A Surrendered Heart

Poetry and Devotional Thoughts

Bobbye Stivers Maggard

B&B Productions

Land O’ Lakes, Florida

Copyright © 2008 by Bobbye Stivers Maggard.All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the author/publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

All poetry and devotional thoughts appearing in this book were written by Bobbye Stivers Maggard during the years 2006 and 2007.

First Printing

All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-60458-229-1

Library of Congress Control Number: 2008900395

Published by B&B Productions2936 Tanglewylde DriveLand O' Lakes, FL 34638

Printed in the United States of America byInstantPublishers.com

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Dedication

To God be the Glory!

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Acknowledgements

My love and appreciation go to my husband Bob, whose faith in me, his encouragement, and his computer skills, have been invaluable.

My heartfelt gratitude goes to my cheerleaders,

Paula and Pastor Ken.

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Table of Contents

.........................................................................................Poetry 9

.....................................................................................A Prayer 10

......................................................................A Psalm of Praise 11

....................................................................................A Rhyme 12

.................................................................A Very Special Place 13

..................................................................Beyond The Manger 14

...............................................................................Creator God 15

................................................................................Crosswords 16

..................................................................................Dear Jesus 17

.........................................................................Forever Friends 18

............................................................................Home for Sale 19

..............................................................I Prayed for You Today 20

......................................................If My Tears Bought Crowns 21

............................................................Kentucky, My Kentucky 22

.........................................................................No Mortal King 23

.............................................................Not Seeing, We Believe 24

...................................................Now That I Am Seventy- five 25

..........................................................................On Getting Old 26

....................................................................Our Neighborhood 27

.........................................................................Our Living God 28

.....................................................................Permanents Aren’t 29

........................................................................................R. I. P. 30

.........................................................................................RSVP 31

........................................................................Senior Moments 32

......................................................................Song of Surrender 33

.......................................................The Cross Beside the Road 34

..............................There Are No Monkeys In My Family Tree 35

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................The Fool Has Said in His Heart, “There is no God!” 36

..........................................................................................Titles 38

..............................................................................When I Pray 39

..................................................................................Devotions 41

.....................................................................Blessed Assurance 42

..................................................................................Deception 43

....................................................Experiencing the Unexpected 44

....................................................Getting Old Ain’t For Sissies 45

.............................................................God’s Instruction Book 46

........................................................................................Gossip 47

..............................................................His Grace is Sufficient 48

....................................................................Humility And Love 49

.................................................................................I, Me, My! 50

..................................................................Israel-God’s Chosen 51

........................................Just Visiting, Or Do You Live Here? 52

........................................................Man’s Laws—God’s Laws 53

............................................................Martha in a Mary World 54

..................................................................Marriage God’s Way 55

..............................................................Our Father’s Shoulders 56

.........................................................Simon Peter—God’s Man 57

.........................................................Strengths and Weaknesses 58

.....................................................................The Armor of God 59

............................................................................Unforgiveness 60

.............................................................................Watchfulness 61

.........................................................................Why Barnabas? 62

........................................................................................Words 63

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Poetry

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A Prayer

Jeremiah 1:4-5: Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of

the womb I sanctified thee.”

O LORD, you know my being through and through.No action, word, or thought surprises You.You see my going out and coming in.

You know my past, and everywhere I've been.

Your attention never strays from me.You change darkness into light, so I can see.Your mighty hand directs my every step.My tears are in Your bottle, safely kept.

My mother's womb You made both safe and warm.And nourished me while I remained unborn.In quietness and love You made my frame.You then appointed me a special name.

You gave me a beginning and an end.I know on You I always can depend.

Your precious thoughts to me speak peace and love.My earthly trials You raise me above.

Numberless and precious are Your thoughts to me. They are as countless as the sand beside the sea.

My enemies have no eternal gainFrom their attempts to cause me grief and pain.

They practice sin and desecrate Your Name,And celebrate their evil hour of fame.

O, Keeper of my being, search my every thought,And preserve my life that Christ has bought.

Seek out each wicked way You find in me,And clothe my soul with strength and purity.

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A Psalm of Praise

Psalm 31:21: Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvelous kindness.

You came into the world and lived here perfectly.

By Your great power You set sin’s captives free.

You died, but rose again VICTORIOUSLY!

You ransomed me!

All honor, praise, and glory are to You alone

For by Your grace, You claimed me for Your own.

Mighty King, be pleased to make my heart Your throne.

I praise You!

And now I live, believing You’re the only Way,

The Truth, the Life, and Light for me each day.

I give my heart to You, and humbly bow and say,

I worship You!

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A Rhyme

I tried to rhyme like Doctor Seuss,

Or pen a poem like Mother Goose.

But my rhymer “thing” went on the loose,

So my poetry’s of little use.

I cannot rhyme like Goose or Seuss.

My brain is filled with foamy mousse.

I think I’ll call a quiet truce

With Doctor Seuss and Mother Goose.

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A Very Special Place

Matthew 11:28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in

heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

There is a special place whereI can always go

To meet in quiet graceThe One who bought my soul.

He meets me thereEach time I come to call.

And helps me bear each burdenWhether large or small.

There is a special placeHere within my heart.Where I find comfort

Every time the teardrops start.

And, as His love and mercyStart to move in me

He soothes my troubled soulAnd sets my spirit free.

When you are troubledBy burdens you can’t bearInvite the Savior in.

He’ll shoulder every care.

He’ll form within your heartA very special place.

Where you can meet Him,And share His quiet grace.

You’ll find Him thereEvery time the teardrops start.In tenderness, His gentle peace

Will fill your heart.

And, as His love and mercyStart to move in you,You’ll stand amazed

At what His mighty hand will do.

Jesus! Lover of my soul,You cleanse me,

And You have made me whole.Jesus! In You I find rest.

I’m blessed.

O God of Heaven, and Earth and Space,You cover me with amazing grace.Until that day we stand face to face,You will make my heart Your very

special place.

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Beyond The Manger

Romans 14:11: For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Beyond The Manger Was a life lived...Perfectly RighteousPerfectly CommittedPerfectly Obedient...Even to the cross.

On The CrossWas a death...

Perfectly EnduredPerfectly ForgivingPerfectly AtoningPerfectly Obedient... Even to the tomb.

Beyond The Tomb Our LORD is....

Perfectly ResurrectedPerfectly GloriousPerfectly Holy

Perfectly RighteousPerfectly WorthyTo be called...

KING of KINGS!And

LORD of LORDS!ALMIGHTY GOD!THE GREAT I AM!

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Creator God

Gen. 1:1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Creator God,

You showed the Sun, the Moon and Stars their place. You alone gave Earth and every creature space.

You spoke

And all of Your creation heard. Everything that is became By Your strong Word.

Your power alone

Established land and seaAnd wove them in a lovely tapestry.

Creator God,

I cannot comprehend Why You reached down and claimed me for Your friend.

But this I know

That from EternityYou’ve had Your loving eyes on me!

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Crosswords

Genesis 11: 8-9: So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth…

While doing a crossword one lazy day,I allowed my mind to begin to play

With nouns and verbs, adverbs and phrases,Adjectives, and current crazes.

I plied my skill with Latin and English,Hoping my memory wouldn't extinguish

Before I’d every section filledWith words my nimble brain had spilled

Across, then down, with questions so many,Like Hawaiian goose, which, of course, is the NENE.

And a crossword's no fun without an ALOE.To omit it would make the puzzle too shallow.

I dredged up words I'd thought were forgotten,Like YETI, and STET, BEGET, and BEGOTTEN.

The female of Ruff just had to be REE.And what's a Crossword sans R. E. LEE?

EGOUTI, SATE or SATE' were there, too.With ANA, ELIA, FAJITA, and GNU.

Mind-boggling clues Like Kirghize Range,ALAI, or JAI ALAI? Both are so strange.

With furrowed brow I wrote out each answer.Let's see, Santa's reindeer-PRANCER OR DANCER?When finally I'd finished with the last stroke of pen,

I was ready to start on another again.

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Dear Jesus

John 19:30: When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Dear Jesus, what did You see as you hung upon the cross?Were You filled with sorrow mixed with love, as You saw a world of loss?

Fools’ souls whose options had run out as death claimed victory?Or those still living with no thought of what their ends would be?

You bowed Your head. Your blood-creased brow dropped mercy tears that shownOn fearful, saddened, followers whose faith had somehow flown.

Your body beaten, bruised and pierced, gave not a hint or clueOf Who You are, Your perfect plan, or what Your blood can do.

You suffered there and then You died for sins that weren’t Your own.You’re the most perfect sacrifice this world has ever known.

Friends gently took You from the cross to a tomb where there You lay,Until You rose, Victorious! on that first Easter Day!

And now You give to all who will receive Your gift of love,A lifetime filled with special peace and mercy from above.

And those who are Your children can look towards eternityWith joy and hope and certainty of what their end will be.

Work in me Your purpose, Lord, as I live out Your plan.And I will follow Your will, Lord, the best way that I can.

When at last I reach the edge of Heaven’s peaceful shore,I hope to hear You say, “Well done”.

I’ll ask for nothing more.

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Forever Friends

Proverbs 17:17: A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Grade school was where we met. I don’t recall the day. But very soon we were two pals occupied in play. In your yard or in my yard, and all the in-betweens,

We traveled through the neighborhoods in faded old blue jeans.

Our grade school days sped by so fast we noticed not the time.Two teenaged girls with spindle-legs were coming into prime

Then junior high school days were past. Our childhood years were spent.We felt we had arrived at last. To high school then we went.

Soon high school years were over. How very fast they flew.Though college separated us, we stayed in touch all through.

Time and distance parted us for all too many years. But bonds like ours continue and strengthen, it appears.

Reunions are such fun-filled times. We gather one and all.

I eagerly anticipate when old times we’ll recall. And when you’re there, dear friend of mine, enjoyment’s at its best. For you shine brighter through the years than any of the rest.

Thanks for always being you. No pretense — just my friend. I know with you I can be me. Our friendship has no end.

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Home for Sale

Isaiah 32:18: And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

This home has been a pleasure For us and all our kin.

You'll see love without measure, If you'll just look within.

Its walls have heard much joyous conversationThrough the years,

And anguished prayers for loved ones Accompanied by tears.

Its roof withstood each mighty storm,And sheltered us quite well.

On frosty nights its fireplace glowed With flaming logs it held.

Each room is filled with memoriesWe’ll cherish all our lives. Age has gently mellowed it,But still its beauty thrives.

You have an invitationTo search throughout its space.

If this house says, “You’re home”, to you, You’ve found a special place!

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I Prayed for You Today

James 5:16: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

I prayed for you today. God heard each word I prayed.

He saw the tears that we each shed, And each sobbing plea we made.

I prayed for you today. He sees you in your trials.

Remember child, that His delaysAre not His firm denials.

I prayed for you today. Take heart, dear child, and wait.His way is always perfectAnd He’s never, ever late.

I prayed for you today. Will you pray for me, too?

Our God will answer when we call. Amazing things He’ll do.

Life’s valleys that we’re walking through, He’s leading out ahead.

He takes the blows and bears our pain. And gives us joy instead.

Our prayers are like sweet incenseIn Heaven’s atmosphere.

Oh child, please know. He loves us so. Keep praying on. He’ll hear.

He intercedes on our behalf,With groans to us unknown.

We’ll meet in Heaven, child, just wait. We’ll worship at His throne!

Then life down here will seem remote. And life up there so sweet.

I’ll pray for you. Please, pray for me. Till our journey here’s complete.

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