Along Life's Path: Inspirational Poems, Songs, and Stories

By Theresa H. Vogel

Along Lifes Path is a compilation of original poetry, songs, and uplifting essays that rely on Christian principles, Biblical wisdom, and personal anecdotes to encourage others to live a fullfilling life.

From the beginning of her life, Theresa Vogel has faced challenging life circumstances. Born a below elbow and below knee amputee, Theresa openly shares her struggles, victories, courage, suggestions, and principles as she details how her spiritual strength and faith in Jesus Christ creates a way of living that carries her through her life's journey. Theresa focuses her essays on such diverse and inspiring topics as the power of prayer, friendship, the complex mother/ daughter relationship, Heaven and eternity. Through her heartfelt words and poetry, Theresa has the ability to lift spirits, rouse hope, and build faith in spiritual seekers of all ages.

Theresa Vogel is a remarkable person she is a woman with unshakable faith in Jesus Christ and a writer who echoes the testimony of St. Paul, We look not at what can be seen, but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
--Steve Zeisler, Pastor, Peninsula Bible Church, Palo Alto, CA

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Dec 16, 2008
• ISBN: 9780595607204

Theresa H. Vogel

Theresa Vogel is an inspirational speaker and writer. Visit her website at www.lifestapestry.com. She currently lives in Central California with her dog Lucy.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

You will show me the path of life,

in Your presence is fullness of joy.

—Psalm 16:11, NKJV

As a young girl growing up on the central coast of California, I enjoyed taking long walks and exploring the trails that bordered my home. My favorite trail was one that led to a chalk mine where my brothers, sisters, friends, and I would play. But getting to that chalk mine was a little tricky.

The path started wide and level, but it soon became narrow and rocky. Keeping my eyes on the path, I sometimes had to push away the dense sagebrush so I could move forward. To my enjoyment, scattered along the way were small bunches of glorious wildflowers that we admired as the trail twisted and turned downhill a little and then uphill again.

As I neared the chalk mine, the brush became sparser and the path opened wide, as if to welcome its visitors to their destination. With the surrounding hills full of wild flowers, the view from the chalk mine was beautiful. The arduous hike became a victory.

You may wonder why I found the hike difficult. It’s because I have my own set of physical challenges, which I discuss within these pages.

With or without physical challenges, our walk through life is rarely like walking the yellow-brick road. It’s not plainly marked. It’s more like the trail to the chalk mine, which was a path scattered with gopher holes, weeds, twists and turns, and mountains and valleys. We may start on level ground, but as we journey on life’s thoroughfare we encounter rocks, sagebrush, and intermittent steep terrain we didn’t expect. To our delight, we may also come across lovely patches of flowers or fellow hikers whose company we enjoy.

I’d like to think that our journey in life is one long, continuous adventure. It’s an intense expedition, and we should make the most of it as we go along. It’s the soul who boldly goes through life walking in faith who is the victor.

Each of us has a different road to ramble. We all experience life differently and uniquely. Some will be on their life’s path for years and years, and some will be on their path for only a short while. We will experience significant mountains to climb and cherish our mountaintop experiences.

Since our journey in life is an unpredictable road, the most important part of our trek is our guide. Some people decide to travel their life’s path solo, but why should we go it alone when we can have someone who knows our trail from beginning to end? However long our individual journey may be, we can have the assurance that he who knows us completely will direct us. In God’s word, it says that he will instruct us and teach us in the way that we should go. He will counsel us and watch over us. That’s why, despite tough circumstances, finding shelter in God’s faithfulness is central to my life’s path.

This book includes some of my inspirational poetry and song lyrics with a brief story to introduce each piece. Two chapters include song lyrics written by nineteenth-century Christian songwriters.

Most of my writing is about the Christian life and our relationship with the lord of the trail. He not only knows the trail, but he also knows each of us better than we know ourselves. God wants to lead us along our difficult passages. My stories tell how he has been a reliable companion to me. Topics focus on life challenges, friendships, family relations, pets, courage, and current events. These are life experiences we all encounter from time to time. My prayer is that these pages will encourage you, build your hope, strengthen your faith, and perhaps tickle your funny bone.

We have a lot to deal with in our lives, but in God’s creative wisdom and love, he works out everything for our good according to his purpose. We just need to trust the Lord on the path of life, every day, and he will guide us.

As for me, when I reach my destination, I have no doubt that it will have been well worth the hike.

PART ONE

BEGIN THE JOURNEY

LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE

Webster’s dictionary defines adventure as an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks. The word can also mean an exciting or remarkable experience. My outlook on life is that it is an adventure. My life adventure started when I was very young.

My journey began at the Presidio Hospital in San Francisco, California. Dad was in the Army and stationed in Germany, and my mom was from Germany. They met and married in Germany, then soon sailed to the United States. When my mom became seasick on the ship, the doctor gave her a new medicine to relieve her seasickness. It was later thought to have been the drug Thalidomide.

Not knowing that she was pregnant with me, my mom took the medicine. I was born about seven months later. To the surprise of the doctors and my mom, I was born without hands and without legs below my knees. As I grew older, and with the help of others, I found ways to compensate. Thus began my life down the resourcefulness road.

In my early childhood, I was fitted with arm prosthetics, but although the arms were functional, I was not comfortable using them. They were too