Write It On My Heart (Song)

Write It On My Heart

When trials come into our lives, they are here only for a season;
As I walk with You, Lord, You teach me they’re all here for a reason.
And I know one day soon these trials will have an end -
Write it on my heart, my Friend.

Living each day by faith in Your Word, and not walking by sight,
I may not know the future, but I still see Your footprints in the night.
You are the God of my life, the Saviour on which I can depend -
Write it on my heart, my Friend.

When the trials become overwhelming, I know You will make a way;
I’m trusting You in the darkness - until my night is turned into day.
When my heart’s broken in pain, You’re the Great Physician who can mend -
Write it on my heart, my Friend.

Jesus, You are my True Friend that sticks closer than a brother;
Looking back on my life, I see You cared for me like no other.
And I know that everything will be alright in the end -
Write it on my heart, my Friend.

I know that one day soon my trials will come to an end -
Write it on my heart, my Friend.
Write it on my heart, my Friend.

May 30th, 2026
Jerry Bouey

(Dedicated to Bob and Azel,

two precious family members in Christ facing cancer.

Keep your eyes on the Lord!)

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.

1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Isaiah 50:10 Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.

Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Not My Will, But Thine (Poem)

Not My Will, But Thine

Lord, I know You have power to heal me. 
Faithfully, I will daily seek Your will.
Like Job, I will keep my eyes upon You -
Though You slay me, I will trust You still.

Though sometimes the trials we face,
The reasons we may not understand, 
But I know that everything I face in life -
Every test or trial - comes from Your hand.

Dying to myself, I know,
You will work all things out in Your own way;
Will it be soon, I wonder,
Or on some future glorious day?

I believe that one day that is coming,
I will be healed fully in Your sight -
Will it be down here upon the earth,
Or in the land where there is no night?

All that I have and I face each day|
Comes from the heart of my loving Father;
So I’m trusting in Your will, my Lord -
Trusting in the wisdom of the Heavenly Potter.

May 30th, 2026
Jerry Bouey

(Dedicated to brother Bob. We long for your healing,

but will trust the Lord to work out His will.)

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Matthew 6:9-10 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Prayer For Faith/Heaven (Poem)

Prayer For Faith -

A Cancer Victim

I don't know you yet, but for you I do pray,
I can't wait until we gather in Heaven someday,
Where we will meet, face to face,
with our Father Divine,
We're one big Christian family,
Oh sister of mine.

One day we will see the bright Morning Star,
For now, He can reach us, wherever we are.
In the Kingdom, He will wash away all our tears,
There will be no more worries, sorrows, or fears.

We will live in love eternally, too,
Each precious moment will be something new.
Away with these bodies, mortal and frail,
God's promises to us will never fail.
The hope in our hearts will come true that day,
When Jesus is revealed, forever our joy will stay!

September 8th, 1993
Jerry Bouey

Heaven

Heaven is such a beautiful place,
We will be free from all our fears,
When we've finished running the race,
Our problems will finally disappear,
Of sadness, there will be no more trace,
He will wash away all our tears,
When we meet Jesus, face to face,
Words of love will fill our ears.

September 1993
Jerry Bouey

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.
1 John 3:2

Who shall change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body,
according to the working whereby
He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.
Philippians 3:21

Facing Your Goliath (Poem)

Facing Your Goliath

You followed the Lord out of Egypt,
Buried your old master in the Red Sea,
Wandered around in the wilderness,
Knowing your Redeemer has made you free.

Crossed over the flooded Jordan,
A new beginning, a brand new start;
From death into life everlasting,
God’s Spirit has given you a new heart.

Now you are facing a fearsome foe,
That causes swords and shields to rattle,
Though weakened by the prolonged fight,
You rush determined into battle.

Like David versus Goliath,
In the Valley of Strength that day,
You face an enemy like no other -
But the Lord has prepared the way.

As you gather each smooth stone by faith,
And grip your sling firmly in your hand,
You are ready to claim God’s promises,
And take each step as He has planned.

Fully equipped in God’s armour,
You fight for the Promised Land;
Steadfast with the eyes of faith,
Victorious, in Christ Jesus you stand.

August 21st, 2023
Jerry Bouey

(Dedicated to John Nevokshonoff, who is facing his own Goliath of cancer right now.)

Colossians 1:12-14 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

1 Samuel 17:40-42, 45-48 And [David] took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance… Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

Even In This (Poem)

I just read an encouraging post over at Christians With Cancer Weblog, entitled Finding The Light In Cancer's Shadow. I am so encouraged by Kate's desire to focus on the Lord even in this trial - she looks for His hand for strength and comfort, even in this trial. In light of losing my Mom and some friends through cancer, I always cringe inside and shy away when someone else tells me they have cancer or think it might be a possibility. Thank you, Sis Kate, for the reminder that the Lord is in control, even in this.

Even In This
(Dedicated to Kate Plourde)

Even in this, the Lord is in control;
Even in this, He is guarding my soul;
When I cannot imagine how I can cope
Even in this, I have reason for hope.

Even in this, this trial that I dread;
Even in this, I can still bow my head;
Praise my loving Father for being near;
Even in this, I have no need for fear.

Even in this, I have Your peace of mind;
Even in this, You are tender and kind;
Your touch, Your gentleness has made me great;
Even in this, You see my low estate.

Even in this, a trial I didn't plan;
Even in this, I see Your loving hand!
My heart has comfort that was sorely missed -
You fill my heart with joy - even in this.

Even in this.

October 6th/08
Jerry Bouey

Psalms 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Psalms 136:23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

Mother's Day In Heaven (Poem)

Because of my commitment to Christ, my Mom and I had been estranged for years. She was somewhat religious, but did not know Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour, until about two or three years before she died. As a result, there were many Mother's Days that went by without regular contact (or anything special done) - but last year, now that we were reconciled and she had become a believer, I wanted to do something really special for her. She had moved back up to Canada, so I was able to purchase an expensive flower arrangement for her and have it delivered to her - I had never done anything like that before, but it meant a whole lot to my Mom. A couple of months later, I was able to see my Mom for a couple of days and spend my Mom's and stepdad's 21st wedding anniversary with them (and my sister and her children - Lori had come up to help our Mom with her progressively failing health) - the last time I had seen My Mom was for a couple of weeks in 2000, and the time prior to that was about 10 years before that because of her moving down to the States, and then later because of our estrangement.

Due to her bad health (cancer - which had since been healed, but then failed kidneys and liver due to all the treatments, etc.), she had gone gone into a short coma and was hospitalized for about a month (she had spent about half of the year prior to this in the hospital too), but she was released the week that I came down, and for the three or four days I got to see her she was doing okay. But the day after I came back home, she went back in the hospital. That visit on her anniversary was the last time I was able to see her on earth.

In light of my Dad's death at the end of March, when Mother's Day came around this year, I was thinking a lot about where my Mom was, and though I desired so much to do something special for her again, I knew I could not. This poem was a result of the mixed emotions and thoughts at that time: gladness because she was in Heaven with her Saviour, pain free; and sadness because I would not see her until I got home to Heaven somewhere further down the road.

Mother's Day In Heaven
(Dedicated to my Mom -
I miss you, and look forward to seeing you again!)

It’s your first Mother’s Day in Heaven –
I'm so thankful that you're not alone;
As you behold the face of our Saviour,
And are blessed to worship at His throne.

Mom, I would love to send you flowers,
Though their fading glory could not compare
To the beautiful sights and sounds of Heaven,
And your very own mansion over there.

I never thought so much about Heaven,
As I have since you’ve gone home to that place –
Oh Mom, I miss you so very much,
And I long to see your precious face.

You see, this earthly home now seems more empty –
Its glitter and glamour can no more impress;
For Heaven is the place of God’s truest riches –
Where our Father only keeps the best!

Since you turned and trusted in the Saviour,
An amazing change has taken place;
Dwelling in the presence of Jesus now,
In Heaven - only because of His grace.

It’s your first Mother’s Day in Heaven –
With everlasting joy and peace up there.
Oh Mom, I miss you so much now,
But I know our reunion will be beyond compare.

May 8th/06
Jerry Bouey

If you are interested, please visit the link below to hear this poem presented in church:
(The audio recording is at the top of the page)

Mother's Day In Heaven

Through This Valley (Poem)

Poem for Thursday

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

Through This Valley
(Dedicated to my Mom, with love)

There's a shadow looming over me, and the pain is often near;
There's a storm cloud on the horizon, and the thunder causes fear;
But in the midst of this uncertainty, MY LORD IS ALWAYS HERE!

Through this Valley, with these tears, walking onward I go,
Not running in a hurry, nor lagging behind too slow;
For there's a peace within my heart - MY LORD IS HERE - I KNOW!

The journey can't be much longer - oh, this body aches and moans;
Though just around another corner, ahead is my eternal home;
And I know within THIS Valley, I AM NOT WALKING ALONE!

There's a hand that I am holding,
though the path is rough and steep;
There's a promise that I can cling to,
that I know my Lord will keep -
FOR THE LORD IS STILL MY SHEPHERD,
AND I AM STILL HIS SHEEP!

Oh, what is that on the horizon? A glimpse of golden streets...
My heart's so filled with wonder - as face to face we meet -
Now with joy I can see Jesus - and I worship at His feet;
THROUGH THIS VALLEY, TO THE SAVIOUR,
and my journey is complete.

September 19th/05
Jerry Bouey

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Psalm 23:6

Written about 2 days before my Mom went home to be with the Lord - this was written just before I left for work (for my graveyard shift) on the 19th of September, and my Mom passed away early in the morning on the 22nd.

Rising In The Arms Of Love (Poem)

This is the poem I wrote early last year to my Mom. This was when I first realized her health had declined so much because of her cancer and the complications arising from that. You can read a little more info on this poem (and the one for tomorrow - Through This Valley) here: Our Mom's Victory Through Faith. This was the eulogy of sorts I preached/read at my Mom's memorial to lost relatives (an attempt to reach my family with a clear presentation of the Gospel - I also had an opportunity to share written copies of this at my Dad's funeral this spring) and those who knew her (including the hospital staff that attended to her).

"She is sinking very fast," whispered an attendant in the dying chamber of a godly woman. "No, no," was the quick response of the departing saint, who had overheard the words; "no; I am not sinking; I am in the arms of my Saviour."

Taken from Our Daily Homily by F.B. Meyer

Rising In The Arms Of Love
(Dedicated to my Mom)

Oh, my friend, she is sinking so very fast!
No, she is only rising in the arms of Love!
But I thought that she would remain at last...
No, she is destined for greater things above!

But why would God completely take away her peace?
No, her Saviour has given her a more lasting kind!
Real joy isn't when all toil and troubles cease -
For when Jesus draws close, peace fills this heart of mine!

The fear, the unknown, it must be dreadful...
No, His blessed presence is so very near!
But, why did this tragedy have to happen at all?
Because He knew what I needed, and He is always here!

Why would He cause this affliction, why this trial?
He has a purpose, His ways are so much greater than mine!
I know these troubles are only for a little while,
And then I will dwell forever with Him in mansions sublime!

No, I am not sinking - I am rising -
Held gently by His arms of Love,
Sheltered safely under His wings,
Till I reach my Heavenly home above!

Rising, rising, in those arms of Love!

February 26th, 2005
Jerry Bouey

I love you, Mom!

The eternal God is thy refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
Deuteronomy 33:27

I've Gone Home (Song)

The funeral for a mother in our church (who died of cancer) took place on the day this poem was written. When I got home afterwards, I was thinking about something that was said during the funeral, and was really burdened for the family. I prayed for wisdom to comfort the family and claimed 2 Corinthians 9:7, one of my favourite promises when it comes to offering comfort and hope to others. This poem was the result. I remember phoning this family and reciting the poem over their answering machine - later Angela Trenholm made up a beautiful picture for them with this poem on it. The family asked me to share it with others. (Up until that point in time, I had never kept copies of most of the poems I had written to comfort others - but once this poem was passed on to others, many encouraged me to keep and pass on my other poems as well. They felt these poems were meant to be shared, which is why I have never copyrighted any of them - I want people to be able to freely use and distribute them, as long as the author's name and date written are kept with the poem.)

I contacted several websites online (that had awesome webpages - which I had no clue up until then how to do), and emailed the poem to them. No replies, so I forgot about it. Until about one or two weeks later when the owner of one website contacted me and gave me the link to her page. It was wonderful. She put my email address on the page, and the emails starting flooding in - hundreds each week (for the first few months I probably had thousands of replies each month). In three weeks there were 16 thousand hits to that one page, and others wanted to use the poem for their sites. I can truly say that one poem has literally gone around the world by the Internet! Due to this poem, I started some very good friendships with many people that contacted me through these various sites. And since then, some of these same friends have gone home to be with the Lord, and this poem is now a comfort to their families too. My brother also read this poem at my Dad's funeral earlier this year.

The woman (whose site no longer exists now) who first put this poem online taught me how to add music and backgrounds to my pages (for 2 1/2 years prior to this time I had my own websites, but they were basically plain pages). I knew basic html by this point in time and was able to quickly adapt what I was taught into my pages - and then I taught Angela how to do likewise. She certainly is artistic! (P.S. You truly should check out her free computer background site: Looking Unto Jesus Backgrounds And Prints)

Of course, learning how to spruce up webpages created a lot more interest - and also expanded the influence of the poems and studies on these websites. God has truly used those sites and poems to encourage and comfort so many.

My friend Angela also put this poem to music, adapting the tune from a well-known hymn. We used the first stanza as the chorus, adding it after every two stanzas - and finally using an adapted form of the first stanza as the final chorus (see below):

I've Gone Home

I’ve gone home to see my Father,
I’ve gone home, so don’t you cry
I’ll be waiting for you in Heaven,
In my mansion prepared on high.

No more sickness, no more sorrow,
No more pain, and no more grief.
I’ve gone home to be with Jesus
Though my sojourn here was brief.

I’ve gone home to live in Heaven
With all the blessed saints of old,
Here with Abraham and David
To stroll through streets of gold.

I’ve gone home to be in Heaven
Where there’s no sadness, and no night.
There is joy and peace unending,
In this blissful land of light.

But there’s something else more beautiful,
So precious, beyond this crystal sea,
As I wander through realms of glory
I find my Saviour walks with me.

I’ve gone home to be in Heaven,
Though you miss me, and tears abound,
Just keep believing in God’s promises,
And listening for that trumpet sound.

Because one day in God’s timing
When the Lord calls out your name
Look to the skies in awe and wonder -
We’ll see each other again.

August 1st, 2000
Jerry Bouey

An adapted final chorus of this poem:

I’ve gone home to see my Father,
I’ve gone home, so don’t you cry
I’ll be waiting for you in Heaven,
Where no tears will dim the eye.

Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of His saints.
Psalm 116:15

Angela Trenholm has put this poem to music, adapted from the hymn, I Know Who Holds Tomorrow: Download the pdf file of the sheet music.

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.