not measured by minutes

for a while is time

& the simple oddity in life

Is God’s rhyme

Discussion:

HIS BLESSINGS RHYME  (God’s Rhyme, pg. 88)

My hopes, my needs, the cure for my ills  

All in God’s time                                          

By prayer and faith my needs He fulfills    

His blessings rhyme                                    

Day by day and night time too                   

It seems the hours though many               

Are more times than not too few                  

As I’m earning that penny                          

How many times can I say         

As ev’ry day passes by

If I could only now pray

Do I ever question why

My hopes, my needs, the cure for my ills

All in God’s time

By prayer and faith my needs He fulfills

His blessings rhyme

I must make the time each day

Although I may wonder how

To be more thankful, to pray

But the time, it must be now

He answers when I need Him

My spirit He can raise

When my prayer is like a hymn

Said like a song of praise

My hopes, my needs, the cure for my ills

All in God’s time

By prayer and faith my needs He fulfills

His blessings rhyme

I can pray when life’s gone wrong

If I pray when all is right

How much more blessed will the song

Be I can hear in His light

Through His Son’s death on the cross

He has saved my soul from sin

Thru prayer He saves me the loss

Of joy I will have with him

My hopes, my needs, the cure for my ills

All in God’s time

By prayer and faith my needs He fulfills

His blessings rhyme

These two poems were written in the late 1970’s.  They were part of a manuscript I submitted to a publisher titled The Jesus Poems.  It was accepted for publishing, but with Vanity Publishing I could not afford the cost with a young and growing family.  I firmly believe that God had a better plan.  Over the years I learned patience, well mostly over the last four or five years.

All in His timing; an important lesson I have learned.

Discussion:

What I have next is the Introduction to Living In God’s Rhyme.  I read this on a previous podcast also, but I think it is a good reminder, especially to myself, of the rhymes God has for all of us.

Poetry, why would one read poetry?  Maybe this will help.  At a book signing for “God’s Rhyme” I had a discussion with a filmmaker from Canada (yes, Canada is across the river from Port Huron) about the first sentence on the back cover of the book, “Life is a continuous poem.”  He did not understand that.  I guess for him life was seen through the view of a camera lens.  So for him life is a continuous movie.   For me there is a poem in a weed, in a child, a storm, joy, sorrow and especially in the goodness of God, in the joy of our salvation, in the sorrow that lead to our salvation.  I’m not sure that everything we experience about God can be seen through our eyes.  I do know that all that God has for us can be seen through our hearts and it is in our hearts that poetry is born, where it is seen, where it lives and thrives.  So why poetry, because it is how I see who I am through the great I AM.  Poetry is a series of short chapters that allows the reader to follow the poet’s journey with, let’s face it, fewer words.

Let’s close with this:

WORDS OF LOVE REFLECTED FROM ABOVE

As I write tonight

Under the fading light

I have still in sight

The memories of my day.

It didn’t always go my way

So I stopped often to pray.

Without prayer

What is there

If one cannot share

In one’s daily living

What God is giving

And also forgiving? (seems odd place for a ?, but it is a continuous thought)

I will forever long

Sing a mighty song

So in God I am strong.

It is God I praise

For the life He did raise

As I live out my days

(1/12/2022, tcarter)

Dave asks for another poem. 

His choice while flipping through God Still Rhymes.

MORE (pg. 55)

I want more

as I lay on the floor,

when I open the door

and am filled to the core,

more than I can store

in the tattered life I wore.

When I heard your word,

beyond the door I saw

Heaven above ,

your infinite love.

By your death forgiving

the rejection I was living,

by your grace

I will finish the race.

I want more of you

in all I that I do

that I may be lifted up

as I drink from your cup.

A couple more that are not in the books.  The first on continues with our theme today of God and Rhyme.

LIVING FOR GOD’S RHYME

How can this laughing man

Be still through all the ill

He faces in the day’s races?

Through prayer he finds God there

To lift him up, the gift

Of love from the One above,

God’s embrace in the day’s race.

Thus he strives to help the lives,

Plant the seeds for another’s needs.

Peace on earth.

It is worth

The time spent

To repent

From the sin

We live in.

Share God’s love.

Look above,

Past the sun

To God’s Son,

This Jesus

Who saves us.

1/13/2022, tcarter

ANOTHER BLESSING

I cannot do this

She threw a kiss

I could not miss

Living in bliss

I was blessed

Now I rest

I’ve confessed

Not repressed

Again she smiles

Walking the miles

And then beguiles

Me for awhile

There is a rhyme

And it is mine

All of the time

Life is just fine

So now I write

She is in sight

My shining light

The one who’s right

I live my life

Because my wife

Believes in me

More than I see

1/13/2022, tcarter

Closing Prayer

If you give

Him the times

As you live

His word rhymes

And don’t forget, “We are the Kings kids and you will never get rid of us for we are His with Jesus.”

The book that Tim and Dave are talking about is called,

"The Whole Story of the Bible in 16 Verses", by Chris Bruno

Dave bought it on Amazon.com

Follow is on our website

www.livingingodsrhyme.com

You can buy Tim's books at the following websites

god rhyme tim carter | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Amazon.com : God's Rhyme Tim Carter

https://www.lettrapress.com

Please follow us on Facebook and Like us

(6) Tim Carter, God Still Rhymes | Facebook

Please follow us on Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSR3-0c9FfAZnblwJ2u0dA

You can hear us on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Pandora, Stitcher, IHeart radio, Tunedin Radio. and all the other podcast sites. 

Please subscribe to the podcast

Tell all your friends about us and have them tell thier friends,

Thank you for being here, we are blessed that you listened.

Tim and Dave

"If you give Him the times As you live His word rhymes "

"We are the King’s kids and you’ll never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus."

Living In God’s Rhyme ©2018 by Tim Carter

God Still Rhymes ©2019 by Tim Carter

God’s Rhyme ©2019 by Tim Carter

39, 4-9, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS (Scheduled 1/14/2022)

Today we are going to read poems that I believe are about the Christian’s life today and tomorrow.  The first three are from God Still Rhymes)

AFTER READING HABAKKUK (God Still Rhymes, pg. 90)

God will punish those who oppose him,

Those who worship false idols as gods,

Gods of wood, silver and gold,

Those who oppress his holy people.

But at the same time the people of God

Will also suffer at the hands of their oppressors,

Those who do not believe that he is 

The God of Heaven above, the earth

And the universe around us,

The God who breathed life into the first man Adam.

It is by his breath we find our strength

Through his Holy Spirit.

Because we live among unbelievers

We will suffer their hate for us

And their hate for God Almighty.

Through this suffering we pray

And through our prayer we come closer to God.

He hears our petitions, our fears.

He knows our weaknesses.

Becoming closer to God, by seeking him out,

We know his will for us and can stand firm

In strength, his love for us.

Knowing that in the end

When the battle no longer rages

We will be with him for eternity,

Not in the burning flames of Hell.

Though living in an adulterous world,

A world that forsakes the one 

Whose image we were made in,

We do not reflect the failings of man.

We will grow in strength,

We will grow in faith,

We will grow in love.

We will not be the destruction of this world.

We will live to see the face of God 

And forever be with him

Because he is our God, 

The one and only God of the universe.

You may fight God, you may run from God,

But that path will lead you astray,

Lead you to where you may forever stay.

While there is time seek God, his ways are true.

Reflection on After Reading Habakkuk

Over a week or so I read the book of Habakkuk in the Old Testament.  I wanted to reread the Minor Prophets since I knew so little about them.  After my first reread I knew that I wanted to write about this book.  It seemed like something that continuously happened throughout history.  God’s chosen people defeated and suffering at the hands of worshipers of pagan idols.  And there is Habakkuk asking God why evil prospered.  Then God’s explanation and Habakkuk’s final prayer.  Today we need to pray for God’s strength as we face a world that wants to marginalize Christians and God. Though it may seem that evil prospers, our prosperity for eternity has been secured by our faith in Jesus, his death on the cross as payment for our sins, all by the grace of God.  

This may not be very poetic.  After my second reading of Habakkuk, I tried to get up from my desk, but couldn’t.  I knew why.  So I wrote down the words that were given to me.  That was all that mattered.  Yes, I have tried to put the words into poetic form.   

On an earlier podcast I read a prayer I was asked to submit for consideration of reading at church that came as a result of reading the Book of Habakkuk.  I’d like to read it again.

MY PRAYER

Dear Father in Heaven.  We come to You today in prayer praising You for Your just ways, your timing in the events of this world, your love for those who believe in Your Son, Jesus.  Your word in the Old Testament and the New Testament proclaim the ways of the world of yesterday and today.  We thank you for your word of warning.  And with that warning we pray that our faith in You is strengthened as the world around us, nations and peoples, celebrate evil and heap hatred on your chosen ones.  Lord, we pray that as you have told us what to expect, that we will be in prayer for our fellow Christians around the world that are suffering persecution that may very well lead to death.  And we pray that we are not led astray by false prophets and false teachers who’s intent is to lead us away from the truth of You, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  Lord, lift us up above the horde and fill us with Your love, Your truth, Your protection so we  will not be defeated in spirit.  We pray that today, tomorrow, all Christians do not live in fear, but in the hope we have been given in the resurrection.  We know that You are the Creator of the universe and all that is good, and that Jesus in King of kings.  Fill us with your Holy Spirit as we live in the hope You have given us.  We pray in the name of our Savior, Your Son, Jesus.  Amen.

Discussion:

BORN THEN SCORNED (pg. 85)

Into this life you were born

So that you might be scorned.

Never seeing your worth

While on this earth,

Though seeing the torn veil,

Not knowing that you would prevail.

(John 11:45)

Jesus threatens the comfort of our lives

Just as he threatened the Pharisee’s lies.

For that he would die.

Did they, do we know why?

The Messiah, the Son of God,

For that and all he said

They wanted him dead.

The world hasn’t changed.

He who controls rules.

The law, did it have the clues?

Not for the ruling few

Who believed they knew.

But what did they know?

What seeds did they sow?

Leading the lost sheep astray,

Did they ever ask or pray?

Today,

What do we say?

Do we ever pray

That we not be

Led astray,

But find

The Way

The Truth,

And the Life?

Please pray that your life can be more than you see at the beginning of the day.

Pray that your life may be changed, priorities rearranged,

That all you say, that all you do, is not for you alone

But for others through him that does atone.

May God’s grace shine upon your face.

May the gift of salvation be your restoration.

May you be joyful in the Lord,

Believing through faith

That Christ alone is the Lord of your life.

Discussion:

SHELTER FROM THE STORM (pg, 83)

Who will give us shelter

as we suffer and swelter

from the impeding heat

of the city street?

Who will in our lives so torn

shelter us from the storm,

from the pouring rains,

from the winds of pain?

Some do not like

to consider God’s wrath

as out they strike

along their earthly path.

His word

on our path,

where it leads

do we heed,

heed his word, 

have we heard?

Do we care

as we stare

never knowing

what we are sowing?

Do we live among the herd,

do we ignore his word

looking for treasure

and earthly pleasure?

There are so many

who refuse to hear,

to look in the mirror.

Joy there isn’t any.

They do not know

the seeds they sow

will always grow

death in the weeds.

There are oncoming storm clouds

as the world shouts

not knowing the pain

of the oncoming rain,

Not knowing the wrath

because of their path,

not knowing,

having never heard.

Jesus has calmed the stormy seas,

has rescued those in fear and need.

And through his sacrifice for our sin

he calmed God’s wrath for those who believe.

Discussion:

The last poem is my hope for myself and all Christians as we live in this changing world.

DO NOT LET ME SIT ( Living In God’s Rhyme, pg. 147)

I sit with pen in hand because it is too hard to stand.

I sit in the chair looking up in the air.

I think that I know, but is it really so?

And I realize that for thoughts to materialize

Praying to you is what I must do.

Lord, I love you, I really do.

I do not wish, but hope instead

That I can pray and clear my head

So that today all I desire is you.

I am what I am, I do not like to hear,

For that to be true, I must abandon you.

I am what I am, that I greatly fear,

If that is so, then I have not been made anew.

My prayer, Lord, is that I let you be 

Who you are, so that what you see in me

Is more that I am alone, but all that I am with you.

It is only by your grace that with me you are not through.

And as I place my trust in you I see each line is longer

As my faith, my love, my hope in you, Lord, gets stronger.

Lord, with you I know there is no danger

That one day we may become strangers.

Lord,

Help me to pray every day,

To read your word and know what I have heard.

Help me to spread your good news to more than a few,

To more than those sitting in the pew not knowing what to do.

Lead me to those, the ones you chose

To hear of you and all that you have done.

May every day be the beginning 

Of showing others that winning

In life need not be full of stress,

Not when you, Lord, are here to bless. 

Thank you, Lord, that these words 

That rhyme have a reason.

That the thoughts that are written

Will always be in season.

For it is with you, Father, that our lives are full,

That when we care, it is you that we share.

Discussion:

Closing Prayer

If you give

Him the times

As you live

His word rhymes

And don’t forget, “We are the Kings kids and you will never get rid of us for we are His with Jesus.”

Follow is on our website

www.livingingodsrhyme.com

You can buy Tim's books at the following websites

god rhyme tim carter | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Amazon.com : God's Rhyme Tim Carter

https://www.lettrapress.com

Please follow us on Facebook and Like us

(6) Tim Carter, God Still Rhymes | Facebook

Please follow us on Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSR3-0c9FfAZnblwJ2u0dA

You can hear us on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Pandora, Stitcher, IHeart radio, Tunedin Radio. and all the other podcast sites. 

Please subscribe to the podcast

Tell all your friends about us and have them tell thier friends,

Thank you for being here, we are blessed that you listened.

Tim and Dave

"If you give Him the times As you live His word rhymes "

"We are the King’s kids and you’ll never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus."

Living In God’s Rhyme ©2018 by Tim Carter

God Still Rhymes ©2019 by Tim Carter

38, 4-8, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS, GWEN ALLEN PART 2 (Scheduled 1/3/2022)

The second half of our interview with Gwen Allen, whose drawings inspired a few poems in Living in God’s Rhyme.  The first half of the interview, if you missed it, is Season 4, Episode 3, Dec. 3, 2021.

Short Discussion of our impressions from the first half of the interview:

INTERVIEW:

Discussion on second half of interview:

Two poems inspired by Gwen’s drawings.  Both are from Living In God’s Rhyme.

THE REFLECTION (pg. 197)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

and beauty is what is beholden.

God saw the beauty of Mary,

a beauty of motherhood for his Son,

And he saw the beauty of his Son, 

in the sacrifice for those he loved.

That beauty God shares with the girl

as she walks through this world.

As she gazes at the reflection

she sees the love God has for her.

It is this love that she sees taking her hands

and guiding her through her life.

It is a love of trust,

something she must

receive and give

in the life she lives.

What reflection do you see

when looking in the mirror?   

A SOLDIER FOR THE LORD (pg. 191)

There is more than the battle to be won

There is more that we are here for.

If we are to follow God’s Son

We do not fight as if it’s a war.

No, our mission is to share his love.

If we love God, we are commanded to love others.

Maybe the battle rages within us.

If we are one with Jesus,

The battle has been won.

We are raised with his Son.

If God is in us, his love we must share.

Through our sharing we show we care,

Not just for others, but for the Father

Who loves us in spite of ourselves.

We must show the love in our heart,

Love that is for all to see.

As the sun rises our days start.

Is love what our day will be?

Love will overcome hate.

If we do not show His love,

What will be the fate

Of those we overlook?

A soldier, marching forward,

Sharing God’s loving word,

Showing his saving grace

To a stranger’s face.

If we are to stand, 

We must follow his command.

1 John 1:1 – 5:21

Closing Prayer

If you give

Him the times

As you live

His word rhymes

And don’t forget, “We are the Kings kids and you will never get rid of us for we are His with Jesus.”

Follow is on our website

www.livingingodsrhyme.com

You can buy Tim's books at the following websites

god rhyme tim carter | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Amazon.com : God's Rhyme Tim Carter

https://www.lettrapress.com

Please follow us on Facebook and Like us

(6) Tim Carter, God Still Rhymes | Facebook

Please follow us on Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSR3-0c9FfAZnblwJ2u0dA

You can hear us on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Pandora, Stitcher, IHeart radio, Tunedin Radio. and all the other podcast sites. 

Please subscribe to the podcast

Tell all your friends about us and have them tell thier friends,

Thank you for being here, we are blessed that you listened.

Tim and Dave

"If you give Him the times As you live His word rhymes "

"We are the King’s kids and you’ll never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus."

Living In God’s Rhyme ©2018 by Tim Carter

37, 4-7, SHOW  NOTES & COPYRIGHTS (Scheduled 12/31/2021)

Another year comes to the end.  Still there are those who need to mend.  Our hope is to send the message that will end their oft felt pain as this world rains down upon us.  Again we need Jesus as we look forward, may we be led forward on His path to avoid the world’s wrath.

We need ways of Jesus more than ever and less of the than the ways of the world forever.

As the year 2021 ends let us pray.

Today we have three poems from Living In God’s Rhyme.

CONCLUDING PRAYER (Living In God’s Rhyme, pg 213)

Dear Father in Heaven,

It is not just what you have done,

But what you do every day

Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Lord, I know that in prayer

The words need not rhyme.

You are the rhyme and in me

You have blessed me with your words.

I may not always know what to say,

But I know when I take time to pray

Your Holy Spirit living within me will lead the way

So that through my prayer I will not be led astray.

I thank you Father for my salvation

I thank you for loving me so much

That you sent your Son to die for my sins.

For that I do not know what to say,  . . .  I love you.

You have taken this wretch of a man

And lifted him up so he may see

All that in you, he can be.

I pray that your presence will never leave.

No, it is not you who will leave.

I pray that it is not me.

Dear Lord, I pray that your word,

The rhymes you have for us,

Will shake this world with your love

So that one day we will all not just see,

But be in Heaven above.

Save us from ourselves.

Take us off the shelves

Where we collect only dust.

Through your Son, Jesus,

I pray that all believe

And receive your grace.

Amen and Amen

Discussion:

PRAY ALWAYS (Living In God’s Rhyme, pg. 170)

I started my day with a prayer

Knowing that I would also receive.

I know that I must always pray for others,

Pray for the needs of my sisters and brothers.

Through my daily prayer I have found

Prayer can be ever mending.

With the many needs that abound

Prayer we should be never ending.

As my thoughts will wander

And my heart does ponder

My first prayer is to Heaven above 

That my prayer will reflect his love.

God knows our needs.

Through prayer he feeds

Those in need

As we heed.

We are commanded to pray,

To pray, pray without ceasing.

Asking the Holy Spirit for the words to say

We can experience God’s power releasing.

No, we do not release God’s power.

But through our prayer we do not cower

As we feel the spirit within us,

The compassion that comes from Jesus.

While praying I know that God is with me

As I go through my day, in all I see.

As I prayed for the needs of another

He has blessed me along with the others.

I am in the presence of God

And as he listens I do too.

As I pray I am blessed by God

As all who pray will be too.

Everyone needs a prayer.

Everyone needs to pray.

Reflection on Pray Aways:

Again this is not what I thought I would be writing today.  It was two nights before this would be posted, Labor Day evening.  It wasn’t a busy day but it wasn’t a wasted day either.  I was trying to think about what to write and came up with a couple of ideas.  I even had the title to the poem typed on the page.  After a minute of so of looking at the titles of the other poems I had written for the book, this poem was written.  Again, I asked for help and guidance and got it.  Prayer is always there.

Discussion:

ONE THOUGHT BECAME ANOTHER (Living In God’s Rhyme, Pg. 75)

He who spoke creation into existence 

By his word was one with God. 

Watching God’s creation from Heaven

As man strayed he answered God’s call.

Born into his creation he became man.

As one of us he did live

That he might show the way.

To those he loves, his live he did give.

From the beginning he was a blessing

To all of creation, especially man.

Before the beginning, beyond the end

In Jesus we have found more than a friend.

We have found a Savior

Who overcomes our behavior.

This man Jesus as God,

By his life he has saved us.

So we give thanks and praise 

For the live God did raise

For the lives Jesus did save

Through the life he gave.

We now have the hope beyond our lives

That it is by God’s saving grace we do strive

To honor and praise the Almighty God

And the Savior Son he does love.

Knowing what lies ahead,

Turning from sin to God instead,

Just as Paul did running toward the goal,

So must I with all my heart, all my soul.

An After Thought (from before)

Amazing Grace, I have been found,

When you spoke, I heard the sound.

Now blessings are all around

And your love knows no bounds.

Through grace

You spoke

The blessings

Of your love

Reflection on One Thought Became Another

As I have written before, when I pray for not just direction, but the words, poems do not go where I thought they would. I had the last two lines of this poem come to me at work. On the drive home I thought about writing stanzas of praise and thanks to God. I was going to call it Random Thanks and Praise. I just thought I hadn’t written enough praise and thanks into my poems lately. The title of today’s poem should tell you what happened.

Discussion:

Closing Prayer

If you give

Him the times

As you live

His word rhymes

And don’t forget, “We are the Kings kids and you will never get rid of us for we are His with Jesus.”

Living In God’s Rhyme ©2018 by Tim Carter

Follow is on our website

www.livingingodsrhyme.com

You can buy Tim's books at the following websites

god rhyme tim carter | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Amazon.com : God's Rhyme Tim Carter

https://www.lettrapress.com

Please follow us on Facebook and Like us

(6) Tim Carter, God Still Rhymes | Facebook

Please follow us on Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSR3-0c9FfAZnblwJ2u0dA

You can hear us on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Pandora, Stitcher, IHeart radio, Tunedin Radio. and all the other podcast sites. 

Please subscribe to the podcast

Tell all your friends about us and have them tell thier friends,

Thank you for being here, we are blessed that you listened.

Tim and Dave

"If you give Him the times As you live His word rhymes "

"We are the King’s kids and you’ll never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus."

36, 4-6, PODCAST NOTES & COPYRIGHTS

Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of the Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus the Christ.

Today we are going to read three Christmas poems that were grouped together in God’s Rhyme as The Christmas Progression.  It seemed fitting to me as I wrote the last poem for the book in December.  

THE CHRISTMAS PROGRESSION, (© 2019, God’s Rhyme, pg. 135)

THE WONDER OF CHRSTMAS (GOD'S GIFT)

Oh let us sing today

Filling our hearts with joy

The Prince of Peace has come

With the birth of this baby boy

For to us a child is born

To us a Son is given

And His name will be called

Wonderful Counselor

Mighty God

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace

Sing with a joyful noise

So those around can hear

As our hearts now rejoice

In our Almighty God today

Father everlasting

In the birth of Your Son

We find the true reason

We do celebrate this season

Wonderful Counselor

The Messiah from birth

God’s gift to us on earth

May we return His love with joy

For to us a child is born

To us a Son is given

And His name will be called

Wonderful Counselor

Mighty God

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace

                      12/84

THE FIRST GIFT  

Another year again gone by, 

Another year older.

We are now near the lullaby,

Are we any bolder?

The manger

The birth

The star

And strangers

Have we met that baby boy child

So glorious and mild?

Is He more than a memory,

A nice Christmas story?

An everlasting gift of God’s

In the birth of His Son.

A miracle that seems at odds

To the world, this one.

With His birth

His death

And resurrection

Our sins

Forgiven

And now it is Christmas again.

His gift, open the door

And you just have to let Him in

And unwrap salvation.

ONE CHRISTMAS DAYS  

" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word

was with God and the Word was God.  He was 

in the beginning with God."  John 1:1,2,  NKJV

Before the Christmas carols we did sing,

forever before a single church bell did ring,

before we could shout to the world with joy,

was the Word, God's baby boy.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among

us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the 

only begotten Son of the Father."  John 1:14, NIV

The Word was born in the flesh, as is man,

dwelling among us, as only God can,

from creator to sacrificial blessing,

born of a woman to cure our distressing.

What would this world be like without His birth,

amid the chaos what would life be worth?

In His saving grace, if we believe,

our sins, our sorrows, He does relieve.

God loved us before we loved Him.

His love is there for each of us,

today, tomorrow and yesterday,

manifest through the God man, Jesus.

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take

to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived

in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she will bring

forth a Son, and you shall call his name JESUS,

for He will save His people from their sins." 

Matthew 1:20,21, NKJV

We have read His word,

we have heard the story,

songs of joy we have stirred

proclaiming His glory.

Given freely, a gift of freedom

from a world so full of hate and greed,

no longer living in life's serfdom,

now thru His Son we have all we need.

We can sing songs from the mountains high,

we can celebrate His birth on this day,

we can shout joyfully knowing why,

we can speak of Him, knowing what to say.

yes, tis a happy season

an angel, Gabriel

a stable, no room at the inn

shepherds worshiping the Good Shepherd

a star in the sky for three wise men

all, then and now, knowing

joyfully believing

God's gift, His only Son

So on this Christmas day let us pray,

may the songs of the season we are singing

be louder than the church bells ringing.

May our joy prevail past the end of days.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His

only begotten Son, that whoever believes in 

Him shall not perish, but have life everlasting."

John 3:16, NKJV

Merry Christmas to all

and to all a good life.

Thank you , Lord.

Happy birthday,     

Jesus.

Reflection:

My view of Christmas over the years.   We sent The Wonder of Christmas out as a Christmas Card.  The First Gift languished in the computer.  One Christmas Days is a continuation of my view of what we/I need to remember during the Christmas season.

We sent this to a few friends and co-workers (a big leap of faith for me)

Discussion:  We wish you all, your family and friends a very blessed Christmas Day as we celebrate the birth of our salvation, Jesus.  

If you give

Him the times

As you live 

His word rhymes

And don’t forget:  We are the King’s kids and you will never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus.

Merry Christmas everyone and God bless you and  yours.

Follow is on our website

www.livingingodsrhyme.com

You can buy Tim's books at the following websites

god rhyme tim carter | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Amazon.com : God's Rhyme Tim Carter

https://www.lettrapress.com

Please follow us on Facebook and Like us

(6) Tim Carter, God Still Rhymes | Facebook

Please follow us on Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSR3-0c9FfAZnblwJ2u0dA

You can hear us on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Pandora, Stitcher, IHeart radio, Tunedin Radio. and all the other podcast sites. 

Please subscribe to the podcast

Tell all your friends about us and have them tell thier friends,

Thank you for being here, we are blessed that you listened.

Tim and Dave

"If you give Him the times As you live His word rhymes "

"We are the King’s kids and you’ll never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus."

35, 4-5, SHOW NOTES & COPYRIGHTS

Today we are going to read about one man’s life leading up to Christmas.   We have 5 poems that I am aware of at the beginning of the podcast.  We’ll have to wait to see if some more pop up before we end.

But before we start, I’d like to say that in the last week I have found the telling of the journey of the 3 wise men very intriguing.  Read Matthew, Chapter 2.

Our first poem is from God Still Rhymes, © 2019, pg. 78.

I decided to start with this one because it describes me too often which made me think that this is me away from the Christmas season.  

ONE OF THOSE DAYS

So today I closed my mind

Left it all behind

For no one to find

As if I were blind

Didn’t think I was that kind

To be caught in a bind

Stepping off the line

I thought it was mine

Issued a fine

Not seeing the sign

The walk on the trail

A major fail

Couldn’t make bail

Couldn’t send any mail

Lost my train

Of thought that is

Out of the rain

Took a quiz

My oh my

I wonder why

The rhyme

Skipped this time

It’ll be night time soon

Long past the hour of noon

A hopeful night

To overcome the fight

When all is said and done

A prayer said to the Son

(Just because it rhymes

doesn’t mean I want it to be mine.)  

As I reflect on this I realize/understand that I need to be in the Christmas season all year long.

Discussion:

The next three poems are from God’s Rhyme, © 2019.  They were written during the late 1970s and were part of the Jesus Poems manuscript.  They reflect the joy I had found in Jesus, which is what we celebrate now.

MY FRIEND JESUS, pg. 5

Take my hand 

as we walk this land,

feel the sand

as time drifts away,

hear what I say,

just be what you may

with my friend Jesus.

A little boy, a baby girl;

sometimes the days

like a waterfall swirl

until I feel the sun’s rays

& I know it’s the Son, 

Who, tho blinded to some,

is Who I will follow.

A walk thru a field

& I find I must yield,

give of myself, die to my wants.

I opened the door

& found Him waiting there,

wanting no more

than that breath of fresh air.

I found the way.

As people had said,

it’s not what you say

or the thoughts in your head.

It’s not just the grace of an evening meal.

It’s something you always feel,

something that starts deep in you heart.

Take my hand

& walk with me;

There is so much to be.

Together we can stand,

not just the two of us,

because we are three

with our friend Jesus.

 Discussion:

FOR YOU TWO, pg. 7

Thank you Jesus for loving me,

            for being able to see

            that I am more

            than I think I can be.

When the world

            seems to swirl around

            & sounds are blurred,

somehow your love is heard.

You’ve given me a life;

            a loving wife,

            the sweet joys of a baby girl

            & a little boy.

I have been blessed.

I just need to take time

            to look between the stress

            of a world that wants what is mine.

I know I don’t often tell You,

I’m so often overdue

            in remembering it’s not just the words,

            but more the actions that are heard.

With You tho, I have a new start

            In seeing thru the lies,

            for it’s not just with my eyes,

            but now I see with my heart.

Thank you Jesus

            when I think of us.

For if it’s Your life we’re living,

            we have so many thanks to be giving.

 Discussion:

I BELIEVE IN JESUS, pg 9

I believe in Jesus

His body & blood shed

that I might live.

I believe in Jesus

knowing what lies ahead

for me in life

He died 

for the times

my eyes

failed

to see Him

in my neighbor

as my Savior

I believe in Jesus

His life, His word

are Truth forever

Yes, I believe in Jesus

and how He served

that I might too.

Discussion:

This last poem is from God Still Rhymes.  

THE EVERLASTING CHRISTMAS, pg. 123

What is it that we want,

That is for Christmas?

What is it that God wants,

That is for us?

To open the gift he has given us,

An expression of his love

As he looks down from above.

Through his grace this Christmas day

And every one before,

And those yet to come,

He has given us a present,

To live forever in his presence.

To live with eternal joy

Unwrap the gift of his son Jesus.

It’s not just this Christmas day

Or those of yesterday,

It is that every day can be

A Christmas day.

Today or tomorrow the gift is there

To become one of God’s heirs.

And so every day of the week

It is you and me he does seek.

If you have opened his gift, shout.

It isn’t just you this is about.

Sharing his gift is the most loving thing

We can do, so let your love sing.

We care for others because God so loves us.

He shows us his love through the life,

The life born as man, loving as God, 

His gift of grace, his son Jesus.

Share the grace of his saving embrace

That love may be reborn this Christmas day.

(and every day)     

Wishing you a most joyful Christmas 

as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Reflection on The Everlasting Christmas

This was our 2016 Christmas card.  The cards from 2015, 2014 and one from many years before

are in “God’s Rhyme” as The Christmas Progression.

Discussion:

Closing Prayer

If you  give 

Him the times

As you live

His word rhymes

And as always, “We are the King’s kids and you will never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus.

Follow is on our website

www.livingingodsrhyme.com

You can buy Tim's books at the following websites

god rhyme tim carter | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Amazon.com : God's Rhyme Tim Carter

https://www.lettrapress.com

Please follow us on Facebook and Like us

(6) Tim Carter, God Still Rhymes | Facebook

Please follow us on Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSR3-0c9FfAZnblwJ2u0dA

You can hear us on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Pandora, Stitcher, IHeart radio, Tunedin Radio. and all the other podcast sites. 

Please subscribe to the podcast

Tell all your friends about us and have them tell thier friends,

Thank you for being here, we are blessed that you listened.

Tim and Dave

"If you give Him the times As you live His word rhymes "

"We are the King’s kids and you’ll never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus."

God Bless you all.

34, 4-4, SHOW NOTES & COPYRIGHTS (planned 12/10/21)

UPDATED 12/6/21

Poems leading up to Christmas

THERE IS ONLY ONE RHYME THAT WILL LAST BEYOND TIME  Living In God’s Rhyme, pg.93,   ©2018

From the beginning and until the end we 

Have rebelled against our most Holy Father.

We have committed adultery with gods of wood

Thinking that for us they could provide good.

Prophets of Old Testament times have spoken

Of your anger at a people whose lives were broken,

Broken because their bond with you was torn

Long before so many were ever born.

John of the New Testament describes his revelation

Of the future of this world, of the end of nations.

We who are living in the grace of a new covenant

Have brought disgrace to the grace of his Providence.

What are we to do amid this turmoil

As the Heavens cry and our hearts boil?

How do we avoid God’s anger, his wrath

As we continue down our destructive path?

Read his word, the scriptures both old and new.

Read his word, believe in his word and have life anew.

Though angry his love turned to blood,

His blood, that of his Son, that of his love.

If you believe in the God of the Bible,

You must believe his every word,

What he has done and what he will

Because of what we have done and will.

His ways are not our ways

And our ways are not his.

Be thankful that he loves us

More than we can ever love him.

He wanted us to be with him forever

So he sent his son to be the sacrifice,

To pay the price for the sins of many,

So that in his sight we are made right.

Read, believe, be baptized and spread his word.

Open your hearts to him so your soul may be saved,

That you may face eternity, not with foreboding,

But that you may face it forever with joy.

We know the story of the past,

Pray that we do not make it last,

Pray that the die has not been cast,

That at this time you accept his grace.

Since his word spoke this world into existence,

Since that word paid the ransom for our resistance,

Since before we were conceived in the womb

He knew us and desired that we avoid the tomb.

It is in our hands, the decision to be in his hands.

Get up from your life and with God stand.

Stand with faith in the resurrection of his Son

And our resurrection from what we have done.

God loves us.

He wants us with him.

He died once

That we might live.

Jesus rose so that we who believe

May also rise with him as we receive

All.

Reflection on There Is Only One Rhyme That Will Last Beyond Time

Every time I read the Bible I hope that God has a new poem to write.  Sometimes it has been after reading only a few verses.  This time it was after reading Jeremiah 14-16.  I have been fascinated with end times prophecy for years.  I am now more fascinated with the Old Testament prophets.  I remember sitting with a small group in a 7 week session on Christ.  The question was asked, does God ever get angry.  Yes.  I am glad that He loves and forgives.  This poem is a continuation of the last poem in God’s Rhyme, Broken Hearted.  I wrote it on Dec. 30, 2014.  When I finished the poem, God said that the book was done.  I know now it was only the beginning.

WE WERE BORN IN BETHLEHEM,  God’s Rhyme, pg. 9, ©2019

We are the children of the Father of Abraham, 

children dispersed to all the nations     

We are the children of the Father of Moses 

who led his people from captivity    

We are the children of the Father spoken of

 in the books of the Old Testament     

We are the children of our fathers and 

mothers and generations that came before.

We are God’s children

Both Gentile and Jew

Through His death and resurrection

And the promise of God’s covenant

We are God’s children

We have been chosen

Whether it is by His saving grace

Or a promise to an ancient race

We are God’s children

His face on this earth

As the ancient scriptures did foretell

Covenants old and covenants new

We are God’s children

And so we must live

Praising Him with words ever so bold

Singing songs and hymns both new and old

We are the children of the Father of Abraham,

 children dispersed to all the nations     

We are the children of the Father of Moses 

who led his people from captivity    

We are the children of the Father spoken of 

in the books of the Old Testament     

We are the children of our fathers and

 mothers and generations that came before

next one written in late 1970s initially submitted in a manuscript, The Jesus Poems

BIRTHRIGHT,  God’s Rhyme, pg. 16,  ©2019

“And she brought forth her first born son,

and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,

and laid him in a manger; because 

there was no room for them in the inn.”     Luke 2:7, Amplified 

Our birthright to Heaven

            born in a manger;

no room in the inn

            among life’s strangers.

The new born King

            lay in the stable straw

while the Pharisees

            taught what they knew as law.

No room in men’s hearts

            for His teaching of love

and the spirit He possessed

            like that of a dove.

Rejected by most

            in His short human life;

had they only known

            He could rid them of strife.

No room in the inn

            when our Savior was born,

no room for Him now

            in this world that’s so torn.

Was it prophesy then

            in a confusing time

that hearts are still not open

            at the end of the line?

Are our lives so full

            as He seeks a room?

He’s at the door,

            please open it soon.

OUR BEGINNING OF FOREVER , God Still Rhymes, pg. 101  ©2019

The Christmas story

tells of God’s glory.

It is a story of a gift,

a story of his grace,

of his loving embrace.

The words

have been heard,

our hearts stirred

by a star

and shepherds,

the three kings

and a child’s birth,

who we are

through his words,

voices that sing

throughout the earth.

The Holiday Season

 leading to a holy day,

 we are the reason

 for the ransom he did pay.

The birth of our salvation

in this baby Jesus.

In a world of starvation,

believing, he feeds us.

Do we deserve joy,

the birth of this baby boy?

Yes, if we have believed

and have not been deceived.

Yes, through God’s grace 

we feel his embrace.

The Alpha and the Omega,

the beginning and the end,

Just as he was with God before time.

we can be with Jesus beyond the end.

Through his birth we can be born again.     

Through his death we are forgiven.

And through his resurrection

We are a new creation.

Wherever you are in your race

accept the gift of God’s grace.

         May God’s blessings be with   

         you this Christmas season.

         May your New Year be filled

         with God’s rhymes.

Reflection on The Beginning of Forever

This was our 2015 Christmas card.  Three previous years are in “God’s Rhyme” titled “The Christmas Progression.”

How about couple of unplanned poems . . . 

COMMUNION OF THE CHURCH, pg. 60, God Still Rhymes, ©2019

I saw him lurch.

Was he late

because he ate?

Maybe we’ll see

what will be

when set free,

free from this world,

free from ourselves.

So off we go 

to celebrate,

never late.

He is alive

so we do strive.

As members of his body

we must be fed

so we are led

to communion

with God’s community.

POEMS ABOUT  YOU, pg. 99, Living In God’s Rhyme, ©2018

I no longer have to write poems about you

you are my poetry

no more searching for rhymes

and worrying about the lines

in you I find

my words are to be spoken

the pen shant be broken

over any parchment

nor will the mind hinder the heart

as I have found

I no longer have to write

poems about you

you are all the poetry

that’s been pent up inside of me

you are my rhyme

For  my wife Mary Lou, a blessing from God.

Closing Prayer

If you give

Him the times

As you live

His word rhymes

And don’t forget:  We are the Kings kids and  you will never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus.

Follow is on our website

www.livingingodsrhyme.com

You can buy Tim's books at the following websites

god rhyme tim carter | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Amazon.com : God's Rhyme Tim Carter

https://www.lettrapress.com

Please follow us on Facebook and Like us

(6) Tim Carter, God Still Rhymes | Facebook

Please follow us on Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSR3-0c9FfAZnblwJ2u0dA

You can hear us on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Pandora, Stitcher, IHeart radio, Tunedin Radio. and all the other podcast sites. 

Please subscribe to the podcast

Tell all your friends about us and have them tell thier friends,

Thank you for being here, we are blessed that you listened.

Tim and Dave

"If you give Him the times As you live His word rhymes "

"We are the King’s kids and you’ll never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus."

God Bless, have a great week.

33, 4-3 SHOW NOTES & COPYRIGHTS, GWEN ALLEN INTERVIEW (12/3/2021)

 Revised 11/30/21                                                                                           

Today we are interviewing Gwen Allen.  Gwen is the young woman whose drawings inspired the poems in the last chapter of Living in God’s Rhyme.

PRE-INTERVIEW DSCUSSION

INTERVIEW

Poem read during interview (Living In God’s Rhyme, pg. 197, ©2018 by Tim Carter)

POST-INTERVIEW DISCUSSION

Here are a couple of more poems inspired by Gwen’s drawings.

PROTECTED FOREVER AND EVER, pg. 199

The rain falls from the sky.

Some days we wonder why

No matter how we try

We cannot help but cry.

Yes, the world rains down

With trials and tribulations,

As we are thinking we may drown

In the sorrows of temptation.

Let us not worry and fret.

A prayer has been said,

The way He has led,

The path He has set.

Before the cross came a prayer.

“While I have been with them,

I protected them and kept the safe

by that name you gave me.”  (John 17:12, NIV)\

Then He died for our sins

Knowing we would stray.

The rain would pour down,

Our faith washed away.

Even in those moments, if we do believe,

Because of His love we need never grieve.

Through His death and resurrection

We have eternal His protection.

Yes, even those moments

We lose sight of our faith’s face,

By the words of our faith 

We are saved by God’s grace.

Believe,

Accept,

Profess

Jesus, the King whose reign

Protects us in our weakness.

Our faith may fail,

But He never will.

WHICH EVER WAY THE WIND WILL BLOW, pg. 207

A storm, a boat, the disciples with Jesus . . . 

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,

“Quiet!  Be Still!”  Then the wind died down

And it was completely calm. (Mark 4:39. NIV)

When there is a gentle breeze

Then we find a life of ease,

But when the wind will blow

Does our spirit sink low?

It is at those times

When facing life’s storms,

With the wind at our face

As we run our life’s race,

We feel tattered and torn,

We lose track of His rhyme.

It in these times of trial

We must remember our faith.

When the acrid taste of bile

Rises we must remember our place.

God is on our side,

So we never need to hide.

We have His gentle breath

On which we can rest.

The Holy Spirit moves 

As a gentle breeze,

Calming the winds,

Restoring our faith.

It is the breath of God,

It is His Word at creation

That calms the storms

Yesterday,

Today and

Tomorrow.

We just have to believe.

Ask, pray and we shall receive.

With God we can weather the storm.

Follow is on our website

www.livingingodsrhyme.com

You can buy Tim's books at the following websites

god rhyme tim carter | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Amazon.com : God's Rhyme Tim Carter

https://www.lettrapress.com

Please follow us on Facebook and Like us

(6) Tim Carter, God Still Rhymes | Facebook

Please follow us on Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSR3-0c9FfAZnblwJ2u0dA

You can hear us on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Pandora, Stitcher, IHeart radio, Tunedin Radio. and all the other podcast sites. 

Please subscribe to the podcast

Tell all your friends about us and have them tell thier friends,

Thank you for being here, we are blessed that you listened.

Tim and Dave

"If you give Him the times As you live His word rhymes "

"We are the King’s kids and you’ll never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus."

If you give

Him the times

As you live

His word rhymes

And don’t forget, we are the Kings kids and you will never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus.

God Bless and have a good week.

32, 4-2 SHOW NOTES & COPYRIGHTS (planned date 11/27/2021)

UPDATED 11/22/2021

Today we are going to talk about the ACTS method of prayer.  In September, at the church I attend, we started reading ACTS prayers.  After a few weeks members of the church were asked to write a prayer to be read during the Sunday service.   I was asked to read one at the end of October.  We’ll get to that in a bit.

What is an ACTS prayer?

A is for adoration; prayers of praise for God and who He is and what He does.

C is for Confession; prayers as we remember we are fallen creatures in need of confessing our sins to       God, our Father.

T is for  Thanksgiving; prayers thanking God for all He has done in our lives, what He is doing now and                                              what he will do for us and others.     

S is for Supplication; prayers asking God to meet our needs and the needs of others.  

You can look on line and get more detailed descriptions of the four prayer types in an ACTS Prayer.

The ACTS prayer follows the method Jesus used when the disciples asked Him how they should pray.  We know it as the Lord’s Prayer and may very well recite this prayer during our Sunday church services.

Let’s say it together.

9 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  11 Give us this day our daily bread.  12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   (NKJ)

The ACTS prayer I wrote and read at church.  I have to acknowledge that I did have some editing and word changes the were suggested by the person who asked me to write the prayer.  I used all of them.  Thank you Tami.

ACTS Prayer, 10/31/2021

Heavenly Father, we come before you today as your humble servants. You alone are the one true God, the God of creation who set the sun, moon, and stars in place for our good. You created us in your own image and breathed into Adam the breath of life. And as we’ve strayed from your ways you’ve shown patience, forgiveness and grace. You are truth, you are forgiving and your love is beyond understanding, especially the sacrifice you made in your Son, Jesus. We are blessed and we praise you for being the one constant in our lives.

Dear Father, we humbly ask for forgiveness as we confess our sins to you, those we are aware of and those we aren’t. We have sinned against you and against our brothers and sisters. We’ve neglected to help those in need whose paths we’ve crossed. We’ve focused on ourselves when our focus should have been on you. We’ve been influenced by the sinful ways of the world.

Dear Father, we thank you for forgiving our sins through the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus. We thank you for the life he lived among us, showing us how to live with those around us. 

We thank you, Jesus, for your obedience to the Father and that your prayer was always, “Not my will, Father, but your will be done”. Thank you for taking us into your embrace and saving us for all eternity. 

Thank you, Father, for who you are and always will be.

Father, we pray for the Cornerstone Church and all the churches in the Blue Water area. May we remain faithful to your Word, to your commandments through Jesus Christ. Might we all be in accord with one another working together to help those in need.

We pray for our nation in this time of turmoil. Please lead our government leaders to the right decisions 

We pray that we as a people and a government would live in a loving manner in order to resolve the problems that have been created with immigration, and with our affairs in the world as a whole. We ask that families would be the ones to teach right and wrong.

And we pray for those who are in need of healing, whether it be physical, emotional, spiritual, or addictions.

And Lord, as you are faithful to forgive our sins, we ask that we would all experience your mercy and grace in the coming week.

We offer our prayer in the mighty name of your Son and our Savior Redeemer, Jesus, Amen

In the books I have written about prayer, but not in the ACTS way of praying.  I have tried in my prayer life to include the four letters of A, C, T, S in my daily prayer.  I find it . . . perhaps . . . or maybe more prayerful or better yet, following the words of Jesus.   First a confession: I have not always prayed this way.  It has taken awhile.

This poem is from Living In God’s Rhyme © 2017 (pg. 182)

THE WONDER OF GOD’S WAY

God’s love is shown and Jesus is known

As the words of King David are heard

Many years after and many years before,

After the creation and before the resurrection.

In times of grace and in time of waste

God’s love for us never falters, never fails.

His is a love we may never understand,

While on this earth we are merely man.

David writes:

the LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger; abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

 he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

(Psalm 103:7-12)

How can we on this earth understand this love?

We live our lives struggling for love 

While we struggle at times to give our love.

We shake our neighbor’s hands with winter gloves.

If we have fear for the Lord, the awe and respect he deserves,

We have opened the door to our hearts to receive his grace,

If we truly believe and accept this and are not reserved

In our faith, he is faithful to forgive and remember never.

Be thankful that as Isaiah writes of God,

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways.”

declares the LORD .

As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

(Isaiah 55:8,9)

Live in awe filled wonder and his voice will not thunder

Because of who he is, as we live, he forgives.

By faith through his grace, we have the gift to forever live

Through the death of his Son, who took upon himself our sin.

Be thankful God is who he is and always will be,

Be thankful God loves you and loves me,

Be thankful God created us in love

So by believing we will see him in heaven above.

God so loves us that he sent his only Son to die for our transgressions.

If his ways were our ways, we would still be dying in those transgressions.

Be thankful and accept his love, the gift of his son

So one day you will be with him when with this world you are done.

I have found that there can be healing in my life and perhaps others when I pray for a person in need of prayer.  This is one of those times.

THE SCIENCE OF PRAYER, God Still Rhymes, © 2018 (pg. 114)

One time, the struggle, the healing.

A second time now reeling.

Remembering once, now dealing

With the recurrence of feeling;

the rain,

the pain,

the strain,

the drain,

on one’s life from the strife,

from the struggle,

the burden,

the worry, 

not just for you,

but for family

and friends

who share their care

each and every day

in what they say

and what they pray.

But to do this again

As it was done before,

Knowing we are heirs

Life becomes a prayer.

So many praying every day,

Perhaps not knowing what to say,

But knowing of your faith

And the smile on your face.

The chain was never broken,

No doubt ever spoken.

Faith in the God of Heaven above

Shown brightly in everyone’s love.

The odd, better the good, thing about prayer 

Is that although God knows the end,

Whether or not one will heal and mend,

There is a second healing for those who care.

Through illness, those who intercede

On your behalf come to know God,

Perhaps in a way not known before.

They find that prayer is more than a good deed.

When we seek out God, he is faithful

To open our hearts to his goodness,

His love for us, his desire in the mess

That we find joy and become full.

One has to sometimes wonder

Who receives more,

The one being prayed for

Or those that are praying.

In our prayer of thanksgiving

We know everyone received more,

More of the love God has for us

Through the healing power of is son Jesus.

Perhaps without even knowing as he did speak,

“I am a scientist, you are a miracle,”

A doctor received part of the miracle

That through prayer everyone did seek.

God the eternal scientist

Uses us as he needs

Us to sow the seeds

Of his desires for his creation.

Reflection on The Science of Prayer

This was written for a friend.  This was her reply to me when I asked for a description of what she had.

I have 4 Glioblastoma Multi form stage 4 Multinforms, it sprouts new tumors like weeds in a garden. I’m starting my 9th chemo round next week. I’ve had 6 weeks of radiation. Last April I had surgery, they got 90 % of the main tumor. I’m currently on Optune which stops new tumor growth. There are electrodes that hook up to a bag I wear 24/7 for one-two years. It stops new tumor growth and the original from re-growing less.

Knowing what she has been through and what lies ahead, her strength, her outlook, and faith in God, she is truly inspiring.

I have found that there are those are living with terrible health issues have healed, strengthened my faith as I see how deep their faith is God is during these times of trial and struggle.  in the last couple of years I have been praying for a young woman who has had a heart transplant and is now waiting for a double lunge transplant.  And long with those issues there have been other health issues.  To hear of her faith , her hope in God is truly inspiring.  Her faith has help heal my failing faith at times.  It is the faith of those struggling that can heal, strengthen the faith of the rest of us.

If we have time.  

I wrote this poem in the late 1970s or early 80s.  It was written during my awakening to who Jesus truly was and is and will be.  It is simply titled Prayer.  It is from God’s Rhyme, © 2018.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, how do I pray,

            what do I say?

What words do I speak

            for the peace that I seek?

I give thanks to You

            for all that You do,

for the blessings You are giving

            in this life I am living.

I praise Your blessed name,

            forever & always it is the same.

Yesterday You guided me,

            today You helped me see.

Forgive me for all the wrongs,

keep me singing happy songs.

From temptation set me free

so that in You I can be.

I praise You

I thank You

I worship You

I honor You

Jesus, You set me free,

            now I can see.

When my vision is blurred

            You show me Your word.

As I have been blessed,

            now I pray for the rest,

for my sisters & brothers

            who think they have no other.

For our salvation You are risen,

            for us new life You have given.

Use me as You would

            that others may have what they should.

I praise You

I thank You

I worship You

I honor You

On bended knee or with hands upraised,

            it is Your life that is praised.

And as I give You my life

            You take from me my strife.

You have given me so much;

            joy, life, love & the such.

& all You have taken

            is my life’s burden.

You are all the love 

from Heaven above.

& Jesus, each time I pray 

there is not enough to say.

Except,

            I praise You

                        & Your holy name,

            I thank You 

for what You have done,

            I worship You

                        as my Savior & Lord,

            I honor You

                        as only You deserve,

            & I do Love you,

                        my Jesus, my Lord,

                        my Savior, my friend.

                                                            Amen

An unplanned poem from God Still Rhymes, pg. 57

MY PRAYER TODAY

Lord, tell me what to pray.

Tell me what I should say.

May your Spirit that is holy

Be at my side, my guide solely.

What I do learn

I do not earn,

But by your grace

I now have faith.

You lead me not astray.

You show me the path to stay.

It is thru your Spirit

That I now can learn it.

Lead me, guide me,

Take my life and set me free.

If you give

Him the times

As you live

His word rhymes  ©

We are the Kings kids and you will never get rid of us because we are His with Jesus, ©

Follow is on our website

www.livingingodsrhyme.com

You can buy Tim's books at the following websites

god rhyme tim carter | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Amazon.com : God's Rhyme Tim Carter

https://www.lettrapress.com

Please follow us on Facebook and Like us

(6) Tim Carter, God Still Rhymes | Facebook

Please follow us on Youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSR3-0c9FfAZnblwJ2u0dA

You can hear us on Apple Podcast, Google Play, Pandora, Stitcher, IHeart radio, Tunedin Radio. and all the other podcast sites. 

Please subscribe to the podcast

Tell all your friends about us and have them tell thier friends,

Thank you for being here, we are blessed that you listened.

Tim and Dave

"If you give Him the times As you live His word rhymes "

"We are the King’s kids and you’ll never get rid of us because we are His with...