No More Time To Waste

Lord, hymns like the one below (Have I Done My Best for Jesus? by E. D. Young ) make me ask how I even have the right to ask such honest questions, let alone sing the words. But it also compels me not to waste any more precious time that needs to be used for furthering Your kingdom and reaching out to Your children. You deserve ALL Your praise! And I don’t wish to waste one more breath with questions that YOU have not given me as You do when You give me poetry, words of encouragement for others, and this invaluable hymn You gave to E.D. Young.

Thank You for allowing me to learn it,
for every time You have brought it to mind,
and for allowing me to sing it TO and FOR You!

I love You, Father! ❤ I love You, Jesus! ❤ I love You, Holy Spirit! ❤

I wonder have I done my best for Jesus,
Who died upon the cruel tree?
To think of His great sacrifice at Calvary!
I know my Lord expects the best from me.

The hours that I have wasted are so many
The hours I’ve spent for Christ so few;
Because of all my lack of love for Jesus,
I wonder if His heart is breaking too.

I wonder have I cared enough for others,
Or have I let them die alone?
I might have helped a wand’rer to the Savior,
The seed of precious Life I might have sown.

No longer will I stay within the valley
I’ll climb to mountain heights above;
The world is dying now for want of someone
To tell them of the Savior’s matchless love.

Chorus:
How many are the lost that I have lifted?
How many are the chained I’ve helped to free?
I wonder, have I done my best for Jesus,
When He has done so much for me?
– Have I Done My Best for Jesus? by E. D. Young –

The Compelling Love of God

gaillovesgodspoetry

The love of God compels me
To keep hanging in,
Not to give up so easy,
And remember His own journey with agony.
He, too, walked a like of discomfort,
loss of loved ones and family.
He, too, knew the betrayal of church hurts,
And being accused of ungodliness.
The man born of a virgin,
To die for the sins of the world,
Is burdened for me,
And loves me in a way
I’ll never fully know.
But I know He loves me,
And that’s all I need to know.
The love of God compels me
To love.

11.10.19 Sunday
Written by Gail Brookshire

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Your Arms of Love

gaillovesgodspoetry

How long this ocean line stretches.
It reaches to follow me.
From Your heart You reach out
To make sure I know You’re there.
Your waves playfully wave.
They roll forward to push me gently,
And then crash against me
To make their presence clearly known.
It’s You… sending messages of love…
To me… again and again.
I lay on the shore
With my heart smiling for joy.
No matter how far I go,
Or wherever I am,
You’re always in arms length…
Your arms holding me.
I love the way You love me!

11.17.19 Thursday
Written by Gail Brookshire
Inspiration: The God of the universe! ❤

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An Honest and Surrendered Will

God, I am sitting here… reading Your word… praying… listening… thinking on (selah)… a message that I am trying to write for you and those who will read… a post to let them know if they do not hear from me, or I am slow to respond, or accidentally miss a message that I am healing from a new procedure done just yesterday. Yet even while trying to inform about this RFA (Radio-Frequency Ablation) done to my right side this time and will be done to my left side in 2 weeks, I want to make sure this stays about You.

Yes it is to inform my friends and community that I am in a great deal of pain, struggling to walk, to sit, to stand, and sometimes get on the computer, so please be patient with me with responding. The wall, my claw walker, my heat/ice wrap, my chair You blessed me with from the ladies in my bible study are dear friends to me right now as I need them to get through this. But in even in all this pain, Lord, I know You do nothing by accident. The hope of these procedures is to eliminate (or at least alleviate) back pain that goes into my legs, that is excruciating pretty quickly when standing for more than 5 or 10 minutes. To relieve nerves in the lumbar and sacrum area that are being encroached upon. They burned these nerves for two minutes. I can’t help but think of Your word.

Burning… for purification… tried in the fire.. to let patience have her perfect work… that I may be perfect and entire… wanting nothing.

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” – James 1:2-4 AKJV

Are You burning my physical nerves to purify my spiritual nerves? Are You walking me through my fiery furnace to emphasize coming though without even the smell of smoke on them? I particularly thought of the latter because for several hours after the procedure because when I would use the bathroom I would smell something burnt, something hot, like burned wires or overheated electronics. It took me several hours to realize it was me.

I may have smelled smoke from the burning that took place for 2 minutes on my physical body, but it is my spirit that You emphasize You have walked with throughout my life, and have brought me through without even a smell of that past. Only through testimony to You does anyone ever know. And even though those details be horrific, filthy, violent, evil, and vile… through Your mercy, salvation, grace, rescue and reconciliation… through restoration it is all… only love! My love for you! Your love for me! Unconditionally! No matter what.

Even when my human mind goes through normal cycles of doubt, fear, shame, and guilt that has long been saturated with Your Son’s blood… You see, hear, and KNOW my love for You is unshakable, unwavering, and unconditional! Just the way You taught me! Through the very love You share with me.

So while I heal through another unfamiliarity, pray for relief from unwanted pain, and hope for healing even where they have used words like chronic, permanent, and nothing they can do… I KNOW YOU CAN! And while I know You can, I recognize Your Sovereignty, Your Authority, and Your Will. Just as Jesus asked You in the garden to remove His cup from Him if it were possible, I ask for all of the healing, restoration, and relief from pain that You will allow. And just like Jesus I leave my trust in Your hands because only You know the plans You have for me. Only You know who is witnessing my battle, my pain, my surrender to Your will for their own journey of faith.

Some may call me resigned, getting in the way of my own healing, lacking faith and thereby causing my own problems. But I know that is not the God You are. My sins are no match for Your blood and therefore I am forgiven. And surrendering even my health to Your will is not lacking faith, it is quite the opposite. I am not a hero or some kind of pain warrior. I cannot promise a testimony without tears, fears, depression, or the many things the world promises me from being Yours. I am after all still human, just as Jesus was while still in human flesh.

But I know that You promise my weakness makes Your strength perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9) , and that I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). You promise to be with me (Psalm 16:8). And that You do care about my pain (1 Peter 5:7). I know You do! I believe You. And that is a great part of my strength. It all comes down to You! The Father who saw His only begotten Son come to Him 3 different times to pray in agony, yet ALWAYS trusting in His Father’s will. Help me to always keep my mind on Your will, and my trust into Your hands (Isaiah 26:3). As the psalmist penned,

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

In Jesus’ name I pray and trust because He has left me an example like none other…
an honest and surrendered will to the Heavenly Father! ❤ Amen!

Your Love Is My Hedge

Lord, I miss so much… so many things I use to physically be able to do. Yet I am reminded I am who You have made me. You know better than me what one thing is connected to another. The world can mean well, especially about things that seem normal or even seem necessary, but for reasons You alone know (but sometimes graciously share) You have removed me from some things or removed some things from me that You deem crucial for my way of thinking. My world has been critical to my way of thinking for years, and at times as if all rolled into one. Just as You drew me out and set me apart to have relationship with me played the most valuable role in helping me to sort out the junk in my head (to even see it was there) from all different sources and voices, and my own flawed thinking… even now to crave or to miss anything allows You to draw me out and set my spirit aside for You and You alone.

If I missed out on something that means so much to me, especially because I believed You were in it, I know You have Your reasons and I am to trust You. My depression may linger heavy, but Your love lingers much heavier. Saturate me in everything about You. Your love is my hedge. I don’t know what You have planned for me to suffer or to celebrate, but as long as I am with You that is ALL that matters. Not all the battles I lose are losses in Your eyes. Sometimes I just need to see it through the way You view it.

His Will Be Done

“He has chosen not to heal me,
but to hold me.
The more intense the pain,
the closer His embrace.”
– Joni Eareckson Tada

“Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God
commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing,
as unto a faithful Creator.”
– 1 Peter 4:19 KJV

“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord;
and whether we die, we die unto the Lord:
whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”
– Romans 14:8 KJV

Lead Me, Lord!

” Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering;
not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
– Romans 2:4 KJV

“Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.“
– Isaiah 48:17 KJV

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.“
– Psalm 23:1-3 KJV

He Leadeth Me
– hymn lyrics by Joseph H. Gilmore

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes ’mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

Soar

Oh how I long to soar with You, Holy Spirit! one day I will… SOON! ❤

Alethea's Mind

Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27

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A Refuge At All Times

“Trust in Him at all times; ye people,
pour out your heart before Him:
God is a refuge for us. Selah.”
– Psalm 62:8 KJV

How many times have I asked You, What shall I blog? Is there anything You want me to write? Anything that wouldn’t insult You, disgrace You, shame You? All the while something was choking the life right out of my chest? Too easily I dismissed it as “Well that’s between You and me… and doesn’t need to be broadcast to the world… only to bring them down… to depress them… or bring negativity… because it wasn’t something positive… it was honest… but it seemed so dishonoring to You.” And then You so loving remind me with Psalm 62:8 that is exactly how this blog began!

You designed a place for me to go and pour my heart out before You on this private blog called gaillovesgod because I was suffocating not being able to write to You. I couldn’t do this at home because of eyes that kept looking for my privately written thoughts to use them against me…. to intentionally come between You and me. A year later, You led me to encourage a friend who was doing a challenge by taking part in that challenge. In doing so, You led me to trust You in opening my site to be Public while doing that challenge. This challenge was to post 30 Truth Aspects about myself that others rarely knew. In obeying, You completely took me by surprise.

Others would comment on how encouraged they were, how they saw my love for You, saw Your love in my life, and either had or were going through the same things. I met so many friends all over the world… some just as in love with You… some with good reasons not to care for love at all… giving or receiving. Many are just consumed with the things we cannot avoid in human life, as Your Son very well knows.

Anxiety, depression, mental illness,
chronic illness, violence, death, filth.

Just because we are Christian does not mean we are immune from these realities of life. And just because some does not know or care that God loves them does not mean we are not to love one another and bear one another’s burdens. No one enjoys pain and suffering. You love ALL Your children.

For so many months I have avoided sharing the pain, the doctor visits, the many things that have added to my depression being so much worse lately. I read so many friends pouring their heart out to You, saying they feel alone, and suddenly I am convicted of neglecting You. Before I can get a chance to at least respond to them, life interferes and my depression persuades me I am my own evidence for why I don’t matter.

Many days I cannot write because of my health. Many days I cannot write because of circumstances. Some days the conversations of debating what to write and what does it matter goes on for so long that time and energy win out. But there are days it’s sheer neglect. If it weren’t for Facebook memories of verses and hymns, I would have been absent for several months. Please forgive me, Lord.

Sometimes You do call me away from the computer for time with You. Sometimes I am simply hiding under a sheltered wing that is allowing the rays to shine in, patiently waiting for me to notice the warmth of the sun, raise my weary head, and trust His loving nudge to be a part of living creation.

Thank You for reminding me of 5 good reasons to write what’s on my heart:

1. For my testimony to show I TRUST You at ALL times!
2. You WANT me to pour out my heart to You… everything!
3. You are a refuge for everything that lays on my heart!
4. You are a refuge for US… we need to know someone else has been there or currently is… right when we need it most.
5. Everyone needs to hear God loves you!

And never let me forget SELAH! (THINK ON THIS). How much richer our lives would be if we would take time to remember Selah is not just a word. It is an invaluable moment of reflection on what You have given us to read, to act on, to sometimes avoid, to live. Thank You for giving me a moment of Selah now.

Thank You, God, for Your Word, Your mercy, Your grace, Your salvation, Your heart, Your love, Your patience, Your all! I love You! May gaillovesgod and gaillovesgodspoetry always honor You and do YOUR will, not mine!

Holy, Holy, Holy!

“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”
– Revelation 4:8 KJV

Holy, Holy, Holy –
hymn lyrics written by Reginald Heber,

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy is Your name, dear Lord! How often You have salved my soul during challenging days and nights. Storms can be so fierce, but You are far mightier. Yet You tend to comfort and bring such a peace solely from being You! Thank you for allowing me to learn this song years ago, and allowing me to remember it during times of hardship, and in simply starting the day keeping You first. I love You! ❤

❤ I love You, Father God! ❤
❤ I love You, Sweet Jesus! ❤
❤ I love You Holy Spirit! ❤

Face to Face

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:
now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
– 1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV

Face to Face with Christ, My Savior
– hymn lyrics by Car­rie Breck

Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face—what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me?

Refrain:
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!

Only faintly now I see Him,
With the darkened veil between,
But a blessed day is coming,
When His glory shall be seen.

What rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
Death is swallowed up in vict’ry,
And the dark things shall be plain.

Face to face—oh, blissful moment!
Face to face—to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ who loves me so.

Oh, Lord, how I long for that day when I shall see You face to face! To hug you! To Thank You! How loving and sovereign You are to banish grief and pain! To swallow up death with the victory of Your resurrection! The same resurrection that reconciles us! Never to be separated again! No other love has ever been so powerful! Thank You for going to prepare a place for me! Thank You for the promise I know You will keep in coming back for me! To take me home with You forever! Whenever You’re ready! ❤

Thank You for hymns! Such comfort for our souls! Peace that can only come from You! You are such a calm to my soul! Thank You for THIS hymn! For now I see through a dark glass, but soon I will see You face to face! And I will know You as You know me! To be known… like You know me! You will free me of myself! I will fully be who You made me to be! And I will be able see me the way You do! How I long for that blissful moment far beyond the starry sky! ❤

❤ I love You, Father! ❤
❤ I love You, Jesus! ❤
❤ I love You, Holy Spirit! ❤

Heard From The First Day!

“Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel:
for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand,
and to chasten thyself before thy God,
thy words were heard,
and I am come for thy words.”
– Daniel 10:12 KJV

My God loves me! ❤
He has known my heart from the 1st day!! 😍
And has heard EVERY WORD! 🥰
He knows how to melt my heart… like no one else! 😭

Great Things!

“Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.”
– Luke 8:39 KJV

To God Be The Glory

To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Chorus:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see
– To God Be The Glory, hymn lyrics by Frances J. Crosby

My loving and wonderful God, You deserve to be given praise and glory every single hour of the day! Great things You have done for me! My Jesus hath done great things for me! And every single one of those acts of love, protection, mercy, salvation and becoming the parts of me that You have created me to be deserve to be published so that ALL may know they were done… and are possible for them too! Thank You for such loving encouragement where there should be conviction even now, and truthfully there is.
I fail to tell so much of Your great things in fear of what man may think, in fear of disgracing You, and sometimes in purely selfish reasons. Please forgive me.

Holy Spirit, help me to be more faithful in publishing for my Lord of the great things He hath done for me! Jesus paid such a price for my voice. Help me to lift it up… in ink… in type… in speaking… in shouting… in singing.

To God be the glory! ❤
Great things He hath done… for me! 🙂

Joined Unto the Lord

But he that is joined unto the Lord
is one spirit.
– 1 Corinthians 6:17 KJV

Though He Were A Son

“And he taketh with him Peter and James and John,
and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;
And saith unto them,
My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death:
tarry ye here, and watch.”
– Mark 14:33-34 KJV

“Who in the days of his flesh,
when he had offered up prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears
unto him that was able to save him from death,
and was heard in that he feared;
Though he were a Son,
yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
And being made perfect,
he became the author of eternal salvation
unto all them that obey him;
Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.”
– Hebrews 5:7-10 KJV