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Ripples of God’S Love: Poems to Refresh the Soul
Ripples of God’S Love: Poems to Refresh the Soul
Ripples of God’S Love: Poems to Refresh the Soul
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Ripples of God’S Love: Poems to Refresh the Soul

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Real life is not perfect. There are good days and bad. There are burdens that feel too heavy to bearlonely nights and hopeless days. It would be easy to give up. Yet the world tells us to be strong, keep going, and get tough. If we keep going, well find what were looking for; well move in the right direction. But how is it possible to find our direction, when lost in darkness?

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.
LanguageEnglish
PublisheriUniverse
Release dateJan 18, 2011
ISBN9781450281867
Ripples of God’S Love: Poems to Refresh the Soul
Author

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.

    iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

    iUniverse

    1663 Liberty Drive

    Bloomington, IN 47403

    www.iuniverse.com

    1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

    Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

    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

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