nurturing and sustaining

protecting and shielding

a mighty fortress is our God

but God is not just strength

the power to protect, to save us

God is nurturing and sustaining

loving us through the struggle

through the days of our lives

God is mother, father,

God is our comfort and strength

the beginning and the end

=======================

May 10, 2017

nurturing and sustaining

Hosea 11:1-4

Isaiah 66:13

Psalm 91:4

Psalm 91

Though of the Day:

“God is both mother and father for us”

The Upper Room

“God, The Mother”

Alina Kanaski

devotion for May 10, 2017

read May 10, 2017

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 43,980 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Christ, Faith, God, grace, love, Spirit, Poetry Where You Live, prayer, Hosea 11, Isaiah 66, Psalm 91, father, mother,

#Christ #God #Spirit #love #grace #faith #prayer #Hosea11 #Isaiah66 #Psalm91 #father #mother

Grieving in Their Rebellion

Like God waiting
sitting in the hallway
watching their faces
parents hurting
their emotions exposed raw

Grieving in their rebellion
the children pushing
choosing to do wrong
when they have been taught
how to live right

Another real-world example
the lesson of the scripture
a loving parent, our father, our mother
loving their children anyway
forgiving them ever
even when they turn away
when we walk in our sin

April 1, 2011
1 Corinthians 13 (selected verses)
Hosea 11 (selected verses)
1 John 3 (selected verses)(Call to Worship)
The Prayer of St. Francis (Unison Prayer)
Worship Theme: “The Fruit of Faith is Love”
and sermon, “Love Lessons Learned the Hard Way”
(3rd in 5 part Lenten Worship Theme series on Mother Teresa’s quote:
“The fruit of Silence is Prayer,
The fruit of Prayer is Faith
The Fruit of Faith is Love
The fruit of Love is Service
The Fruit of Service is Peace”)
by Reverend Huntley Halvorson
http://www.suncookumc.org
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
March 27, 2011
Third Sunday in Lent
&
written sitting in the lobby
during juvenile court hearings
Hooksett Courthouse
Hooksett, NH
April 1, 2011

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 11,360+ of my poems at Poetry Where You Live.

Rend Your Heart

Not in ashes or sack cloth
not in torn garments only
God calling to us
to rend our hearts
to turn from our ways
repent and turn to Him
walking in His ways
drenched in His love
all the rest of our days.


October 11, 2010
Joel 2:12
Joel 2:12-14
Hosea 10-14
Joel 1:1-2:17
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/reading.cgi?plan=straight&ver=NAS
Heartlight’s Straight Through Bible Study
for September 28, 2010,
read October 11, 2010


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,120+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Sow Righteousness

Do not sow evil
for you reap evil
Sow righteousness
that love may grow
that righteousness may rain down
pouring down from heaven
watering the whole world
with the living waters
the grace of God overflowing
raining down on us.


October 11, 2010
Hosea 10:12
Hosea 10:13
Hosea 10:9-15
Hosea 10-14
Joel 1:1-2:17
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/reading.cgi?plan=straight&ver=NAS
Heartlight’s Straight Through Bible Study
for September 28, 2010,
read October 11, 2010


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,120+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Your Mercy

We thank you Lord
in each day of our lives
that your mercy is greater
than the anger we deserve
that your love is deeper
than the depth of our sin
that your grace is wider
than our path which leads to death
thank you for redeeming us
at the foot of Calvary’s cross


August 1, 2010
Hosea 11:1-11
Hosea 11:2
Psalm 107:1-9, 43
and
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/description.asp?item_id=645177&whichBarItem=excerpt&category=&sub_category=
Upper Room Disciplines for 2010
for July 26, 2010 to August 1, 2010,
“Doxology, Theology, and Ethics”
by Thomas R. Steagald
for July 28, 2010,
read August 1, 2010


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,130+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

The Rod of His Kindness

God’s love for his children
revealed in correction
though he ever loves them
needing to chide them
to bind them
the rod of his kindness
to make them return
coming back into the fold
humbly, as the lamb
into the arms of God


August 1, 2010
Hosea 11:1-11
and
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/description.asp?item_id=645177&whichBarItem=excerpt&category=&sub_category=
Upper Room Disciplines for 2010
for July 26, 2010 to August 1, 2010,
“Doxology, Theology, and Ethics”
by Thomas R. Steagald
for July 27, 2010,
read August 1, 2010


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,130+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Love for His Children

Even in judgment
love for his children
God as our father
wanting us to understand
how he has loved us
how he calls us
praying in heaven
that we would turn from our ways


August 1, 2010
Hosea 11:1-11
Psalm 19:7-8
Psalm 19:1
and
http://www.upperroom.org/bookstore/description.asp?item_id=645177&whichBarItem=excerpt&category=&sub_category=
Upper Room Disciplines for 2010
for July 26, 2010 to August 1, 2010,
“Doxology, Theology, and Ethics”
by Thomas R. Steagald
for July 26, 2010,
read August 1, 2010


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,130+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Holding His Anger

A loving father, sad for the rebellion,
the distance between himself
and his children, sad for their defiance,
their forgetting, of the things he had done
for them, the love he had heaped on them,
the freedom, the joy, the reward, he
showered on them all, when they were his.
Longing people, wishing to be close to him
once more, wanting him to be there; but
they were rebellious still. Wanting him
to accept them, forgive them still, to
see past their failings, bring them into
his loving arms once more.

August 1, 2007 8:24
Hosea 11:1-11


All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,540+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.