Tag Archives: peace

Jesus, Haven of My Heart

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Jesus, I place myself
In the holy confines20110914-035209.jpg
Of Your Sacred Heart.
Heart of my heart,
Draw heaven to me.

Surround me with friends
Of Your choosing,

That my mind might be full
Of the conversation of saints.

The world is so much with me.
It is temptress and shallow.
I long for the deep
Of Your thoughts,
To speak peace and refuge
In my wilderness.

You are the haven of my soul,
The Paradise once lost,
But now given
With my Daily Bread

Exile holds no fear
For You surround me.
You are my consolation
And marrow of my bones,
Strength of my strength.

Your Holy Spirit comes to me
And turns my tears to laughter.
In a valley of vanity and pride,
Your Humanity and Humility
Take me by the hand and heart
To lead me home.

©2012 Joann Nelander
All rights reserved

Desire of the Everlasting Hills – Vimeo

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Desire of the Everlasting Hills

by Everlasting Hills

Prayer to Our Guardian Angel

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O most Faithful companion, appointed by God to be my guide and protector, and who art ever at my side, what thanks can I offer thee for thy faithfulness and love, and for all the benefits which thou hast conferred upon me? Thou watchest over me in sleep; thou consolest me when I am sad; thou liftest me up when I fall; thou avertest the dangers that threaten me; thou preparest me for the future; thou withdrawest me from evil and excitest me to good; thou exhortest me to penance when I yield to temptation; and reconcilest me to my offended God. Share
O most Faithful companion, appointed by God to be my guide and protector, and who art ever at my side, what thanks can I offer thee for thy faithfulness and love, and for all the benefits which thou hast conferred upon me? Thou watchest over me in sleep; thou consolest me when I am sad; thou liftest me up when I fall; thou avertest the dangers that threaten me; thou preparest me for the future; thou withdrawest me from evil and excitest me to good; thou exhortest me to penance when I yield to temptation; and reconcilest me to my offended God. Long since should I have been cast into hell, unless by thy prayers thou hadst averted from me the anger of God. Leave me not, then, I entreat thee; but still comfort me in adversity, restrain me in prosperity, defend me in danger, assist me in temptations, lest at any time I fall a victim to them. Offer to God my prayers and groanings, and all my religious exercises, and obtain for me the great gift of final perseverance, and the grace to die in the friendship of my Creator, and so to enter into life everlasting.
Amen.

God on the Horizon

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Lord, I rejoice to hear Your Voice
Echoing in my soul.
Through Your Word,
I have come to recognize that Voice
Even amidst the chaos of the world.

“Come to Me”
“Do not be afraid”
“Stand firm”
“Your God is in your midst. ”

Heaven sings “My Lord” on the horizon.
Spanning the day with Your herald,
Coming forth with the
dawn,
His notes color the firmament
In a symphony of splendor.
Playing with hues
As with a pipe organ,
He pulls out the stops in promise,
Until he captures the morn and subdued it.

Making it His own
In the mystery of You, O Lord.
He whispers to listening hearts,
“You are the Light of the world”

With eventide He strides
As Day’s work done.
Then God calls home the Sun.
But not without a closing hoorah.
As over hill and dale,
He paints for fun,
And angelic artists
Shout His blazing Glory.

All is put to bed
‘Neathe a cloak of many colors,
Finally, dimming their voices
In lullabys of peace
To sleep in childlike slumber,
Save for He, Who slumbers not.

God on the horizon,
Sun to sun,
Labor swallowed up in trust,
To await His Coming
In both darkness and the dawn,
All my life long.

©2012 Joann Nelander
All rights reserved

Shalom Peace

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I am man,
Creation run a muck.
You have set me to name the animals
And govern as You, Yourself,
With angel hosts to help set the world aright
But only by Your Light.

And what have I done,
And do I do?
Taking hold of the universe
I twist it to my will,
Make laws against Your Laws
And ride wild chariots,
Only to drown in Passover’s sea.

Yet there is hope for me.
Return to claim Your own.
Invite all to Your throne.
Purge the night in fiery column.
Day-spring arise to water anew,
And lead by Mystery and cloud..
In shalom peace to You.

© 2013 Joann Nelander

I’m Doing the Best I Can Do

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I say it so often,
“I am doing the best I can do.”
My heart breaks,
For I desire to do all for You,
Yet, I am full of myself,
And You seem silent.

I am still of the earth
And aspire to heaven.
I am so common,
Yet You call me “Beloved”,
And “Child of God”.

My end draws near,
As it does for all men.
Many count their days endless,
And take no account.
What of my end?
Do I please You,
Who number my days,
And promise endless life?

Abandonment draws me
To Your Heart.
Do everything for me,
And in peace
I shall rest in You,
Endless Love of countless days,
Receive me.

by Joann Nelander

Today is the memorial of St. Bernard who wrote:

“The faithful know how much need they have of Jesus and Him crucified; but though they wonder and rejoice at the ineffable love made manifest in Him, they are not daunted at having no more than their own poor souls to give in return for such great and condescending charity. They love all the more, because they know themselves to be loved so exceedingly… ”

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 7, http://www.ccel.org.