I found you in an unexpected way
And my everyday life won’t be the same
I couldn’t be without you – too great a loss
I knew I had to have you at any cost
How much you cost – everything I own!
But you’re the one I want to bring home
More precious than anything else on earth
Also known as, “The Pearl of Great Worth”
© Leesa Briones 2021
Lord, You are my shepherd and I am your sheep
You are my provider, You know all my needs
Our journey each day may be rocky and steep
But You always lead me to quiet and peace
The shadow of death makes the valley so dark
We walk down together, still on the right path
When I Iose the way I can follow Your staff
I can’t see Your face yet Your love lights my heart
Our path leads through enemy territory
Yet I’m not afraid, You are always with me
The table is set, Your cup flowing for me
Your love is my perfume, Your grace is my feast
You lead me to life by the very best way
Though sometimes I stumble, and often I stray
You restore and forgive my every mistake
In Your home beside You forever I’ll stay
© Leesa Briones 2021
From the foundation
You promised the woman
Her seed would crush the serpent
The end of his reign is nearing
All of Your creation
Waits in earnest expectation
For Your manifestation
Hoping and praying
For Your unveiling
From the dust You formed us
And to dust we’ve been returning
All of Your creation
Groans with ultimate frailty
Your Spirit knows our hearts and
Groans with compassion in translation
He carries our unspoken prayers to Heaven
In intercession
Our one hope, the Seed of the woman
The only Seed who rose again
To bloom in the desert
And offer life to all the thirsting
To every generation
There is only one invitation
To exchange our suffering for His glory
At His unveiling
© Leesa Briones 2021
True love is not found at glorious, soaring heights,
Extravagant, mouth-watering feasts
Or in meadows of fragrant flowers
It is found in the corners, creases and quiet seconds
Making the mundane a sacred song
It is an oasis in dry desert dunes
Patiently pursuing
Constantly kind
Holding hands
An unquenchable warm heart
Through storms and floods
It never drowns
True love’s light burns brighter in the darkest, tear-drenched nights
Through hardship and hunger, the meager meal delights in love’s garnish
Strength, beauty and splendour often precede, and sometimes surround, love
But they can all exist apart from it,
And love unveils its true beauty when it has to disrobe of these outer glories
For truest love stands, even when the earth shakes and falls.
It always gives, though it scorns to be bought or sold.
It is the singing stream, in the desert of dry bones,
That saves the lost.
It never fails.
© Leesa Briones 2021
This is a poem I finished on Valentine’s day this year when we had a lockdown – what better excuse to share a poem I wrote about how love thrives and shines amid the ordinary and difficult moments. This poem was inspired by my husband, who has been through so much after being admitted to the hospital with crushing back-pain and being diagnosed with cancer. He and I have grown closer through the difficult times. In the hospital he spent a lot of time bed-ridden and I had to bring him food, move him around in a wheelchair and shower him. It made me think about how I had taken the simple things for granted. At that time I thought about a simple dream of being able to walk with him on the beach, holding hands. Thankfully he is able to walk again and his cancer is currently at a low level. Despite his pain he is so considerate every day. Whenever he has the energy he helps around the house and plays with the kids. He always likes to leave the kitchen clean at night so when I get up in the morning, the first thing I see is a clean kitchen! In my opinion the small things, repeated every day can make or break a relationship.
Image credit: coryclayful from Pixabay A silhouette of a couple’s hands with a backdrop of tall grass, a blue sky, and bright sun.
Verse 1:
How can it be that you would paint the sky for me?
The whole array of nature lies beneath these sunset skies
And how can it be, that You would give your heart to me?
To these awkward hands You know, just keep on letting go
Bridge:
How can it be, how can there be so much beauty
In one man, the One who set me free?
Chorus:
And the sunset paints my heart like the sky
Is this what it’s like to look into your eyes?
Where Heaven and earth seem to touch
I couldn’t do anything, to escape Your love
Verse 2:
How can it be that You would still forgive me
When I have rejected You a thousand times before?
And how can it be, that You would give Your life for me?
Even dying on the cross, Your arms stretched out to us
(Bridge, Chorus)
I couldn’t do anything bad enough, to run away from Your love
You love me so much
You love me so much
© Leesa Briones 2021
I wrote this song while watching a sunset with my guitar. Sunrise and sunset are my favourite times of the day. It just seems like God has painted the sky, and I feel like I could just soak up the beauty and keep it in my heart.
Image credit: David Mark from Pixabay A man running barefoot where the sky and sea meet in a bright golden orange sunset that is reflecting on the wet sand.
Verse 1:
Raindrops fall so pure and true
They melt away and I’m with you, with you in
Sweet golden fields and flowers free
Resting under our own blue sea, blue sea
Chorus:
And wouldn’t it be lovely
To have Heaven
And You with me
Closer than we are
Right now,
All I know of you in my heart and soul
Is a shadow
Of reality
And wouldn’t it be lovely
Verse 2:
Laughing eyes and healing hands
Love that grows and heals our land, heals our land
Say goodbye to all the pain
The tears we cry are in yesterday, yesterday
© Leesa Briones 2021
This is a song I wrote about looking forward to Heaven. And I’m not just looking forward to beautiful scenery. I’m looking forward to meeting my Creator, and never having to say goodbye to loved ones again, and never being lonely. To the whole world being healed and, full of love and peace.
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay A silhouette of a couple standing in a grassy field holding hands, in front of a golden sunrise.
She wrote a song, didn’t think much of it
But her melody reached right to my soul
She sang a song
It sounded like Heaven
But she would keep it to herself
She wrote a song
That could heal the whole wide world’s aching hearts
Could put the divas and the rock stars to shame
A song that reached out and called your name
But no-one knew
She kept her song in a lonely place where
She knew she wouldn’t often visit there
She hid her song, and still she hides it
You can see her joy is fading away
She kept her song, through all the years she could have sung it loud
All the times she couldn’t speak her aching heart
Now she’s crying cos she can’t remember quite how it goes
May all the flowers wither up, the leaves turn brown and die
Before these songs of our hearts, can all be kept inside
© Leesa Briones 2021
I wrote this song as a story about someone who had something beautiful to share, and never did, and waited for so long that she forgot. The greatest regrets in life are often from what we don’t do. Not showing love, or trying our best, or sharing the gifts God has given us. I believe God has given everyone something special – a “God spark” inside of them, to share and bless the world with.
Image credit: Sarah Richter from Pixabay A woman wearing a wedding dress, playing piano at the beach, with a soft yellow sunrise on the horizon.
Verse 1:
It’s a lonely day, grey rain grey sky
I look through my window, watch the day passing by
And I think that if I had wings I would fly
Away, far away from here
They say You’re close with me but it feels so far
And sometimes I’m not even sure who You are
And it’s like looking at a shooting star
So beautiful, but it soon disappears
Chorus:
But I know You love me, and You’re always here
Your endless love cuts through my fear
And though You seem far now I know You’re near
Right here in my heart
Verse 2:
Your love I know is always with me
But sometimes I find it hard to see
So I know that faith is the only key
The key, to get me through
I get on my knees and start to pray
And though You, Lord, still seem far away
I can say the words I found hard to say,
“Lord, I love You.’
And I know You love me, and You’re always here
Your endless love cuts through my fear
And though You seem far now I know You’re near
Right here in my heart
Right here in my heart
© Leesa Briones 2021
This is a song that I wrote when I was a teenager. Often I wrote songs when I felt a bit sad or lonely. It’s about how sometimes God can seem far away when we feel alone, but He’s actually really close. He never leaves us.
Image credit: Photo Mix from Pixabay A silhouette of two hands making a heart in front of blue-grey and golden sunrise.
Who can beat a strawberry smoothie? I only use four ingredients – strawberries, 1 ripe banana, milk, and one tablespoon of a liquid sweetener. (I also love adding vanilla but I have just run out of it). To enhance the colour I found a couple tablespoons of grated beetroot deepen the desirable pink colour. (It requires a lot of strawberries to make it bright pink otherwise). I buy strawberries on special, wash and remove the green bits, then chuck them in freezer bags and freeze them for when I need them, otherwise they go off pretty quickly.
Leesa K 