My Rest (Poem by Angela Trenholm)

 

My Rest

He's my life, He's my all;
Without Him I would fall.
Every day, every hour;
Jesus keeps me by His power.

Through the assurance of His Word.
I know all His promises are true.
By faith, I stand upon them,
And my God makes all things new.

Though my trials like raging storms blow,
Help to endure is always present from above.
Not a sigh nor a loss in my life here below.
Could ever dim the glory of my Saviour's love.

Though clouds of sorrow seem to hide
His presence in the night,
There's not a moment in my life
When His guiding hand is not in sight.

All for His glory He will perform,
What He has promised in me, to conform.
He who hath begun a good work in me,
Will perform it until my Saviour I shall see.

Then one day I will cross over,
When He opens that final door,
And He transforms this corruptible
To His perfect likeness forever more.

When I stand to give account,
"Will I come forth as gold?" will be my test,
No more will I fight this robe of flesh
As in my Saviour I take my rest.

And with the saints in glory,
I stand with Him for eternal days.
O for a thousand tongues to sing
My Great Redeemer's praise!

June 13th, 2003
Angela Trenholm

1 John 3:1-3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

My Prayer For His Will (Poem by Angela Trenholm))

Sometimes trials come and we truly want to question why, but for the child of God there is no need. God knows what is best for each one of us, and He uses our trials and tribulations to not only mold but refine us. He is making us into His image:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. Zechariah 13:9

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 2 Timothy 2:20-21

This poem was written as I stayed up to keep watch on Melissa (2 1/2 years old at the time) when she had a high fever that would not go down. At this point, suspecting RSV or pneumonia. Found out the next day she did indeed have pneumonia and an ear infection. The Lord answered my prayers and healed our little girl.

My Prayer For His Will

As I lay beside you in your bed,
My heart is so full of concern.
How I want to see you well again –
Is the prayer that within me burns.

To hear you laugh, as only you can do;
To see your precious smile light your face.
Each moment you have been with us,
Is a reminder of my Saviour’s grace.

Though I knew you have a heart condition,
You’ve been so well, I had forgotten.
But seeing you lying there, so frail and weak,
My heart is burdened with overmuch grief.

Your sickness is a clear reminder –
That to us, you do not belong,
But are lent to us from The Master,
And I know He’ll not steer us wrong.

You are our Lord’s, and He knows best.
As He fulfills His perfect will,
In each of our lives, it’s a test,
And we need but to stand still.

Too often we try so hard to control,
The circumstances that come our way.
Then these become a burden to our soul,
As we’ve led ourselves astray.

Dear Lord, if you choose to call her home –
Though I know my sorrow would be great –
Cause me to see that your grace will uphold me,
Help me, as in your care I commit her fate.

Oh Lord Jesus, may this my prayer be:
“That all in Thee, do I put my trust;
That I not question Your perfect will,
And all that You have planned for us.”

Angela Trenholm
December 9th, 2004

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9a

Northern Lights (Poem)

 

Northern Lights

We saw the Northern Lights tonight, glittering up in the sky.
In rapture, we beheld the sight, and my how the time passed by -
In worshipping and praising the Lord who made all these things.
In amazement and wonder, our souls began to sing.

We talked about God's love tonight, and sang songs from His Word;
About how Jesus died to give us life - so glad that we had heard.
Awestruck at all the colours, bright green and white and red.
Praising Christ for Calvary, and for the blood that He had shed.

Night grew a little bit colder, but now we were warmed within.
We thanked Jesus for having saved us and forgiving all our sin.
Remembering God's past mercies, and sharing them again,
And all through this time of worship, our hearts drew closer to Him.

Thank you, Lord, for your awesome gift of creation,
and for making us new creatures in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

October 4th, 2000
Jerry Bouey

(Dedicated to the Trenholms,
from whose backyard we got to see this wonder together.)

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psalm 8:3-4

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

Our Little One (Poem)

 This poem is dedicated to “Our Little One”, who went to be with Jesus on May 21, 1997, after being in Momma’s belly for 15 or so weeks. In October, 1997, I (Angela) found out I was pregnant again, and gave birth to Abigail, June 1998, then Melissa, June 2001, and Carolyn Ann-Marie in October 2004.

It is my hope and prayer that many find solace in the confident hope that their precious “little one” is with the Lord.

But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. 2 Samuel 12:23 (King David speaking)

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

God is gracious!

Our Little One

Didn’t know if you were a boy or girl.
Would your hair be straight, or would it curl?
Would you be dark like your Daddy,
or would you be fair skinned like me?

Would you love to run and play outside,
or be a homebody by Momma’s side?
Would your mind in the clouds often wander,
or would engineering feats, be what you ponder?

The Lord never let us know these things,
but he knew the joy you’d bring.
Even carrying you for such a short time,
making me yearn for a new Little One in His time.

Your time with us was, oh so brief.
Your loss, brought us so much grief.
Yet through it all, I learned to see,
how My Lord, He walks with me.

I could not wish you back with us,
for surely, I have learned to trust,
and know you are safer with the Lord,
and am glad for the short time He could afford.

For surely, He must love you so,
to take you from us, and this I know,
that one day up in glory, when my Jesus I shall see,
there’ll be another Special Little One, waiting up there for me!

Angela Trenholm
September 26, 2000

Just As I Was (Song)

I really do love the hymn, Just As I Am, that tells about salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing we need to bring to Him to save us - just repentance of our sins (ie. a change of mind about our sins that we see them as wicked in His sight and we no longer desire them the way we did before - we want the Saviour instead) and faith in His shed blood and finished work upon the cross of Calvary. Unfortunately, to many in the religious world, Just As I Am becomes a creed to justify staying as we are - no change, no repentance, nothing different - but somehow still saved and Heaven bound! When we sang this song as our closing hymn in church yesterday, I was thinking about the difference true salvation does make - and that difference is eternal. The Lord God changes us, cleanses us, adopts us as His children, gives us eternal life, regenerates us and makes us new creatures in Him, and so much more. I came to the Lord just as I was - but praise the Lord, I did not stay that way!

(My friend, Angela, really helped me iron this poem out and turn it into a song.)

Just As I Was

Just as I was, I came to You;
You took my heart and made it new;
Transformed by Your grace - Lord, I love You.
Oh Jesus, my Saviour, I’m Yours, I’m Yours.

Not as I was - my sins are all gone;
I’m now adopted as your son;
For on the cross, it all was done.
Oh Heavenly Father, I’m saved, I’m saved.

Not as I was - in darkest night;
You opened my eyes and gave me sight;
Washed by Your blood, and changed by Your might.
Oh Lamb of God, I’m cleansed, I’m cleansed.

Now as I am - You’ve shown me Your way;
For when I bowed my head to pray,
You gave me new life that very day.
Lord, by Your Spirit, I’m changed, I’m changed.

November 19, 2023
Jerry Bouey and Angela Trenholm

Jeremiah 31:33-34 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Jeremiah 33:8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

John 3:3-7 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Christmas Without Jesus (Poem by Angela Trenholm)

Christmas Without Jesus?

Christmas without Jesus, And all that the Saviour has wrought;
Can you begin to comprehend, why I just cannot bear the thought?
Christmas without Jesus, means more than an empty manger,
Or a wasted trip for wise men, on a road of untold danger.

Christmas without Jesus, means more than a tree with no gifts;
More than no holiday fixings, or no extra-overtime shifts.
Christmas without Jesus - What does it all really mean?
What impact does it have for me, my life, my hopes and my dreams?

Christmas without Jesus, means my sin debt, by me, still is borne.
It still has never been paid for, for His body had never been torn.
Christmas without Jesus, means Heaven cannot be attained;
We've all sinned; there's no remedy. Our good works are useless and vain.

Christmas without Jesus, means an eternity of pain;
No hope for all mankind was brought. without Christ's loss, we have no gain.
Christmas without Jesus! Oh no! It simply cannot be!
But praise the Lord! I know it's not! He came to die for you and me!

Christmas with Jesus - My Saviour's alive forevermore!
He arose victorious from the grave, and He has opened Heaven's door.
Christmas without Jesus - A fairy tale, an empty show.
For Christ came to pay for our sin - It's real! I want the world to know!

Angela Trenholm
December 13th, 2003
(Used With Permission)

The Lord Our Banner (Song by Angela Trenholm)

(Put to the tune of "The Fight Is On" - as written below the poem - simply sing the original chorus between each stanza.)

The Lord Our Banner

The Lord Our Banner is the Christian's rally cry!
Raise the standard; there's battles to be fought,
Jehovah-Nissi is our Saviour from on High,
For without the Lord, the fight's all for nought.

The battle is hard and the cost seems so very high -
The squeamish and faint of heart need not apply -
For our fight is not against swords, bows, or spears,
But against the Devil and our own fears.

Dear brethren, the war's already been fought and won -
The battles are the Lord's - we fight not alone.
One day soon, we'll be glorified with God's own Son -
Be steadfast and faithful 'til He takes us home.

The battles are wearisome; and many are the foes,
Stand fast, brethren - do not falter nor faint!
Jesus, our Saviour, Captain of Jehovah's host,
Leads the final charge with thousands of His saints.

The Lord Our Banner, stands high upon the hill,
With our only weapon, the Word of God, held high.
The Lord will fight for us, and we need but stand still,
For the victory, our Lord will provide.

Angela Trenholm
December 26, 2003

Taken from: Exodus 17:15 (Jehovah is my banner)

And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:
For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD
will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

He [Christ] shall not forever sit in waiting posture, but shall come into the fight to end the weary war by his own victorious presence. He will lead the final charge in person; his own right hand and his holy arm shall get unto him the victory. (Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury Of David)

The Fight is On
(by Leila N. Morris)

The fight is on, the trumpet sound is ringing out,
The cry "To arms!" is heard afar and near;
The Lord of hosts is marching on to victory,
The triumph of the Christ will soon appear.

Chorus:
The fight is on, O Christian soldier,
And face to face in stern array,
With armor gleaming, and colors streaming,
The right and wrong engage today!
The fight is on, but be not weary;
Be strong, and in His might hold fast;
If God be for us, His banner o'er us,
We'll sing the victor's song at last!

The fight is on, arouse, ye soldiers brave and true!
Jehovah leads, and victory will assure;
Go buckle on the armor God has given you,
And in His strength unto the end endure.

The Lord is leading on to certain victory;
The bow of promise spans the eastern sky;
His glorious Name in every land shall honored be;
The morn will break, the dawn of peace is nigh.

The Path of Life by Angela Trenholm (Poem)

Poem For Sunday

The Path of Life

Lord, is my life a stumblingblock,
To babes in Christ around me?
Is it consistent with Your Word,
Or filled with hypocrisy?

Have I caused Your little ones,
To falter from the straight way?
My heart breaks at the very thought,
Dear God, of leading one astray!

Lord, search my reins and try my heart.
If there be any wicked way,
Pluck it out by its evil roots;
Let none of its vileness hold sway!

As David cried, so I plead of You,
"Create in me a clean heart!"
Renew a right spirit within me;
only You Lord, give a new start,

That I may arise and proclaim,
Teaching sinners of Your redemption,
That they may be converted unto You,
Praising You in acclamation.

Keep my heart tender, oh Lord,
To hear that still small voice
That convicts the humble heart of sin,
And makes righteousness its choice.

Order my footsteps in Your Word;
Let me not falter in times of strife.
Let this my daily prayer be,
To walk in the paths of life.

December 26th, 2003
Angela B Trenholm

Angela's testimony regarding this poem:

The concerns and responsibilities of being a Mom can be so overwhelming. How often do I feel that the task is too big and I am so frail. How often do I cry out to my Lord to help me to be the Mother He wants me to be, so I can raise up the precious children He has given me in a way that is pleasing to Him.

I wrote this poem when I was feeling very much a failure as a mother, but I knew I had to get my eyes back on the only one who could help me raise up our precious daughters in a way that would bring honour and glory to the Lord.

If I did not have His precious promises in His Holy Word and the comfort of His Holy Spirit living in me to lean on, the task would soon become unbearable. How thankful I am for a loving, merciful Saviour, who takes great pleasure in comforting and uplifting those who trust in Him.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalms 16:11

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23

It's Only After (Poem)

Poem for Wednesday

I had a hard time choosing what to post next - either this poem, which is one of my all-time favourites, or my most popular one (I've Gone Home), which is everyone else's favourite. I decided to do this one today and send out the other one tomorrow. They were both written about the same time. I've Gone Home is the one that got me a lot of recognition and Internet contacts, but it is this one that really found a place in my heart - because of the theme.

I was thinking of all the different types of situations - trials, Biblical prophecies, various seasons of strife in our lives, and when the Lord brings the good out of all those hard times. It's Only After that we receive the benefit of them. It's only after that our chastisements yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness, it is only after that we come forth as gold, it is only after that the sorrow is wiped away, it is only after that the healing comes - because that is when we see what God was doing all along.

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I've Gone Home was written to comfort a family who lost their Mom through cancer. It was placed on the Internet, as as a result of that, I received thousands of emails each month for the next couple of years. One of those email contacts was a friend called Henri, who had just lost her husband. I wrote this poem and dedicated it to her to comfort her. Somewhere along the way we lost touch, but I thank the Lord for bringing our paths together.

Originally I had all these lines jumbled together - I got the ideas out on paper, and I wasn't sure how to put them together just right. Angela Trenholm, one of my webpartners and the official critiquer of many of my poems, helped me group each theme together into the various stanzas. So even though I had the basic poem already written, it would not have had the same impact and flow without her assistance.

This is Angela's note on this poem: This poem is basically what got me restarted on writing poetry, after having laid it aside since high school. I helped Jerry get the flow of thought organized on this one, but the poem is really his, although he insists on giving me credit.

Around this time, Angela also started her own family website (I had started my poetry and Bible study websites for about 2 1/2 years prior to this time), but it was these two poems that really generated a lot of interest and opened up doors to minister online. I taught Angela how to use html, and she taught me how to make my websites better - plus helped me so much with the layout and design of them. Eventually our combined creativity (if we can call it that) led to us to join forces and move our individual websites over to EarnestlyContending three years ago.

It's Only After

Roses are so beautiful
that we forget that thorns cause pain.
We often forget that rainbows
only come after the rain.
Sometimes the sun is hidden
when storm clouds are in view.
It's only after the rose is picked
that it will bring great joy to you.

It's only after the storm subsides
that peace comes to calm the seas.
It's only when the light turns on
that the shadow suddenly flees.
Sometimes we only learn
to appreciate the light,
After walking through the darkness
in what seems like blackest night.

It's often only when you miss someone
that their worth is realized,
For iron sharpening iron
is a blessing in disguise.
You may lose your dearest friend,
yet there will always be another;
Still, Jesus is the best of friends
that sticks closer than a brother.

It's only when you see you're lost
that you truly can be found.
It's when you admit your poverty
that Christ's riches can abound.
It's only in losing yourself
that you find life's joy at last,
And sometime in the future
the Lord will heal the past.

It's only after you pray in faith
that the peace of God transcends,
And only after your faith is proved
does the trial come to an end.
It's only in surrender to the Lord
that brings end to inward strife.
It's only after dying
that we rise to endless life.

It's only after travailing
that comes the joy of a child's birth.
Only after the tribulation
comes the new heaven and new earth.
Only after a seemingly endless night
comes the dawning of the day.
It's only in eternity
that the former things are passed away.

It's only after the sorrow ceases
that comes the soothing of the pain,
And just before the darkness passes
that the Morning Star shines again.
After the tests and trials are done
the Father wipes all our tears away,
And we'll live with Christ, our Saviour,
in eternity's endless day.

August 29th, 2000
Jerry Bouey and Angela Trenholm

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

For Such A Time As This (Song)

This song was neat to work on. Angela Trenholm and her daughter had written three stanzas for an upcoming Missions Conference. I was listening as they were starting to put together the chorus, as we were riding to church - then all three of us finished the chorus, and I think it was that night that I came up with the other three stanzas. If you know the song for the tune that we used, you will realize that I added a little reference to it in one of the stanzas - it certainly fit! John R. Rice's Song is great and I have heard Angela sing it as a special in church. But this song was a special treat - because I had a part in it. Another bonus was the fact that my sister, whom I hadn't seen in six years, was able to be here for the special that Angela and Sarah sang in church. It was definitely a blessing to hear the finished product, and to see the glow on my sister's face when she said, "Wow, that really got my attention! You had a part in writing that? That song was so wonderful!"

For Such A Time As This
(To the tune of So Little Time by John R. Rice)

1. Esther was called to plead for her people.
Fear gripped her heart; Mordecai reminded her:
Twas her life too that now hung in the balance,
And she was given the king’s ear for this cause.

Despite her fears, boldly she went before the throne,
To plead the cause of her people before the king.
As she drew near, his favor was extended,
Grace was given, for such a time as this.

Chorus:
For such a time as this we have been called,
To preach the Gospel to a dying world.
How will they hear, except that we obey Him?
For such a time, for such a time as this.

2. Stand in the gap, petition for the lost world.
Snatch from the fire, rescue souls bound by their sin.
Break the chains of darkness that’s enslaved them.
Proclaim the truth in Jesus’ blessed name.

So as you stand in the place that God has given you,
Do not fear, He’s standing by your side,
And He will give the grace that you require,
As He promised, for such a time as this.

Chorus

3. So little time, the day of grace is fading.
The sands of time are slipping through our hands.
Hold forth the Word, the Gospel of Salvation,
Lest you have their blood upon your hands.

Have compassion, our loved ones need the Saviour.
Let it not be said, "No man cared for my soul."
Lift up your eyes, the field is white to harvest,
For such a time, for such a time as this.

Last Chorus:
For such a time as this we have been called,
To preach the Gospel to a dying world.
How will they hear, except that we obey Him?
Oh will you go, for such a time as this?

Sarah & Angela Trenholm and Jerry Bouey
April 2005

Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

The Trenholms actually sang a shorter version of this song in church in 2005; due to time restraints, we combined the middle two stanzas.

Another praise item: this song was the theme song for our 2008 Missions Conference. The fourth and fifth verses were omitted, but the others are sung - two verses, then the chorus, two more verses, then the final chorus. It is a dream come true for me - to have a part in a song that others sang in church.

For Such A Time As This

(To the tune of So Little Time by John R. Rice)
(Missions Conference Version)

1. Esther was called to plead for her people.
Fear gripped her heart; Mordecai reminded her:
Twas her life too that now hung in the balance,
And she was given the king’s ear for this cause.

Despite her fears, boldly she went before the throne,
To plead the cause of her people before the king.
As she drew near, his favor was extended,
Grace was given, for such a time as this.

Chorus:
For such a time as this we have been called,
To preach the Gospel to a dying world.
How will they hear, except that we obey Him?
For such a time, for such a time as this.

2. So little time, the day of grace is fading.
The sands of time are slipping through our hands.
Hold forth the Word, the Gospel of Salvation,
Lest you have their blood upon your hands.

So as you stand in the place that God has given you,
And you hold, God’s Word in your hands;
Do not forget, all those who’ve yet to see it,
Do what you can, to place one in their hands.

Chorus

4. Step out by faith, to see what God would have you do,
For the priceless worth, of even one lost soul.
And He will give the grace that you require.
To be exchanged for riches up in glory.

Stand in the gap, petition for the lost world.
Snatch from the fire, rescue souls bound by their sin.
Break the chains of darkness that’s enslaved them.
Proclaim the truth in Jesus’ blessed name.

Chorus

Final Chorus:
For such a time as this we have been called,
To give the Gospel to a dying world.
How will they hear, except that we obey Him?
Oh will you go, for such a time as this?

Sarah & Angela Trenholm and Jerry Bouey
April 2005