Ralph Quinonez


In the quiet of my sorrow,

When the night feels oh so long,

You are standing right beside me,

And Your presence makes me strong.

Every tear I thought was hidden,

Every fear I tried to hide,

You were holding me so gently,

Never once you left my side.

When the thunder rolls around me,

And the shadows drown the light,

You reach out to calm my chaos,

You are hope through out the night.

For the cross has split the darkness,

And Your mercy never ends,
Every sinner seeking refuge,

Finds a Father, finds a friend.
No one searching is denied,

No one broken cast aside.

Every whisper of Forgive me,

Heaven hears and Heaven cries.

You restore the lost and weary,

Lift the fallen, make them new.

Every road of grace and mercy

Leads my wandering heart to You.
Oh, Your grace will carry me,

Through the storm and through the sea.

You are faithful ever near,

Whispering, My child, please come here.

With the love You gave me that day,

When Your Son took sin away.
I will trust You and I'll hold on,

Your grace will guide me to be strong.

It was a cold and frosty morning
in the heart of winter's breath,
when Joe and Thelma readied
for a life they had yet to meet.
The road to town was an hour long,
a ribbon through fields of white,
and this--child number eight--
kicked softly, urging them on.
Excitement hummed like lantern light
inside their weathered car,
for chores still waited back at home,
the farm still pulling at their sleeves.
But some things can't be delayed--
a baby comes when a baby must.
They left the others bundled tight,
small faces pressed to frosted glass,
watching their parents disappear
into the quiet afternoon.
And then--a boy was born
into a crowded, loving room,
a new voice added to a family
that stretched its arms around scarcity.
They were poor, though children seldom know
the labels adults learn to wear.
Hunger just meant smaller portions,
and love meant sharing anyway.
Only later do you come to understand
the weight your parents carried,
the way a winter morning
can shape a life forever--
born in cold, raised in warmth,
held together by a family
that had little,
yet somehow
always enough love .

I didn't ask to be here,
but placed here for a reason.
The time that I spent, was only for a season.
Giving and sharing, is how I'm here to serve.
Loving and caring, myself was all reserved.
The journey I  was taking was all set as planned.
I'm really asking why,
I just don't understand.
The Faith I had in you,
only showed that I was weak.
The hope I have In you, will hold me as I sleep.
Broken is how I feel now,
As I continue in my life.
You set me on my this path, a mist in all the strife.
At my lowest point in life I really felt defeated.
I had more life to give,

G-is for the Gift that God has given to us.
R-is for the Righteousness he gave to guide us.
A-is for the Almighty God we love to serve.
C-is for the Cross he was on that set us free.
E-is for the Everlasting life he promises to us.