Each New Day Offers a Gift

Each new day offers a gift,
Something special about the day
To give the heart and soul a lift
And make life better in some way;
If you seek then you will find
That each day's gift will come to mind.

It may be sunshine through a cloud,
A rainbow glimpsed after the rain,
A friendly face in the midst of a crowd,
The sudden easing of a pain;
If you look around with a hopeful view,
The gift in your day will appear to you.

A gift may be in what you see,
Things you touch or what you hear,
The joy in simply being free,
The love of someone very dear;
If you take time to quietly pray,
God will reveal your gift today.

 

© Connie Arnold

Finding Peace

Moving closer to God

may bring peace into one’s life,

gravitating towards serenity,

away from the stress and strife.

The essence of peace is found

in knowing God is in control,

trusting that God will calm the storms,

bringing peace to a troubled soul.

No matter the situation

or how uncertain life may seem,

with God we experience hope and love

far greater than what we dream.

© Connie Arnold

Love and Light Came for All

Love and Light came at Christmastime,

a gift from God, divine and sublime,

offered freely to everyone,

the gift of God’s only beloved Son.

The light of a star shining radiantly

glittered with hope for humanity,

a glimpse of the peace that was meant to be

and of God’s power and majesty.

The world was trapped in the darkness of sin

until the Light of Christ entered in,

revealing God’s mercy, love and grace,

shining on people of every race.

The world was changed by this Love and Light

when Jesus was born on that special night.

Through the centuries, celebrating His birth,

joy is found in the miracle of God coming to earth.

 © Connie Arnold

Christmas Star

The Christmas star pouring its light

on the world, glittering, clear and bright,

directed the way to God’s gift of love

by its brilliance shining down from above.

The radiance of that glowing star

beamed more brightly than the others by far,

but its glory could not begin to compare

to the light of love that shone everywhere.

That star’s light focused on a stable stall,

on a tiny infant, the Lord of all.

The light of hope that this Child would impart

flickers and glimmers in each beating heart.

The light of joy and love beams on,

spreading salvation to everyone

who open their hearts so the light may come in,

with faith that Jesus will cleanse every sin.

Like the star that sparkled that holy night,

God’s love continues to shed holy light

as the light of hope that came at Christ’s birth

is shared through the centuries across the earth.

© Connie Arnold, 2014

www.conniearnold.webs.com 

October Peace

True happiness can only begin

when peace and harmony live within,

anchored to your Creator above,

Who fills your life with joy and love.

This is the photo and verse for October on my new 2015 calendar, Moments of Peace. Each month is filled with colorful nature photos and verses about peace. See more at Inspirational Poetry of Connie Arnold or Amazon.

Life is Good

  

 

Life is good in spite of pain,

For sunshine follows after rain.

When life at times is filled with sorrow,

Hope arises for a brighter tomorrow.

Without the struggles in life to bear

It might be harder to be aware

Of the gracious love poured into each soul,

Strengthening, healing, making it whole.

Look for the good things in life each day

And receive the blessings directed your way.

Discover the joy and love that abound,

And the heart of God is what you have found.

Connie Arnold

 

A Heart Filled With Love

With a heart that overflows
I give thanks, Lord, today
for the many blessings
You have sent my way.

Without You I am nothing.
I can't make it on my own,
and I'm forever grateful
for the love that You have shown.

I thank You for your love
and the gift of your dear Son,
for your boundless grace and mercy
and all that You have done.

To You I give all glory
for all of life's good things
and for the special joy
that loving You brings.



© Connie Arnold 

Love and Light

 Love and light, together as one,

revealed to the world through God’s own Son,

came that first Christmas, long ago

beaming from heaven to the earth below.

Love burst forth onto the earth

as a brilliant star marked the spot of Christ’s birth.

The heavens were filled with a radiant light

as angels came to the shepherds that night.

The glory that streamed from heaven above

was a beacon of God’s marvelous love.

As love and light pierced the darkness of earth,

the world changed forever at Jesus’ birth.

The love and light that the Lord displayed

is shimmering still on all He has made.

When we open our hearts to let it in

the beauty of Christ will shine from within.

© Connie Arnold

www.conniearnold.webs.com

A Garden

Did you know April is National Poetry Month? In celebration of that and the joy and beauty of spring I wanted to share this poem with you. Happy Spring!



A garden filled with fragrant flowers,
Surrounded by tall, strong trees,
With leaves fluttering in a soft breeze
Can provide many pleasant hours;
The peaceful sense of beauty it brings
And joy flooding into each part
Satisfies a yearning in my heart,
As my spirit soars and sings.

Enjoying nature’s beauty and rest
With the light of God’s love on my face,
An awareness swells of a special grace,
Recalling the things in life that are best;
As a certainty fills me that all will be right
Since the One who caused all things to be
Created this beauty for you and for me,
And my soul overflows with pure delight!

© Connie Arnold

How Great the Love

 

How Great the Love

The love of God, how great it is,
so marvelous and pure!
It never falters, never fails;
it always will endure.
It reaches higher than the heavens,
deeper than the sea.
God’s love surrounds His whole creation –-
how He cares for me!
 

This love we could never hope to earn
because of our own merit,
But as children of God, through our dear brother Christ,
we become free to inherit.
Nothing can separate us from God’s love
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We are precious to Him, so dearly beloved,
ever cherished and adored.

© Connie Arnold
excerpt from Beautiful Moments of Joy and Peace

Get a free copy of Loving Inspirations eBook - see details on my website

In Each Whisper

God is in each whisper and sigh,

In every land and the sun in the sky.

He's in each day and every night,

Offering mercy, grace and light.

The Lord is in each segment of time,

In dreariness, sorrow and moments sublime,

Bringing to life what He only can give,

Adding great joy to the life you live.

The King of Kings and Lord of all things

Loves and protects and great blessings brings,

Is present in every minute and hour,

Filled with great beauty, glory and power.

© Connie Arnold

Blessed Gift

Beauty and joy were quietly born

Early on that first Christmas morn

While a star shone, clear and bright.

Mercy, kindness, goodness and love

Came down to earth from heaven above,

In a tiny form, filled with light.

The light of that star, touching the earth,

Was a beacon of this miraculous birth

And the beauty that shone from within.

It hovered over this humble place,

Which was transformed by holy grace

For the One born to save us from sin.

A song of joy seemed to fill the air

As a multitude of angels suddenly was there,

Singing and praising God on high,

Proclaiming a love that will never cease,

The birth of the blessed Prince of Peace,

And their praises rang through the sky.

The peace and love this small infant brought

Was what the world so long had sought,

And hearts overflowed with joy.

We too now rejoice as we celebrate

And remember on this most special date

The gift of this blessed little baby boy.

© Connie Arnold

 


 

Give Thanks Through the Day

At the start of another new day

As the darkness slips away,

This is a wonderful time to pray

And give thanks for blessings coming your way.

During the morning in whatever you do

God’s loving presence is there with you,

Helpfully guiding and seeing you through

As you give thanks for the love and direction too.

As the day continues remain aware

Of God’s mercy and grace beyond compare,

Rejoice in the love that you can share

And give thanks for assurance of God’s tender care.

At the sun’s setting and fading of light

As the day slowly changes into night,

Let the gift of God’s Son fill you with delight

As you thank Him for making all things right.

© Connie Arnold, November 2012

Please visit my website for additional poems and November special offers and be blessed!

Seeking God

If you are seeking God,
just stop and look around.

His presence is everywhere,

waiting to be found.

He’s in the faces of people

you meet along your way,

in the smiles that greet you

and brighten up your day.

His glory is seen in nature,

in the beauty of flowers and trees,

and felt in the warm sunshine,

a strong wind or a gentle breeze.

Signs of God’s presence surround you,

evidence that He always cares,

so open your heart to receive Him

and the love He so willingly shares.

© Connie Arnold, August 2012



Memorial Day

This is the day to honor those
who have gone before,
who live in our memories,
though we see them no more,
a day of recognition
for sacrifices made,
with gratitude and love for them
that will never fade.
 

We trust that they’ve passed on
to a better place,
with no more pain or suffering,
surrounded by God’s grace,
where there is never war,
where fear and hatred cease,
and there is only light and love,
and God’s eternal peace.

Connie Arnold

Excerpt of A Symphony of Seasons, 2012

Mother's Day Celebrates Love

                    

  

This has been a wonderful two weeks of introducing A Symphony of Seasons, visiting many terrific blogs and reading the special comments made at each one. I am concluding with a Mother's Day poem from the book in honor of all mothers. Hope you have an opportunity to show your love to your mother, or if, like me, your mother has passed on, to enjoy fond memories.

Mother’s Day Celebrates Love

As we journey through the year
To the second Sunday in May,
We rejoice in the love of one so dear
As we celebrate Mother’s Day.

We honor our mother’s devotion,
Her tenderness and care,
Filled with a love as deep as the ocean,
Thoughtful and willing to share.

Her guidance and gentle direction
Helped us to do what we should,
By example and with her correction
We learned that we ought to be good.

Remembering our mothers on this date,
Whether together or far apart,
We are thankful as we celebrate
Her special place in each heart.

excerpt from A Symphony of Seasons

If you missed any of the posts, here is a list of the blogs that participated and a link to each one. Please feel free to visit and leave a comment to receive entries to the prize drawings for each comment on a different blog. Be sure to contact me at conarnold@gmail.com or visit my website to order your signed copy of  A Symphony of Seasons and receive your free gift. Details of gift and prizes are on my Blog Tour beginning post.


RPJ Blog  Song of Spring

Journal of Faith  A Year's Journey

Heading Home  devotion, Seasons of Life

Random Thoughts  4 seasons photos, summer poem and giveaway

Melodies and Hymnsongs  video of seasons

Stuff Could Always Be Worse   A Song to be Sung

Every Day With Jesus  review
          
 Empowering Christian Women  For the Beauty of the Earth video and seasons scriptures

Connie Arnold, Children's Author  Children Enjoying Summer

The Surrendered Scribe  interview

I will be posting tomorrow, Saturday, May 12, the winners of the two prizes and the winner of a copy of A Symphony of Seasons on Random Thoughts blog.

Ups and Downs in Life

These are a few verses that I have written that have a similar theme of the opposites in life. I post these sometimes on my Inspirational Poetry Facebook page and Twitter. Please click on these links if you'd like to read more like these.

Life is a mixture of good things and bad,

pain and pleasure, being happy or sad.

Remember through all things the good Lord above

will guide and protect you, filled with great love.

 

Some days have sunshine and others have rain,

some days bring happiness, others bring pain,

some days bring sorrow like storm clouds above,

but all days are filled with God's grace and great love.

Sometimes there's peace, at others there's strife,

laughter and tears are each part of life.

At times things go right but at times may go wrong,

But love makes things better, fills your heart with a song.

© Connie Arnold

What Will You Do?

 

What will you do with this special day,

This year with a brand new start?

Did you gain any knowledge along the way

In the past year that you can impart?

Did you learn anything from errors you made
To share with others to help them learn?

Did you know as the old year began to fade

That this year can take a fresh turn?

This day you've been given and you cannot know

How many more will be given to you

As new years come and old years go,

Whether many or just a few.

So as we enter another new year,

Try to make each day the best it can be.

When the future's uncertain, not really clear,

God's love is a daily certainty.

© Connie Arnold

For this new year, get great discount on 2012 Glimpses of Grace calendar, see Sharing Blessings

Joyful Expectation

At this time of year when we are filled

With joy and expectation,

We await the celebration

Of Jesus coming at His birth.

We find that we are also filled

With a sense of anticipation

And a joyful realization

That Christ again will return to earth!

In this Advent time of waiting

With our hearts and minds preparing

For a time of giving and sharing

And hearts overflowing with love,

We need to remember while waiting

To always be kind and caring,

Helping others with burdens they’re bearing,

As we await Christ’s return from above.  

© Connie Arnold

Take advantage of Advent special offers and read more poems on my website.

Peace in the Storm

© Gary Strader

 

When the storms of life are overhead,

filling you with a sense of dread,

like ocean's waves that across you roll,

feeling like you have lost control,

hopelessness can overwhelm you

with uncertainty about what to do.

Remember the One wind and sea obey

can drive your doubt and fear away.

When facing problems in your life,

look beyond the pain and strife,

lift your eyes up from the storm

to find a place that's safe and warm,

set your mind on things above

to discover peace and love.

Remember that Jesus calmed the sea,

this peace He offers to you and me.