Blessed

Lord,

How can I even begin to count,
the many ways in which you have blessed me?
There aren't enough hours in the day,
to name them and give you thanks and praise.
So here I am before you, at this year's end,
to praise your for your blessings,
which come with no end.

I thank you for my family,
both here and far away.
For the wonderful friend,
who support and encourage me.
For the partner you have given me,
to live life together for you.
For the opportunities you have given me,
to be molded in your image.
For the purpose you have created me for,
to love others as you love.
For the person you have created me to be,
even though I constantly fall short.

Lord,
If I consider all that you have done for me,
I realize that my very existence is a blessing from you.
So even though I know I could never thank you enough,
May my heart sing your praises the rest of my days

Picture

Lord,
You've shown me a picture,
though clearly I can't see it,
And the pieces of that picture,
are scattered before me.

In seeking after you,
I have finally accomplished,
to put some pieces together,
yet so much still remains.

God,
I believe these pieces,
will come together on their own,
if I keep following the path,
down which your voice is leading

When the picture is finished,
and it becomes completely clear,
The door to that path will open,
and the new journey begins.

Untitled

Oh Lord,
It is so easy to take back the things
that we have surrendered to you.
Even though we once placed them into your hands,
we reach up and take them back,
thinking we can deal with them better on our own.

Why does this cycle continue?
I thought I would have learned my lesson by now,
but instead I repeat the mistake of taking things back from you,
only to fail miserably on my own.

God,
here I am again, wandering and lost,
on this path you led me down.
I can see a glimpse of the future you're leading me towards,
but have no idea how to take the steps to get there.

I surrendered myself to you,
but it seems like I have taken myself back,
even though I am nothing on my own.
The hope and peace I had in you has faded,
because of my own selfishness and stubbornness,
and all I'm left now is a glimpse of what you have shown me,
with nothing to lead me there.

Lord,
I know your voice is calling,
that you are showing me the way,
but I have not been listening,
or looking for your face.
Help me out of this trap I'm in,
for I don't want to be stuck here.
I can't get out of this on my own,
for it was because I tried to go it alone,
that I am back here once again.

Person-shaped Hole

I didn't know I had this before,
This person-shaped hole I feel inside.
For now that you're gone from my reach,
Your missing presence leaves me empty.
God,
This emptiness I feel inside,
the aching of my heart and soul
leaves me broken on my knees,
crying out with no more tears.
Yet God,
I know you are near,
for I have heard your voice.
Your presence of peace,
floods over me in my despair.
You hold me tightly,
in your loving embrace
and whisper sweet words of comfort,
into my yearning ears.
So while my person-shaped hole may never go away,
You, God, will help me through the pain.

Missing You

All these years you were always there,
the voice from behind me,
the gentle presence over my shoulder,
I got so used to you being here,
the friendly face that always greeted me.
Through the ups and downs, we laughed and cried,
but now all I feel is emptiness inside.
For your reassuring presence is beyond my reach,
And your voice can only be heard in my memories.
I know you're in a better place and are whole once again,
With your heavenly father, who you loved so much.
Yet, as I stay behind and stare at your empty chair,
With the memories of you flowing with my tears,
I can't help but feel empty inside,
Because I'm missing YOU

Respond

God,
I see your tears,
falling on this place.
As you cry over the hurt of your children
who chase after everything but you.
I can feel the pain in your heart which breaks mine,
as you call out the names of those you love,
But the noise of the life they live,
drowns out your sweet and gentle whisper.

God,
I sense the desire of your heart,
for it is the longing that I feel,
as I see the God-shaped hole in everyone around me.
To reach into their busy lives and show them the way,
to the answers their soul is longing and searching for.

God,
You are calling out to Your church,
saying, "Who will go and be my voice?"
As I stand in Your live and my brokenness,
I respond, "Lord, here I am, I will go.
For Your love for these children
and the silent tears you cry.
Have reached my soul,
and I have made them mine."

You are

Lord, You are,
Almighty God.
With your Word and Breathe,
You spoke creation into being.
You knew me and had a plan for me,
even before I was a thought in this world.

Lord, You are,
Jehovah, God with us.
You chose to send us Your only Son to dwell among us
and to remind us that You are always present,
even when we can't seem to feel you near.

Lord God, You are,
Savior.
You stretched out Your arms on the cross
as a sign of how much You love us,
taking upon yourself the sins of all humanity.
To save us from ourselves and bring us back to you.

Lord, You are,
Prince of Peace.
You sent us Your Spirit to dwell in us.
To remind us that you are Jehovah and Redeemer.
To work in us so that we may lose ourselves
but gain You, who is for us.

Nerves

What is this I'm feeling inside?
I've never felt this way before.
The excitement for the road ahead,
is being drowned out by the nervousness,
of the step I must take,
and the fear of the implications,
of this path for me.
Emotions swirl between wanting to leap forward
and to dive back into the safety,
of my emotional fortress.
God,
I surrender these emotions to you.
Grant me peace in the step I choose to take,
to follow the call of your voice.
May my heart's desire to follow after You,
conquer the emotions, swirling in my head.

Why?

Why is it Lord God,
That we spend so much time,
trying to find our identity,
when you call us to lose it
and to be identified with you?

Why is it Lord God,
That we get so wrapped up,
in doing what you have called us to do,
that we lose sight of the One,
who is doing the calling?

Why is it Lord God,
That we shift our focus
to the people to serve around us,
when You reached out to us,
to be with You?

God,
Help me to lose the self,
that I have spent all this time gaining.
Help me Lord, to surrender,
all I am and will become to You.
Help me Lord, to remember,
That You called me to dwell in You before service.
For my heart yearns to walk,
hand in hand with my Lord and Savior,
The rest of my days.

Granted

Do you remember when you first met,
the savior of your heat and soul?
The loved that filled you to the brim,
The peace that eased your pain,
The joy you just couldn't contain,
Do you remember them like it was yesterday?

Oh Lord,
How easy it is to forget,
All that you have done for me.
You took me from my darkened pit,
and showered me with Your love.
Your presence as you walk with me,
has given my life meaning.
Yet, with countless blessings given me,
I lose sight that they are gifts
and begin taking them for granted.
Then my heart fills with frustration
cause they're not what I wanted.
The joy of your blessings
get lost in the sin in my heart.

God,
bring me back to the days of old,
When I first danced with Joy for you.
Help me to remember what it was like,
to be filled with gratitude and thanksgiving.

Change my heart O God,
So that all the things that I have taken for granted,
All the blessings you have freely given,
can be returned to you with a thankful heart.

追って来た (Chased after)

神よ、　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
もう先の道が見えない。
今まであなたを追って来たのに
今は一歩も進めない。
あなたの声が聞こえるのに、
未知の未来が怖いから、
前の暗闇に心はためらわされる。
イエスの供にいたい心が叫び、
『体よ、動け、前に進むしかない。』
神よ、
あなたの声に答えられる勇気をください。
あなたが示す道進める力をください。
恐れを乗り越え、一歩前歩けるよう助けてください。
だって、心が暗闇に飛び込んで
必死にあなたを追いたかってる。
神よ、
私を変えてください。
あなたと供に歩みたいこの心の願いが叶うように
AMEN

Oh God,
I can't see the road ahead.
Even though I've chased after you this far,
I can't take another step.
Even though I can hear your voice,
The fear of an unknown future,
Makes my heart falter at the darkness before me.
The heart that longs to be with Jesus screams,
"Body, move, the only way to go is forward."
Oh God,
Give me the courage to respond to your voice.
Give me the strength to follow the path you have revealed to me.
Help me to overcome my fear and take a step forward.
For my heart is wanting to dive into the darkness,
and desperately chase after you.
Oh God,
Please change me,
So that the desire of my heart to walk with you
can come true.
AMEN

道で会っても (If we meet on the street)

道で会っても私を見えますか？
偽の笑顔にだまされなく
私がかぶってる仮面を見ぬいて
泣けない涙を拭いてくれる

道で会っても私を聞こえますか？
私が言ってる言葉の裏にある、
絶対言葉で言えない、
苦しんでる心の叫び。

道で会っても私に気付いてくれますか？
表の私が本物じゃなくて
無条件の愛を求めるのに
愛されるのが怖い私。

If we met on the street, Could you see me?
Would you not be fooled by my fake smile,
And see past the mask that I wear,
and wipe away the tears I cannot cry.

If we met on the street, Could you hear me?
Could you look beneath the words that I say,
For the words I absolutely can't say,
and hear the cries of a heart in pain.

If we met on the street, Would you realize?
The person on the surface is not the real me,
which is searching for unconditional love,
but is scared of being loved.

Change my Heart

Change my heart, O God.
For I have taken your blessings for granted.
Even here, you have surrounded me,
with brothers and sisters and a chance for fellowship.
Why is it, My soul, that you aren't full of praise?
Why is it, O heart, that you are flowing with thanksgiving?
Why is it, O body, that you aren't dancing for joy?

God,
bring me back,
to the days when I first met you.
Remind me God,
Of the peace of your unchanging love,
The comfort of your Holy Spirit,
and the Joy of your presence.
All these things my heart yearns for
and may I fall down before you
in thanksgiving and praise.

Good to Me

God,
Why are You so good to me?
You continue to amaze me
with just how Your Spirit moves me
exactly when I need to be.
How is it that the words I hear,
happen to be what my heart has been longing for.
How Great are You, God,
You know me better than I know myself.
You can see through the masks I wear,
and bring change even to a heart like mine.
Thank you Lord,
for Your love and how You have created me
May my life and where you are leading me,
bring pleasure to Your heart.

だれか (Someone)

だれかこの世にいるのかな？
今の私を愛してくれて
よろいの下にかくれてる
おびえてる私を抱きしめてくれる人

だれかこの国にいるのかな？
無条件で私を受け入れて
失敗しても怒らせても
自信が無い私を信じてくれる人。

だれかこの町にいるのかな？
喜んでる時一緒に笑ってくれて
悲しい時一緒に泣いてくれて
ひとりぼっちの私と一緒に歩んでくれる人。

誰か私のそばにいるのかな？
私の悩みや恐れを聞いてくれて
重い心をいやしてくれて
私を大切に思ってくれる人。

Is there someone in this world
Who will love me
And embraced the frightened me
hiding beneath this armor?

Is there someone in this country
Who will accept me without conditions
and even when I fail or make them angry,
they will believe in me when I can't believe in myself?

Is there someone in this town
Who will walk with the lonely me
and laugh with me with when I'm glad
and cry with me when I'm sad?

Is there someone near me
Who will think I'm precious
and listen to my pains and fears
to mend my heavy heart

走っても (Even if I run)

知らない。
生活の中で頑張ったのに、
気付いたら鏡に映る自分が、
だれか分からなくなった。
こんなこと望んでなかったのに。

走っても、競争しても、手に入らない、
心の穴を埋めるもの。
だれか気付いてくれない、
助けを求める心の叫び

気付けない。
止まりたくても止まれない、
だって、逃げられないんだ
世界に置いていかれる感じから。
人生はこのはずじゃなかったのに

走っても、競争しても、手に入らない、
心の穴を埋めるもの。
だれか答えてくれない、
答えを求める心の願い

見えない。
子供の時の夢が思い出せない。
毎日の生活が精一杯で
夢を持つ力はもうない。
そんなに簡単に亡くせないと思ったのに。

走っても、競争しても、手に入らない、
心の穴を埋めるもの。
だれか語ってくれない、
心が求める救いの言葉。

I don't know.
I've worked so hard in life,
But when I realized,
I didn't recognize the person in the mirror
This isn't what I was wishing for.

Even if I run, even if I compete, I can't grasp,
The thing that's supposed to fill the hole in my heart.
Will someone please notice,
The cries of a heart wanting to be rescued?

I can't grasp it.
Even if I want to stop, I can't,
Cause, I can't get away from this feeling,
That the world is going to leave me behind.
This wasn't what life was supposed to be

Even if I run, even if I compete, I can't grasp,
The thing that's supposed to fill the hole in my heart.
Will someone please respond,
To the wishes of a heart looking for answers?

Can't see it.
I can't remember my dreams as a child
Everyday is all that I can handle,
That I don't even have the power to hold dreams.
Dreams weren't supposed to be that easy to lose.

Even if I run, even if I compete, I can't grasp,
The thing that's supposed to fill the hole in my heart.
Will someone please tell me,
The words of salvation the heart is seeking for?

Symphony

The crashing of the waves,
the chirping of the crickets,
blend,
bringing a symphony of praise,
to my ears as I stand before You.
How I long to join the chorus.
To sing praises to You,
but my words can't compare,
to the beauty of the praise I hear.

God,
May my praise,
even though it is awkward and small
be accepted as a gift to You
and may it bring Joy to Your heart,
for that is my heart's desire.
To praise your glorious name,
for the rest of my days.

Myself

God,
Why is it so hard to love myself?
I have received so much love,
yet I can't seem to accept it.
God,
Why do I place my value on what I do,
instead of who you have created me to be.
It seems like I deceive myself into thinking
people love what I do instead of me.
Jesus,
Why can't I forgive myself for the mistakes I've made?
Even when you've died so I can be forgiven,
I don't let myself accept your forgiveness.
Lord,
Help me to find my worth in You,
teach me how to forgive myself,
and let your Holy Spirit work in me.
So I can come to love,
the person you have created me to be.

Armor

God,
Strip off this armor that I wear,
which is hiding who You have created me to be.
Grant me the faith to trust in You.
SO I can let my weaknesses lay bare.
Help me Lord,
to not hide behind this worldly armor
but to have confidence that You,
will clothe me in Your Spirit.
May I glorify you in my weakness,
for then your strength shines through,
and the world can see You in me
instead of the armor I hide behind

Praise be to God

Praise be to God,
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel,
Raise your voice and sing of all His mighty deeds.
For was it was God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt?
Was it not He, who made the Sun and moon stand still?
Was it not God, who continued to save his chosen people,
even as they continually turned their backs on Him.
It was He, who gave them a land of their own,
And He, who took it away because of their sin,
Yet He remembered His promise and brought his people back.
Was it not God, the Father, who sent the Son,
who changed lives and showed them the way?
Was it not the Son, who suffered on the cross?
Yet God did not let death be the end,
and raised his Son on the third day.
Does not God, the Spirit, dwell in our hearts today?
Is it not God who has rescued me from my own sin?
Remember, creation, of what God has done and continues to do
and raise your voice in honor and in praise,
To the Holy one, who has called you by name

Have Mercy

Have mercy, Oh God.
For I continually stray away from you.
I let myself get distracted
and allow my passion for you to dwindle.
I am a sinner and on my own,
I cannot defeat the sin that binds me.
Oh, how I long to be rid of this chain,
yet my will is easily broken with my own cunning.
God, my God,
rescue me from myself,
free me from the chains I wrap around myself.
Restore the brokenness hidden inside me
and help me to be the man,
You, created me to be.

Same Today

Oh God,
Over the ages, the heart's of humans haven't changed.
We are no different from the Israelites of Old.
When they prospered, they turned their back on you,
and followed after other Gods.
Yet, when they suffered, they turned back
and cried out for mercy and deliverance.
How are we any different?
When things are good, we easily turn away
only to come running back when things go wrong.
We let our passion for you dwindle so easily,
by distracting ourselves with worldly idols

Oh God,
I thank you for you never change.
Your steadfast and enduring love
is the same today as it was back then.
Even in your justice, you heard the cries of your people
and saved them from themselves.

God,
Embrace me in your unchanging Love,
so that my human heart can be changed,
to turn from the worldly things,
and seek You and You alone.