Truthful Grace
Renew your heart with these articles and poems by author and teacher, Melissa McLaughlin~ Truthful Grace. Let the beauty of God’s creation take your breath away once more!
By Melissa McLaughlin The fluttering movement caught my eye. We had been hiking with our kids on a family vacation. Along the way, we observed lush green foliage. We leaned against towering trees and listened to a mountain stream tumbling over rocks beside the hiking path. After finishing our hike, we stepped off the trail … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin In still evening hush The lightning bug arises Commencing its summer dance of glory. Greenish yellow glow Twinkles on and then off Floating, flickering, fleeting. One blink and it’s gone. No loud boom of fireworks No harsh strobe lights or overdone efforts of mankind striving to be seen and heard. Human vain … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Blooming and Releasing My soul revives in spring glory. Earthy scents of wet soil Touch my nose in the puffy wind. Driving on highways Once barren and dark The world heard God’s call, “Out with the old, In with the new.” Buds, blooms, and blossoms awaken In rarest hues reserved for spring, … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Seeing God With Us It was a simple thing. My husband and I paused for a brief rest. The daily grind of laundry, bills, cooking, and errands hemmed us in like hamsters on an exercise wheel. Despite running as hard as possible, the finish line appeared just out of reach. At one … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Food for the Soul One bite is all it takes. Savoring a delicious meal is a simple pleasure in my life. The aromas, varied textures, and wonderful flavors bring delight. Even as I imagine a favorite dessert, my mouth begins to water. Taking a bite of apple pie is a little slice … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A Morning View The scene took my breath away. I slipped downstairs to turn on the coffee and begin my day with quiet prayer. In early mornings my eyes are drawn to the windows for a quick peek outdoors. God’s amazing artistry always brightens my outlook. I anticipate the wonders He creates … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin When Days are Cold The air stung my cheeks as we trudged along that winter day. An overcast sky shadowed our steps. A hint of snow whispered in the wind. We hiked this same trail just a few months earlier, our senses flooded with rich fall foliage, vivid colors and the scent … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The Anxieties of Life With each passing day, it seems the weight of this world grows heavier. Turmoil and division on every side. The cost of living rising steadily. Empty shelves and help wanted signs. Concerns for health with varying and opposing viewpoints. Media, culture and entertainment in outright opposition to God’s … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The Whole World Sings How the sun sparkled! It was a sunny morning after a big winter storm. A nor’easter. A December storm that dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain on our community through the night. We awoke to a blanket of white as far as the eye could see. Still untouched, … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin There we were on our mini getaway. The ocean waves rolling in thunderous glory. The sunlight sparkling on the waves. The salty air wisping around us in playful windy puffs. It was our long awaited fall visit to the beach. Well after the seasonal vacation crowds were gone, but while the warmth … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Another gruesome and wicked act of racial injustice carried out in our land. My heart dropped. My stomach sickened. My body heaved with grief. How did we get here, Lord? How can we bring justice, Lord? How can we bring healing, Lord? What is our response? Stealing, Killing, Destroying? Some have chosen … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin With each passing week it seems my heart sinks a little lower as I witness evil on every side, in ways large and small, near and far, both within and without. On a recent walk at a nearby park, as the heaviness pressed in on me, I cried out for my heavenly … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Spring is my favorite season of the year. I love to witness new life bursting forth from what once appeared dead and gone. The vivid colors, the sweet fragrances, the lengthening daylight. It all speaks of hope. Hope from that which seemed hopeless. Life from that which seemed lifeless. Anticipation. Promise. Expectancy. … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Lord, let me not pass by Let me not pass by without a glance at Your glory Your splendor Your majesty Your golden voice singing, “See what I have made, For joy For wonder For awe For beauty So you can gaze And not pass by My gentle touch Waiting for you … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Still, ever still Still before the Maker of my soul My eyes behold His royal grandeur in song My heart testifies His majestic power echoes Be still my soul The One who paints The evening sky Sings for me Once more Additional poems you might enjoy: Breath of God – Poem by … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Speechless before the One Who holds all things in His hands The song of the ages Rings out in the starry night Shining, moving, singing An evening aria How can I add to such A heavenly Hallelujah? Yet He waits for the very note Only my heart can sing Gloria In Excelsis … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Beauty flutters by On gentle wings And graceful stripes And whispered melodies Stop me in my tracks Oh God Pause me in my hurried pace Of digitized frenzy And virtual strife To witness heaven’s hum Of unrushed sacred stillness When fluttering beauty comes Photo by Melissa McLaughlin Additional poems you may enjoy: … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Fearful symmetry Wild and wondrous Fierce and free Divinely designed Untameable infinite intricacy Complex chaos kept Powerful patterned play Fall in fear Before One who With but a breath Calls it to be Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty Creation testifies Glory! *Inspired by the poem Fearful Symmetry by William Blake Other … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin Awaken, oh my soul! Awaken with dawn’s new light Let the mist of sleepy soul slumber Roll back before the radiant One As golden glimmers of hope Twinkle on my heart’s horizon Rise up, oh my soul Rise up and behold The Son! Additional poems you might enjoy: Beauty Flutters By – … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin My Husband’s Art My husband, Tom McLaughlin, is an artist. And oh, how I love his creations! From pen and ink sketches, to oil and acrylic paints on canvas, to clay vases, to stylized calligraphy – it is all a wonder to me! One year for Christmas, my husband gave me an … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin I Spy How our kids loved the I Spy books when they were young! They could outlast me, trying to find the dozens of specified items hidden among the endless clutter of extraneous items placed there for the sole purpose of overshadowing all the others. These books presented a challenge because there … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin The fog descended like a fuzzy gray blanket blurring out any sharply focused thinking. The day before, my husband was admitted into the hospital after experiencing an unexpected health issue. Unsure of what lay ahead, we listened carefully to the doctor’s plan of action with deep gratitude for the medical care since … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin I’m perched on the edge of tomorrow Resting for a just bit Before I spread my wings again By the call of the rising Son I can see the wide world above The wonder of trees and skies The vast unseen unknown Beckoning me to come Small and frail as I am … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin I hear you, oh glistening moon Hanging way up there by nothing at all Displaying your hushed radiance Bold and steady, singing through dark night skies with silver white force Outshining city lights with the brilliance of angels A call to see To see Not your own vast glowing beauty But a … Read more
By Melissa McLaughlin A seed is fallen, takes root, lifts her tiny arms A sunflower is born The sun warms her depths Up from the earth, the rain pulses through her Drawing strength from the Creator’s touch planted deep within Growing, reaching, stretching toward the golden Sunlight Strong now, steady, tall and mighty among all … Read more