Ripples of God’S Love: Poems to Refresh the Soul
By Carol Crouch
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About this ebook
Ripples of Gods Love speaks volumes in the gloom, offering hope to the despairing. Told through inspired poetry, it shares the reflection of a life lived in the light of Gods love. Author Carol Crouch uses life experiences combined with nature analogies and scriptural references to present an alternateand God-focusedway to view the unexpected and unreasonable circumstances in life. This altered world view enables the influx of peace, understanding, and faith in an all-knowing creator.
Our lives were never intended to be humdrum. Daily trials should never be viewed as punishments. Instead, through poetry, discover an exciting new side of your lifea side filled with the beauty and blessing of nature. The transition is simple. God is waiting to fill you with comfort and hope; merely view the world through a filter of living moment by joyous moment in Christ.
Carol Crouch
Carol Crouch is a poet, nature lover, and follower of Christ. She is an avid insect collector, and she uses this collection to teach children about the miraculous intricacies of our world. She currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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Ripples of God’S Love - Carol Crouch
Copyright © 2011 Carol Crouch
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are taken from the New Living Translation, NLT Study Bible, 2nd ed. (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008).
Scriptures noted NIV,
Amp,
or KJV
are taken from
The Comparative Study Bible, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999).
Scriptures noted NKJV
are taken from The Essential Evangelical Parallel Bible (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004).
Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-8188-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-4502-8187-4 (cloth)
ISBN: 978-1-4502-8186-7 (ebk)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2010919365
Printed in the United States of America
iUniverse rev. date: 1/13/11
To Norman, my husband and partner of many years, who supported and encouraged me in this work of love throughout its creation;
To David, Michael, and Laura, our three children; and to their spouses, Kay, Tracy, and Nathan; and to all our wonderful grandchildren, who provided by their living witness many experiences that give color to the words I have written;
And to many friends and members of our extended family who encouraged me to bring these poems to a wider audience:
You are loved, appreciated, and valued for the role each of you played as the work progressed.
No power … indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39
Preface
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning … The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him
(Lamentations 3:22–23, 25). These words underlie my faith. They are universal in their extent. They embrace every emotion and need we may have; they emphasize the changeless love of God, his reliability, and his presence that never leaves our sides. The love and faithfulness of God and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God are the birthright of every person who believes in Jesus Christ.
For many years, as far back as my teenage years, I have journaled my responses to the ambiguities of life, to its good and difficult times, and to the effects of changing circumstances. These responses are not unique to me. Usually, the words begin to form in my mind as I consider feelings or thoughts. When fully written out, they are a reflection of my faith in God and the need to remain focused on him. They affirm the faithfulness of God in my life—his closeness, help, comfort, and love.
My love of the beauty and complexity of nature is woven into the words. Growing up on a small farm in Wisconsin, I was fascinated by the enormous diversity of the natural world. As I grew, these observations and the interrelationships I saw became the basis for an appreciation and awe of God’s creation.
I have experienced many years of chronic pain and the fluctuating feelings and emotions that accompany it. Always, God in his love and compassion has embraced me. I believe that my faith is deeper, more relevant, and more intimately related to Jesus Christ through the countless times I have called out, Help me!
Through poetry written in response to prayer, I hope to share perspective and insights that I believe have been conveyed to my mind and spirit. My prayer is that each of these writings will speak to the spirit of someone. In Christ, we have the privilege of living with joy whether our world is crashing in around us, or the path ahead is straight with no diversions. Joy in worship and prayer and knowing the love of God and his acceptance of us as we are also are of vital importance in living out our faith.
Jesus died and was raised victorious over death and sin, giving us freedom, everlasting life, hope, courage, and the assurance that he is always present in our lives even when we feel alone, overwhelmed, and perhaps forgotten. The presence of Jesus seems almost palpable to me in times of difficulty, but also in times of joy. He provides the strength to endure with hope; his love embraces me then as well as in times of joy.
May all who read these words find comfort in the faithful presence of Jesus Christ. May your life never be the same as you allow his love to embrace you. May ripples of God’s love move ever outward from your service in his name.
In his everlasting love,
Carol Crouch
Contents
Preface
Prologue
A King Is Born
Praise and Worship
Worship in Spirit and Truth
A Song of Love
The Majesty of Creation in Christ
Blessing upon Blessing
Hymn of Praise
Unique in Christ
The Rosebud
Weeds and Jewels
Snowflakes
Worth in Christ
The Gracious Love of God
The Greatest Gift
Joseph’s Robe
The Shepherd and His Lamb
Faith
Faith Is Like a Plant
Destination by Faith
Stairway of Faith
Faith Perfected
Trust
He Does Not Sleep
Trust
Great Is Your Faithfulness
Joy
Joy in the Morning
The Joy of the Lord
Guidance
Treasure Map
The Path Chosen
Blameless in Christ
White as Snow
Dust Motes
A Light in the Darkness
Jesus, the Ultimate Light
Aglow with the Spirit
Freedom in Christ
Freedom of the Spirit
Spreading the Good News
Ripples
The Way to Life
An Anchor for Our Faith
Blessed Assurance
My Body, a Temple
Reflection and Meditations
Solitude
Reflections
Journeys
Campfire Reflections
Reflection on Time
Perfect Harmony
Prayer
Prayer and the Book of Psalms
God Hears
On a Moonlit Night
A Thorn Wrapped in Grace
Love Letter
Trials and Difficulties
The End of the Rope
Safely through the Storm
Rain in the Desert
A Gold-Rimmed Cup
Growth in Christ
Through the Eyes of a Child
More Than Meets the Eye
Rooted in Christ
Clothed for Eternity
Treasure Box
Fulfillment
Healing Moments
Healing Moments
Epilogue
Jesus
Endnotes
Prologue
A King Is Born
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders, and he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.
Isaiah 9:6–7
He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God … So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.
John 1:10–12, 14