My Friend
I have a friend I can count on
When all other friends turn away.
He sits with me in the evening
And walks with me through the day.
He cheers me when I'm lonely
He comforts me when I grieve.
He's the only friend who stands by me
When rough times make other friends leave.
If I lost all my worldly possessions
And my life abruptly should end
When I walk through deaths shadowy valley
My hand will be held by my Friend.
Then when I awake in His presence
And gaze on His glorious face
I'll know it was not by my doing
But my Friend's remarkable grace.
By Linda Dallis
The Savior Passed By
A blind man sat by the side of the road,
He sat there to beg every day.
Then One day Jesus passed by the blind man
And He covered his eyes with some clay.
Christ told him to wash in the pool of Soloam,
He washed and received his sight.
Simply because the Christ had passed by,
His darkness was turned into light.
When Lazarus lay dead in his tomb for four days
And his sisters were mourning their loss,
The Savior passed by and cried, "Lazarus come forth!"
And the grave clothes aside he did toss.
A woman afflicted for many long years
By an illness that no one could cure,
Touched the hem of His garment when Jesus passed by
And she was afflicted no more.
Do you think that Lazarus refused the Lord's call?
Or the blind man would not wash in the Pool?
The why do you close your ears to His voice?
Why do you call me the fool?
Confess your sin! Ask Christ to come in!
Don't live one more day in your sorrow.
Please don't delay, Accept Him today,
He might not pass your way tomorrow.
By Linda Dallis
THE MASTER POTTER
Shapeless, damp and cold! Just a useless clump of clay,
Lying in the potter's shop waiting for the day
When the potter takes it in his hand and spins it on his wheel,
Patiently he molds it and bends it to his will.
It could be a priceless object, much admired and in demand,
Or a common cup for drinking placed within a beggar's hand.
The value of the object depends upon the potter's skill,
And the willingness of the clump of clay to bend unto his will.
We, too, are being molded as we walk the road of life.
The molding and the shaping takes the form of love and strife
The Potter is Christ Jesus, there's no doubt about His skill,
The problem is resistance of bending to His will.
Our stubborn will persists and we go our selfish way,
Never knowing all the blessings we throw carelessly away.
A life yielded to the Master is so rich, so full and free,
I will cease from my resistance and say, "Lord, I'll follow thee.
Make of me a priceless vessel held secure within your hand,
Shaped and molded by your teachings, heading for your Promised Land."
By Linda Dallis
KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS
Peter walked on the water
While his eyes on the Lord were stayed.
How quickly he started sinking
When his eyes from the Master strayed.
Why turn our eyes from Jesus?
His countenance is so fair.
We turn our eyes on worldly things
And fall into despair.
We see the sin around us
And soon we are in its midst.
The temptations of Satan's pleasures
Are sometimes to hard to resist.
A closer walk with Jesus,
Communing with Him day by day,
Always seeking His guidance,
And praying His will to obey.
Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
Not looking around us at all,
Just trusting in Christ only always,
Truly living to give Him our all.
That's the only sure way to follow,
Though the road be narrow or long,
Jesus will always stay near you
In His strength we can be strong.
By Linda Dallis
STOP
Good morning, Lord, I just woke up,
I'm running late today.
I know that I must hurry
But I have to stop to pray.
I can't begin my day, Lord,
Without praising your sweet name,
And thanking you for saving me
When in my life you came.
Please guide me through this day, Lord,
Let your will be done, not mine,
Control my thoughts, my tongue and deeds,
Let your light through me shine.
Help me in my work place
To be faithful, strong, and true
And everything I do there
Bring honor and praise to you.
I can't make it through today, Lord,
Without your strength and love,
But I can do all things
As you guide me from above.
I must be on my way now,
I have a job to do,
I know it will be better
Because I stopped to talk to you.
By Linda B. Dallis
TRIED BY FIRE
So often things will happen we do not understand,
But we must turn to Jesus and tightly hold His hand.
When the road gets dark and bumpy,
And We stumble in the path,
It seems as if God unleashed on us the fullness of His wrath.
We turn to friends and neighbors and ask them to explain,
Why we must bear this burden and suffer all this pain.
They cannot give an answer,
They cannot share our load,
And so we wonder aimlessly along life's weary road.
But Christ has promised comfort and no load too great to bear,
He is always standing near you.
He will your burden share.
"A11 things work for good for those who love the Lord",
So till the trial is over just take Him at His word.
And when the load is lifted and the pain has died away,
We find we've added inches to our faith along the way.
By Linda B. Dallis
Perfect Gifts
Every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord above.
And if He holds back anything that you've been dreaming of
It's not because He's selfish, for that just isn't true.
It's just because He loves you, and knows what's best for you.
He can see into the future for the future's in His hands
And the things that you desire to have are just not in His plans.
If you will keep your eyes on Him and follow where He leads,
You'll find He's true and faithful in supplying all your needs.
And some day in the future when you think of that lost treasure
You will know that if you had it it would not have brought you pleasure.
God is gracious to His children and will bless in His own way
So be thankful for the things you have and praise the Lord each day.
By Linda Dallis
THE MEMBERS
Jane went to church Sunday morning
She thought the service was great
She was five minutes early
Two people came in late.
Mary was dressed so neatly
Jennifer's hair was a mess
David's shirt needed pressing
Jane liked Juanita's dress
Yes, Jane went to church Sunday morning
She wouldn't miss it for anything
After all, it's good for her business
Just think of the prestige it brings!
Sue went to church Sunday morning
The service spoke to her heart
The Holy Spirit was present
God's blessings were there from the start
God's grace was the theme of the message
His love and mercy so free
Sue's heart kept repeating this sentence
"Lord, help me to be more like thee
Help me to serve you and witness
Help me to live day by day just for you
Let others see only Jesus
In all that I say and I do."
Both members smiled at the pastor
And shook his hand at the door
Both spoke to regular members
But Sue did even more
She made the visitors welcome
She carefully remembered each name
Later that week she called them
And said she was glad that they came
She shared God's plan of salvation
And as she knelt in prayer
She thanked God for His goodness
And allowing her His grace to share.
By Linda Dallis
THE GIFT
The Christ Child came to earth to dwell
To save your soul and mine from hell
Although He is the King of all
He was born in a stable small.
If pride should make you think you're are smart
Or greed should infiltrate your heart
Remember how Christ came to earth
And what His life and death are worth.
Accept this gift He freely gave
Accepting it your soul you'll save
If you will live each day for Him
Your cup will overflow its rim.
By Linda Dallis
GRANDMA
I often think of my grandma
Who now lives in heaven above.
It was she who told me of Jesus
And showered me with God's love.
I can still see her reading her Bible
And living her life by God's Word
She never spoke evil of others
No gossip from her lips was heard.
Just a sweet little gray haired lady
Whose smile could brighten my day
Whose life was the perfect example
Of a Christian who followed God's way.
I've tried all my life to be like her,
To walk in the path that she set.
I trust in her Jesus who saved me
So maybe I'll reach my goal yet.
Someday when I set foot in heaven
And my Jesus greets me at the door
I'll see my dear grandma behind Him
And we can praise God ever more.
By Linda Dallis
Grandma's Bible
Grandma loved her King James Bible
And she read it every day
No revisions or translations
Told her what it had to day
She just prayed the Holy Spirit
Would teach her as she read
And with each daily reading
Her faithful soul was fed.
She was not an educated woman
But she could write and she could read
And the King James Authorized Edition
Satisfied her need.
Now men with higher education
Say it is too hard to understand
And revised and amplified editions
Have been published through the land.
I have read many of these versions
And I came to this conclusion
The changes that these men have made
Have simply caused confusion.
It isn't changes to God's Word we need
It's hearts that need the changing
So pray for guidance as you read
And stop this rearranging!
By Linda Dallis
GOD'S WORD TO GOD'S WORLD
God's word to God's world,
Shout it loud and clear
God's word to God's world,
Spread it far and near
Do not keep it to yourself,
Tell it to all others
If you don't you're guilty of the sins
Done by your brothers
Tell the people where you work,
Tell it to your neighbor
Help send workers to the field,
God will reward your labor.
Let God's word so fill your life
The world can't help but see
That even unto the end of the world
God's grace can set you free
God's word to God's world,
Tell both young and old
So when you meet with Christ on high
Your crown will be pure gold.
By Linda Dallis
LIFE
Have you ever walked in a valley
When the day starts to fade and die?
Have you noticed the shadows lengthen
As the sun slips across the sky?
But when you climb up a mountain
And sit on its uppermost crest,
There are no shadows to gather
And the sunset is seen at its best.
Life is a series of mountains and valleys,
Depending on how much you give.
The valleys represent hard times
And the sorrows through which you live.
The mountains are times when you're happy
And your heart is just bursting with love
The times when you witness for Jesus
And tell of His Father above.
If you want to turn valleys to mountains
Turn sorrows and sadness away
Give thanks and praises to Jesus
For even your darkest of days.
Then His blessings will be so abundant
Your valleys will fade out of sight.
You'll be living on top of a mountain
And basking in God's Heavenly Light.
By Linda Dallis
CHANGES
It's often Hard to make a change
Of home or job for something strange.
To leave behind familiar faces,
To start anew in other places.
And though it's hard to go away
You know you can no longer stay.
The things you've learned will go with you
And in a way each friend will, too.
Every one we've left behind
Has left impressions on our mind.
A special memory of each one
Of favorite things that they have done.
A new adventure lies ahead.
Throw aside your fears and dread.
The door is open, venture through.
The time has come to start anew!
By Linda Dallis
PRAISE THE LORD
If we only praise the Lord
For all the things in life
That fill our hearts with laughter
And never give us strife,
Then we're missing out on comfort
In times of deepest pain,
We're missing out on rainbows,
We only see the rain.
Be thankful for the joys of life
And be thankful for the pain,
It is only through the hard times
That some gifts of God we gain.
The grace that sees us through each day,
Peace only God can give,
Patience to endure each trial,
A heart willing to forgive.
So thank you, Lord, for everything,
Both happiness and strife,
You are the one who holds my hand,
And guides me through this life.
I will ever love and praise you,
For this one truth is sure,
You will never, ever leave me,
Your love and mercy will endure.
By Linda Dallis
HEAVY HEART
Just When my hearts the heaviest,
And I sink to the depth of despair,
I feel that no one loves me
And wonder if God hears my prayer.
That is just the time that Jesus
Reaches down from Heaven above
And says, "Precious child of mine,
How can you doubt my love?"
"I shed my blood on Calvary
From sin to set you free.
I've filled your life with many things,
Why do you now doubt me?"
"I've never asked repayment
For all the things I do,
I only ask you trust me,
And know my Word is true."
"I'll never leave nor forsake you
I'll stay right by your side.
So trust me, precious child of mine,
And in my love abide."
Oh Thank you, Lord, for all you do,
Forgive my doubts and fear,
And thank you for reminding me
That you are always here.
I'll keep my eyes stayed on you, Lord,
Just trusting as I go,
That you will always lift me,
Each time my heart sinks low.
By Linda Dallis