IT’S CHRISTMASTIME … Christmas Song Lyrics and/or Prayer

On December 2, 2021December 2, 2021 By Poetry CottageIn Christianity, Healing, Hope, Love, Prayer, Songs, The Beauty of CreationLeave a comment

Nativity Scene with Shepherds and Wisemen

Dear heavenly Father
How can we ever express how much we love You
How much we love Your only begotten Son, Jesus
Your love surrounds us
Your love indwells us
Your creation amazes us
And Holy Spirit enables us to love You

It’s Christmastime, dear heavenly Father
It’s not snowing here; but I know it is elsewhere
And robins, and squirrels, and the sweet baby deer
Fly and scamper and wander
To places beautiful
All of Your hand, all of Your gift to mankind

It’s Christmastime, dear heavenly Father
It’s summertime here, not cold like it is elsewhere
And koalas, and kangaroos, and little birds
Cuddle and jump and do sing
In places wonderful
You spoke and it was so, Your life giving word

It’s Christmastime, dear heavenly Father
Hear our praises, adoration, abounding joy
Take our hearts, and with all of creation, listen
We love You, We love You
All peoples everywhere
Lift our voices in worship, Hallelujah

http://www.mycutegraphics.com

WHAT CAN REFLECT YOUR MAJESTY

On May 30, 2021May 30, 2021 By Poetry CottageIn Christianity, Inspiration, Poems, The Beauty of Creation2 Comments

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is our-beautiful-backyard-1.jpg

Roses, raindrops, night-time dew

Colours resplendent

Sweet flight anew

Apple tree blossom

Hovering honey bee

Nothing, oh Lord, nothing

Can reflect Your majesty

Snow-capped mountains, deepest lake

Shadows of beauty

Lion cubs wake

Freshness of morning

Milky way galaxy

Nothing, oh Lord, nothing

Can reflect Your majesty

Jungle sunlight streaming through

Piercing eagle eyes

Summer sky blue

Butterflies flying

Tallest stately oak tree

Nothing, oh Lord, nothing

Can reflect Your majesty

There is nothing

Not one thing

That can reflect

Your majesty

As brilliant

As beautiful

As magnificent

As is your creation

It cannot reflect

Cannot reflect

Your majestic majesty

Words and Image ©2021 Liana Wendy Howarth

Lunar Eclipse … Australia East Coast May 26th 2021

On May 26, 2021May 27, 2021 By Poetry CottageIn Photography, The Beauty of CreationLeave a comment

IT’S TIME TO SOAR

On February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 By Poetry CottageIn Christianity, Healing, Promise, Songs, The Beauty of Creation, Trials & BlessingsLeave a comment

butterflies

You are so beautiful
You’ve been given wings to fly
You are complete and healed
My dear little butterfly

You’re free now, free to soar
To places you’ve never been
Take your vibrant colours
You’ll find life in pastures green

Oh! … no, no, no, no, no
You cannot go back and hide
In the cocoon so dark
The law, it has past aside

You’ll reach the mountaintop
And see through pure eyes of awe
To lowest valley dip
There your hard heart, it will thaw

Do you not know sweet one
You are a new creation
Your caterpillar days
Have drowned in deepest ocean

So … no, no, no, no, no
You cannot go back and hide
In the cocoon so dark
The law, it has past aside

The chain has been released
And you have been forgiven
Would you want to return
To a void without heaven

Would you want to return
To life without hope and light
To a life of bondage
Where you’ll always be bound tight

Butterfly, butterfly
Free to share God’s love, peace and joy
Go touch another
Let your gifts alight
Let your gentleness
Land on everything that’s right
Don’t look back
Don’t look back
Spread your butterfly wings
And with the Father’s heart reunite
Unite
He’s just waiting for you to take flight

Inspired by Nicole Marbach’s teaching … There’s Nothing Wrong With You.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k_EoMWGXbs&t=610s

I Love Birds

On November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 By Poetry CottageIn Photography, The Beauty of Creation9 Comments

All photos taken in my garden, or within sight of my garden. So blessed.

I SEE YOUR LOVE

On October 9, 2020 By Poetry CottageIn Christianity, Inspiration, Love, The Beauty of Creation, Trials & Blessings2 Comments

I see Your love in the morning light
Shining through the leaves
The birds are singing
It’s fresh new day
I love You Lord
Please light my way

I see Your love in the noon-day sun
Warmth upon my skin
Flowers glistening
Dew invisible
I love You Lord
Your love fills full

I see Your love in the night-time breeze
Softness, sunset hues
Silhouettes scatter
Deep echoes calling
I love You Lord
All forgiving

I see Your love all day and night long
Always by my side
Through the joys and tears
Eyes deflecting strife
I love You Lord
For my sweet life

I AM NOT A BLOB

On January 10, 2020January 10, 2020 By Poetry CottageIn Christianity, Loss, Love, The Beauty of Creation2 Comments

Not sure why; but feel led to post this again … if but one life be spared.

ultrasound and belly

You didn’t know I was inside
So tiny at first, unseen
Then small changes started happening
And you’d never again be how you’d been

One minute you’d cry, then you’d laugh
Strange things, now so inviting
Beautiful glows appeared on your face
Sometimes the waves would keep you from eating

Please let me tell you a story
My little heart formed quickly
And within the space of a moment
I was becoming somebody, yes, me

And there are many dreams ahead
I’m more precious than a pearl
I love to twirl in this warm, dark lake
You don’t know yet, if I’m a boy, or girl

Every day I hear your heartbeat
Love compounding with each breath
Oh dear Mama, I feel so cherished
Oh dear Papa, you’ve given life, not death

I hear each word of spoken love
I feel so safe, and secure
With each passing day of my new growth
Your gentle lullabies, they reassure

Then one day, everything, it changed
Your tears no longer cried love
Voices vibrated longer, louder
I heard you didn’t want me, no more love

My heart started beating faster
There was nothing I could do
Can’t you see, feel I’m nearly ready
To be placed in your arms, so close to you

Please, please, can someone please help me
My lungs, ready for breathing
And ready to cry with thankfulness
I’m a perfectly formed human being

Mama, you said that you loved me
Your heart was no longer grey
That you’d always wanted a baby
No, don’t do that, take that needle away

I hurt so much Mama, why, why
This pain is unbearable
I no longer want to stay; but leave
The depth of pain is indescribable

I’m going to take my last breath now
And even though I suffered
I will be at peace; but not with you
I pray that forgiveness will be received

I forgive you Mama
I forgive you Papa
And when, through the years
You remember
And through the tears
You’ll shed
Please tell your family and friends
I was never, ever a blob

WE NEED YOU (Written During Australia’s Fire Crisis) … Prayer for Australia

On January 6, 2020January 6, 2020 By Poetry CottageIn Christianity, Healing, Loss, Prayer, Songs, The Beauty of Creation, Trials & Blessings2 Comments

koala bear koala bear

Lord, our land is crying out to You
Heal us we humbly pray
Our land is parched, our hearts are broken
Breath is taken from Your creation
And hopelessness abounds
So much suffering, all consuming
But look and see Father, faith can still be found
We trust You, we need You, You are all we have
Please open heaven’s gates of mercy
And pour Your healing down
Oh Lord! Pour Your healing down

Many are trapped, have nowhere to go
Open a door oh! Lord
And when the way seems impossible
Flood with Your all surpassing power
Holy Spirit power
May lives be spared, as only You can
Keep our hearts beating, and sweet livestock bleating
Deliver from the ferocity that flows
Please open heaven’s gates of mercy
And pour Your healing down
Oh Lord! Pour Your healing down

The beauty You gifted this nation
Darling koala bears
The creatures, big, small, vulnerable
They cry out as only they know how
Bless all who are fighting
Every service man and woman
Man and animal, birds, nature exhausted
The kangaroos trying to outbound the flames
Please open heaven’s gates of mercy
And pour Your healing down
Oh Lord! Pour Your healing down

Lord, please open heaven’s gates of mercy
And pour Your healing down
Oh Lord! Pour Your healing down

The Unfulfilled Rose – Sadness as Blossoms Fall and Lie in Falling Tears

On November 6, 2019November 6, 2019 By Poetry CottageIn Christianity, Inspiration, Loss, Photography, The Beauty of Creation, Trials & Blessings6 Comments

A little something I wrote six years ago:-

Over the last week or so, I have been peering out of our bay window on waking, to see my beautiful ‘English Rose’ blossoming before my very eyes and being in awe, once again, of the perfect work of my Lord and Saviour. This is one of two David Austin roses that I recently bought and I was so excited to see the finished rose.

We’ve been having soft; but steady rain for quite a while now and the rose continued to break forth and grasp as much sunlight as possible.

Words cannot describe this gorgeous bloom laced with scent from heaven.

Sadly, the rain was bruising the underside (sorry I’m not technical in botanical terms).

But each morning brought with it another stunning image.

Really starting to open up now. I’m in love.

So many petals on one sweet flower and the colour, divine.

But the rain was taking its toll on the dear, little one.

And this morning I awoke to a broken sight.

My heart broke. Perfection, beauty lay fallen upon the ground.

The creaminess had become a soft shade of lemon. Crushed. Compacted in pain.

This is all that remains. Remnants of torn petals for which I feel much sadness and yes, guilt.

For you see, a few days ago, I took the damaged petals from the rose. I had to tear them off. I feel that I have in some way contributed to the rose’s demise. It was unable to hold all of heaven’s tears and unable to take it any longer, it just gave up and surrendered to what it knew it couldn’t control.

I had even written a poem :-

“Such a silly thing I did today

I tried to take imperfection away

I prayed the Lord, He wouldn’t take

The beauty of the rose at stake”

But by tearing away what I thought was something that was marring its beauty, was in reality actually holding it’s very existence together.

Yes, I know there will be some of you that think I am totally exaggerating; but I see amazing stories and spiritual truths in God’s creation and being able to capture them with the camera is a blessing.

We grow stronger with our trials. With pain. With tears. With anything that makes us feel like we can’t go on.

Jesus is the only One who can hold us together.

Tearing Him from our lives is devastating.

Maybe not now.

But one day.

God bless all who read this.