Heaven (I Will Praise)

Hello everyone! I hope you all are having a good, fun summer so far!


     I wanted to share a poem that I wrote with you guys. To be honest, out of all the poems I have written so far, this one is my favorite. I really enjoyed writing it, mostly because of the poem's theme.

     The idea for this poem actually came to me while I was singing. A couple weeks ago, I was thinking about heaven, and I was wondering what kind of a place it was. While I wondered, I imagined what I thought it looked like, as well as what I thought it will be like to see Jesus face to face. As I thought, I started singing and rhyming some words together. Then the idea for the poem started forming in my head. So I decided to write down the words I was singing before I forgot them. Later, I wrote the rest of the poem around those first few words. If this poem was a song, I sang the beginning of the chorus and the beginning of the bridge.

     In this poem, I tried to describe what I think heaven is going to be like. When I imagine it, I picture myself standing face to face with God and seeing the love He has for me. I also imagine myself as a part of a heavenly choir singing praises to Him. For lack of a better word, it looks very beautiful to me, and I wanted to share that beauty in the poem.

     I shared a few of the names of God in this poem. I also tried to incorporate a verse from Isaiah into the poem. The verse is from Isaiah 61:10, and it talks about praising God and being clothed in His righteousness.

Isaiah 61:10  NIV

"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

Here is the poem.

Heaven (I Will Praise)

In eternity's light

I look around and I see

A very beautiful sight

I see the Prince of Peace

He calls me by my name

With His arms open wide

I run towards His embrace

No, I don't have to hide

I will praise, His Holy Name

I will down down before my Jesus

I will kneel before my God and King

On the cross, He showed His love for me

He died and rose, to set me free

I will praise my Father, Redeemer, and Savior

Praise Him here on earth, then forever in Heaven

Jesus stood in my place

And He took my shame

He showed me grace

And He broke my chains

Now I'm clothed in white

Dressed in His righteousness

And with all my heart

I'll sing of His forgiveness

And I will praise, His Holy Name

I will down down before my Jesus

I will kneel before my God and King

On the cross, He showed His love for me

He died and rose, to set me free

I will praise my Father, Redeemer, and Savior

Praise Him here on earth, then forever in Heaven

I will dance and sing, to the King of kings

I will worship Jesus, at His feet

I will lift His name on high

I was dead, and He gave me new life

I will praise, His Holy Name

I will down down before my Jesus

I will kneel before my God and King

On the cross, He showed His love for me

He died and rose, to set me free

I will praise my Father, Redeemer, and Savior

Praise Him here on earth, then forever in Heaven

I will down down before You Jesus

I will kneel before You, You're my King

On the cross, You showed Your love for me

You died and rose, to set me free

I will praise You, Father, Redeemer, and Savior

Praise You here on earth, then forever in Heaven

I will praise my Father, Redeemer, and Savior

Praise Him here on earth, then forever in Heaven

Marla

Darina

     I believe that adoption can change children's lives for the better. I know that children with disabilities can live good, happy lives if they are adopted. I also know that they will thrive in the care of families who love them. That is why I always write about Marla, Darina, and other children with Cerebral Palsy who live in institutions. They need to be adopted. They need to know that they are loved and cherished.

     I can not say enough about how much I love Marla and Darina. Every day, I keep praying that they will be adopted soon. So I want to ask you a question: can you please pray for Marla and Darina? Can you please share their pictures and consider adopting these girls? They need our help to get out of the institutions and into the homes of families who love them.

Please help Marla and Darina.

Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone! Merry Christmas!

I wanted to share my latest poem with you guys. This poem is called, "All I Need." Part of the poem is based off of this passage in the Bible.

Matthew 7:24-27 ESV

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

This poem is also based off of an imaginary place of mine. It's a place that I like to go to if I feel overwhelmed and stressed. It makes me feel calm. This place is a meadow full of flowers, and I lay in the grass under a blue sky. Jesus is next to me, and no, I don't get sunburned.

Here is the poem.

All I Need

As I lie here in this place

As the sunlight hits my face

I close my eyes and feel the breeze

As it slowly blows on me

I can feel Your hand in mine

When I look, I can see Your smile

Every time that my heart beats

I can feel Your peace

As it washes over me

I know that You are always with me

Under the sky

In a field of flowers

There's nowhere else I'd rather be

It's just You and me

You hold me close, You never let me go

You hold my heart, You warm my soul

And when I pray, You speak to me

You are all I need

All my worries and my fears

I give to You because You care

I put my faith, and my trust

In the One who showed me love

Jesus died, and rose again

Now I give my life to Him

I put my head on His chest

As He gives me rest

As it washes over me

I know that He is always with me

Under the sky

In a field of flowers

There's nowhere else I'd rather be

It's just You and me

You hold me close, You never let me go

You hold my heart, You warm my soul

And when I pray, You speak to me

You are all I need

And when the storm rages on

You are the rock I stand upon

When the winds and waves grow strong

You will be with me through it all

As it washes over me

I know that You are always with me

Under the sky

In a field of flowers

There's nowhere else I'd rather be

It's just You and me

You hold me close, You never let me go

You hold my heart, You warm my soul

And when I pray, You speak to me

You are all I need

Jesus, You are all I need

Every year, around my birthday and Christmas, I always get asked the same questions. "What do you want for your birthday?" and, "What do you want for Christmas?" Every year, I always have the same answer. "I don't know." Well, this year I have an answer to both questions.

Marla

What I want for my birthday is for Marla to be adopted. Because adopting her would take time, I know she can't be out of the institution before Christmas. However, I do hope and pray that someone will commit to adopting her soon. Then she can spend next Christmas in a home full of love and laughter around her, instead of in the institution.

So I want to ask you a question. Will you consider adopting Marla? If not, can you tell people about her? She is not going to last very long in the institution. She needs to get out of there and get into the arms of a family that loves her. Then she can live her life happy with her family.

I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!

"You"

Hey everyone! I hope you guys are having a good week!

I have written a poem that I wanted to share with you guys.

This poem is called "You." I wrote this poem in a way that kind of follows the idea of my first poem, "Forever and Always." I wrote that poem from God's perspective as He tells us that He is always with us. I wrote the poem, "You," from our perspective as we praise God  when He helps us.

Here is the poem.

"You"

You made the sky

And You made the sea

You created every part of me

All I want

Is to be with You

I want to draw near to you

Your Love is so amazing

You hold me close when I'm afraid

You take all my fears away

You softly whisper that You love me

When I cry you hear my prayer

You come and tell me that You're here

You never let me go

And I am not alone

When I fall apart

You speak right to my heart

Lord, You give me peace

I am held in Your hand

Because of You, now I can stand

And I can see

Your Love is so amazing

You hold me close when I'm afraid

You take all my fears away

You softly whisper that You love me

When I cry you hear my prayer

You come and tell me that You're here

You never let me go

And I am not alone

Every time I have cried out to You

You have come, and You have pulled me through

I put my hope, and my trust, in You

Your Love is so amazing

You hold me close when I'm afraid

You take all my fears away

You softly whisper that You love me

When I cry you hear my prayer

You come and tell me that You're here

You never let me go

And I am not alone

You've never let me go

I am not alone

Please keep praying and sharing Marla and Darina. They need to be adopted soon.

Poems and Encouragement

Hey guys! I wanted to share two more poems that I have written lately.

The first poem was inspired by something that happened to me last year. I was playing in my church's gym when I lost my balance and fell. I hit my cheek and broke my two front teeth. A few months later, I got my teeth capped with permanent caps. Now I can eat and smile like I did when my teeth were normal.

When I thought about that, it made me think about these verses.

Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness."

Ephesians 2:8-9
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast."

We are broken people. We need someone to put us back together, but we can't do it by ourselves. We need Jesus. We need Him to come and make us whole. That is where the title of this poem came from. It's called, "Whole Again."

Whole Again

I am broken

And I am bruised

I have fallen down again

I am bleeding

And I am praying

Trying to stand, but I don't think that I can

When You saw me

You came to help me

When I

Was lost in the pain I was in

You came

And brought me back to life again

You picked up

All of the pieces of me

Put me together and then

You made me whole again

I hit so hard

And I fell so far

And I was hurting

But Your love

And Your mercy is never-ending

They're new every morning

When You saw me

You came to help me

When I

Was lost in the pain I was in

You came

And brought me back to life again

You picked up

All of the pieces of me

Put me together and then

You made me whole again

You turned my sorrow into singing

You turned my weakness into dancing

You have always held on to me

When you saw me

You came to help me

When I

Was lost in the pain I was in

You came

And brought me back to life again

You picked up

All of the pieces of me

Put me together and then

You made me whole again

When I

Was lost in the pain I was in

You came

And brought me back to life again

You picked up

All of the pieces of me

Put me together and then

You made me whole again

The second poem was inspired by the verses in the Bible about the potter and the clay. The verses can be found in Jeremiah 18:1-6.

Jeremiah 18: 1-6 NIV

"This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. "Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, "Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?" declares the Lord. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel."

About two weeks ago, I was thinking about the potter and the clay from those verses in Jeremiah. I was thinking about how the potter makes his different bowls and pots from the clay. He puts the clay on the potting wheel and molds it into the shape he wants the bowl to look like.

God does the same thing to us. We are the clay, and God is the potter. He is molding us into a "bowl" that looks like Jesus.

The Potter

When I see this place

I hear the cries of pain

Will You lead me Lord?

When You call me, I will answer

When You tell me, I will speak

I want to share Your love, the love You've given me

You are making me

Into a masterpiece

Teach me

To be more like You, and less like me

Mold me

Into the person You want me to be

I am a child

And You are my Father

I am the clay

And You are the Potter

The old man is dead

I have been born again

Lord, You are changing me

When You lead me, I will follow

When You stop, then I will stay

I want to live like You, every day

You are making me

Into a masterpiece

Teach me

To be more like You, and less like me

Mold me

Into the person You want me to be

I am a child

And You are my Father

I am the clay

And You are the Potter

I have been saved

By grace through faith

I want to show the world

There is hope in You, alone

You are making me

Into a masterpiece

Teach me

To be more like You, and less like me

Mold me

Into the person You want me to be

I am a child

And You are my Father

I am the clay

And You are the Potter

I am a child

You are my Father

I am the clay

You are the Potter

As far back as I can remember, I have always been a writer. I used to write little stories and poems in notebooks. Now that I'm older, I want to write things that will encourage people and point them to Jesus. I hope and pray that God will use what I write to do that.

Thoughts and a Poem

I wanted to share what I've been thinking about today.

For the past few years, we have heard about the deaths of many well known people. (Robin Williams, Michael Jackson, Prince, etc.) These people had everything they ever wanted/needed. They had become famous, and everyone knew their name.

When they died, everyone in America mourned the loss of these people. The news of their deaths spread like wildfire across the news stations, the tabloids, and the internet.

Meanwhile, in other countries around the world, children with disabilities are being neglected and left to die. They are not being cared for because they were born with a disability.

  Marla

Marla is one of those children. She, along with millions of other children around the world, want to know the love of a family.

No, these children are not as popular as the pop stars and the movie celebrities. No, we don't take a moment of silence to pray for them on national television. We pray for them, and we advocate for them, but who will take a step of faith and go adopt them?

(I know a lot of you who read my blog have advocated and adopted kids overseas. Please, keep advocating. Keep adopting.)

God has not forgotten these children. And He has called every Christian to, "look after orphans and widows in their distress." James 1:27 NIV

It is our job to care for the least of these. Yes, the deaths of celebrities is sad, (I hope they asked Jesus into their hearts before they passed away.) but the deaths of these children is also sad.

God made these children to be loved by families. They were not made to lie in beds alone and forgotten. They were made by a Heavenly Father who loves them deeply.

And God does not make mistakes. Many people might look at people with disabilities and think that they are mistakes. God is perfect. He never makes mistakes. He's the one who made the people with Downs Syndrome, HIV, CP, etc.

I also wanted to share another poem that I wrote in the beginning of April. It's called, "Hope in the Lord."

I wrote this poem while I was thinking about a couple of Bible verses. I was meditating on these verses and God gave me the words for another poem. Here are the Scripture verses that I was thinking about.

 Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV

"He gives strength to the weary

And increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint."

Philippians 4:13 NIV

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

"

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

"Hope in the Lord"

I want to be like You,

But I don't have the strength

To do Your Will on my own

So You show Your Mercy and Grace

I know You'll help me

I will follow You every day

So I will sing

And I will dance

I will run

And not grow weary

I will walk

And not be faint

I will soar

On wings like eagles

Though I stumble and I fall

I will put my hope in the Lord

God, You know the plans

 That You have for me

I can do everything

Through Christ who strengthens me

Through the cross of Christ

I have been set free

So I will sing

And I will dance

I will run

And not grow weary

I will walk

And not be faint

I will soar

On wings like eagles

Though I stumble and I fall

I will put my hope in the Lord

Everything I do

I will do it for You

Every day I see

How much You love me

With everything I say

I will speak of Your Holy Name

So I will sing

And I will dance

I will run

And not grow weary

I will walk

And not be faint 

I will soar

On wings like eagles 

Though I stumble and I fall

I will put my hope in the Lord

                                     

               Darina            

Please keep sharing and praying that families will adopt Marla, Darina, and all the other orphans in the world.

Stuff I've Been Writing

Hey guys!

It's been a while since my last post. Last year, I had planned on getting back to blogging, but I got busy writing other things. I wanted to share what I've written with you guys if that's okay.

Back in August, I decided to start playing my guitar again. I only knew a couple chords when I started, but then I found a program that has been teaching me how to play guitar. I've been using it to learn new notes and chords on the guitar.

When I started playing again, I messed around with different chord combinations on the guitar. While I did that, I wrote lyrics to the melodies I was playing. I sat on my bed for a month and a half writing and playing. These songs are what I wanted to share with you guys. They could also be considered poems.

I wrote these songs/poems back in August to mid-September. In all honesty, I didn't like the songs enough to share them for a while. Then I thought that God can use them to encourage someone. So I decided to share them here.

The first song is called, "Forever and Always." While I wrote the melody for this song, I asked myself this question. "What is something God would say to His children when they need His help? Then God gave me the words.

Forever and Always

I have seen you cry

As the tears fall down your face

You don't have to be afraid

When you really want to hide

I will be here by your side

Every day

You're not alone

Draw near to me

I love you

I will always be with you

Forever

I care about you

I will walk beside you

Always

In the middle of the night

As you lie wide awake

Just call my name

In the times when you can't move

Know I'm holding on to you

Today

You're not alone

Draw near to me

I love you

I will always be with you

Forever

I care about you

I will walk beside you

Always

You're not alone

Draw near to me

I love you

I will always be with you

Forever

I care about you

I will walk beside you

Always

The next song I wrote is called "In My Father's Arms." I thought about myself when I was younger while I wrote this song. I had questioned God on why He gave me Cerebral Palsy. I didn't understand why God would give it to me, especially when I was going through therapy.

This song/poem talks about being safe in God's arms when you question the things He does in your life.

In My Fathers Arms

Lord forgive me

Because I can't see

How this can be Your plan for me

I've cried so many tears

And I've wrestled with these fears

And voices that just keep on telling me lies

You said you'd never leave me

Or forsake me

Help me believe

That you are always next to me

Watching over me

And when my strength is gone

Help me know I'm not alone

And I'm safe in my Father's arms

I have asked you why

A hundred million times

Every day it's Your face I'll seek

You say, "My child, wait and see

You'll bring glory to me

I am all you need."

You said you'd never leave me

Or forsake me

Help me believe

That you are always next to me

Watching over me

And when my strength is gone

Help me know I'm not alone

And I'm safe in my Father's arms

Every time I fall

I will seek your face

And when I stand up tall

I will run towards your embrace

There's nothing more beautiful

Than your amazing grace

You said you'd never leave me

Or forsake me

Help me believe

That you are always next to me

Watching over me

And when my strength is gone

Help me know I'm not alone

And I'm safe in my Father's arms

The third song I wrote is called "Your Light." This song talks about looking for God's light to help you through dark and bad situations.

Your Light

I am walking

Through the valley

And I can't see, anything

The fear of the unknown

Oh, it has taken hold

Of my heart

I'm reaching for Your hand

Lord, will you help me stand?

Who do I run to

When the sky falls down?

Who do I turn to

When the lights go out?

I can't do this by myself

So I will call for Your help

As I go through the night

I will look for Your light

Now I see

Who's in front of me

Jesus, you are leading me

I will hold on to you

I know you'll help me through

Jesus, I love you

As I reached for Your hand

You came and helped me stand

Who do I run to

When the sky falls down?

Who do I turn to

When the lights go out?

I can't do this by myself

So I will call for Your help

As I go through the night

I will look for Your light

You are my hope

You are who I live for

You are my strength

Every day

Even in the darkness

I will sing Your praise

As I am holding Your hand

I know You're helping me stand

Who do I run to

When the sky falls down?

Who do I turn to

When the lights go out?

I can't do this by myself

So I will call for Your help

As I go through the night

I will look for Your light

Yes, as I go through the night

I will look for Your Light

I hope and pray that God can use what I write to encourage people.

Marla

Darina

Please keep praying for Marla and Darina. They need a family to adopt them.

God Adopted Us

Hi guys!

I wanted to share something that I've been thinking about for the past few days.

Jesus cares about adoption.

     Did you know that Jesus paid the price for our adoption?  When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the price for our sins. Then, three days later, he rose from the dead. Jesus paid the price for our sins so we could be adopted into God's family. We can receive this free gift of salvation if we confess our sins and ask for God's forgiveness. Then we, as Christians, are his children, and he is our Heavenly Father.

     God cares about us like a father cares about his child. He wants to have a relationship with us just like a parent wants to have a relationship with their children. That is why God sent Jesus to save us. When we become a child of God, we can have that kind of relationship with God, and we can live forever with him in Heaven one day.

James 1:27 says,

     "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

     Jesus spent most of his ministry on earth teaching his disciples, healing people, and loving the unlovable. We are called to be like Jesus. We are called to show the love of Jesus in everything we do. When we do that, God uses us to draw people to himself. Part of being like Jesus is adopting children just like he adopted us.

Marla

     For those of you who have read my blog, you know I love Marla. When I first saw her picture, it broke my heart. I love this girl even though I have never met her. I care about her and I pray that a family will adopt her soon. She needs to get out of the institution. If she doesn't get out soon, she will die. Are you her forever family?