Winding Down

 

As the Old Year winds down

With one day to go,

We give Almighty God thanks

For His blessings still flow.

 

A roller-coaster year,

I guess one can call it that

But God has been with us all

And this is a fact.

 

We may or may not live

To see the New Year dawn

For many that started this year

Are now gone.

 

A few this very month

Were suddenly whisked away,

Pretty all right in the morning

But didn’t last the day.

 

 

As this year winds down

With just one day to go

This very day could be our last,

We just do not know.

 

It pays to know though

Where we stand with God

And if we have not done as yet,

To answer His call.

 

Say yes to the Lord Christ

That gave his life for us,

Right at this very moment

Say yes to Jesus.

 

So, whether we live or die

We will be the Lord’s

And based on his Holy Word,

He will be ours.

 

As this year winds down

Consider your sin-sick soul,

Confess and receive Jesus now

And he’ll make you whole.

 

The year is winding down

But so too are our days,

Trust God today whate’er betide

And do exactly what he says.

 

Stewart Russell © December 30, 2023

 

Happy Independence/Republic Day

 

 

Well, we have to celebrate both,

These markers of achievement:

Our Independence of 56 years

And our Republic accomplishment.

 

 

We have to acknowledge God

Who has been the people’s guide

And I plead, I beg, I beseech,

Don’t let us leave His side.

 

For opinion is rife

But the facts are still the truth,

Count forward from 56 years ago

And there you have your proof.

 

Change is absolutely necessary

Only when change is necessary

But some of the changes we often make

Are not always of necessity.

 

And so, I offer a caution this day,

The 30^th day of November,

Do not take Almighty God for granted

But His many blessings, remember!

 

 

And as we celebrate this day

Let us not forget those of the past

That labored and toil with sweat and tears

Remaining faithful to the task.

 

Slaves some might have been,

Thus, forced labour without a choice

But others used their freedom to our benefit

And today we have a voice.

 

A voice that should not be silent

When confronted by stark injustice,

A voice that champions our God-given rights

Whether in low or high office.

 

 

On this day 56^th years ago

We proudly raised our flag toward heaven,

Grateful to the Almighty Father

In Whom we are daily strengthened.

 

Happy Independence/Republic Day

BARBADOS!

You have come a mighty long way!

Let’s all give praise and thanks to God

That we have lived to see this day.

 

Stewart Russell © November 30, 2022

 

For My Sister’s Sake

Today is a beautiful day

And I have an announcement to make,

It goes out to all of my readers

Please read it for my sister’s sake.

I know you are puzzled by this

And if she knew she would be livid,

But I thank God more than ever

So far, she has defeated COVID.

But she is now one of the vulnerable;

She qualifies today for sure,

Draw an inference from what I have said;

Do I need to tell you more?

If you still do not understand

It is time to give you another clue,

She has been around for a long time

And she looks much better than I do.

 

If she were born thirty years before

She would be celebrating one hundred,

Now I gone and tell out she age

Tomorrow I could wake up dead.

As is expressed in Psalm 90 verse 10

Seven decades is the biblical amount

But by reason of her obvious strength

I am sure she’ll add to this account.

Of course…

None us knows about tomorrow

But we’ll put that in the Master’s hand,

And as you do please put my sister too

As she continues to follow in His plan.

By now I know that you know

My sister is seventy years young today

And to celebrate that milestone with her

Is really what I wanted to say.

Happy birthday my loving sister!

This comes from the entire family,

God has kept you in wonderful shape

Even on reaching seventy.

You are definitely our favourite sister;

Nilan, Mac and Carl agree,

And to have lived to celebrate with you

We know that makes you very happy.

Facebook family and all others:

Please send a birthday greeting to Harriet,

And do understand as you grant my wish

Many of you have not reached there yet.

Your time will come if you live long enough

And you will want us to celebrate,

So, now you have heard my announcement

Please do it for my sister’s sake.

For this we would normally be gatherin’

But COVID has had other ideas,

However, there is absolutely no reason

Why we can’t wish her a Happy Birthday.

  

So Happy Birthday to you, Harriet

On reaching your seventieth milestone,

And may God continue to richly bless you

Throughout this day and beyond.

Stewart Russell © 26^th June 2020

Running the Race with Grace

Running the race with grace

And worshipping on the way

Moment by moment seeking God’s face

And letting Him have full sway

Determined in heart to follow through

Regardless of what attempts to hinder

Running daily with the relative few

Who to Jesus Christ have surrendered

Considering our brothers here and abroad

And our sisters the world around

And all the brethren in Christ applaud

As together we raise the joyful sound

Sharing all our sorrows together

And weeping with them who weep

Encouraging every sister and brother

Whether the days be sunny or bleak

This day we praise God for His grace

And the privilege to worship Him

Grateful that we are candidates in this race

Having received Christ’s pardon for our sin

Yes!  Running the race with grace

And worshipping on the way

Is a theme we should all embrace

And demonstrate each and every day

Enjoy God’s blessings as they come

And as we sing and dance and share

In this foretaste of God’s coming kingdom

Let us praise Him for His love and care.

Stewart Russell © September 2017

On Your Ninetieth

 

Ninety years ago today

Our mother saw the light of earth,

Ninety years ago this day

Was the celebration of her birth.

Today we celebrate with her

This remarkable milestone

And give Almighty God the thanks

That she did not make it on her own.

For He has been with her all the way

Even before she walked with Him

So that subsequent to that first birth

The second birth took care of her sin.

Mom, we give thanks today

For the time you have spent with us

But more than that we are grateful

That you point us all to Jesus.

Your life is a wonderful example

Of a life given over to Christ,

No wonder you made it look so easy

Each time you made a sacrifice. 

For the sacrifices were many

That you made for all of us

And what is particularly noteworthy

You did it without a fuss.

No news clippings and fanfare

No cameras, lights and red carpet

But lovingly you embrace us all

And your giving was a daily habit.

Every one of us to a single soul

Votes unanimously on this day

That you are a woman of great virtue

In whose life God holds full sway.

We know that with the passing years

Pains have racked your frail body,

Your independence has turned to dependence

And you have lost much mobility.

You mightn’t recall a lot of things

But we are not very far behind,

While you have taken a long time to reach

We have arrived there in half that time.

In your face we still see the beauty

That attracted the man of your dreams

And how we wish he were here today

But that was not to be part of the scheme.

Together you made a secure abode

In which your children were able to live

And the lessons we learnt from you

Are the greatest gifts that you could give.

We have passed them on to your grands

And the great-grands too are picking up

But be it known to all this day

We were privileged to drink from your cup.

With God you have reared a family

That has stood the test of time,

We salute you Mum on your ninetieth

You are definitely one of a kind.

Like you, our days too are numbered,

We know not who’ll be the next to go

But like you we have Jesus

Who will help to cushion that blow.

So we raise our glasses together

In a toast today to our Mom,

You have weathered the hard times well

And still find time for fun.

Not of the griping, complaining type

But of the grateful and godly kind,

A woman who understands the nature of family

Mom Russell, you are definitely one of a kind.

Let us today bow our heads in prayer

As on God’s blessings we reminisce

And thank Him for this matriarch He has given

And for a remarkable day like this.

Stewart Russell © July 2017