Blessed to Be a Blessing: A Collection of Original Inspirational Poetry

By Shirley K. Scruggs

In December of 2000, the authors husband, Randall, fell from a deer stand while hunting and broke both legs in several places. Randall had always been a strong, healthy, hardworking man with a wonderful job, but this took him and his family to a very low place in their lives. He spent three months in the hospital and had five surgeries to repair his legs. The doctors said he would never walk again! Shirley carried many burdens during that time including tending to a crippled and broken man and handling crashing finances because he was unable to work. Feeling really hopeless and alone, she shed many tears and prayed very hard. One night (actually about 2:00 a.m. in February of 2001), she sat up on the edge of her cot in her husbands hospital room and begin to write in a journal she was keeping. When she finished writing her prayer to God, she read it and realized that it was in the form of a poem (Why Are You So Afraid, My Child)! Since that time the poetry has flowed from her heart in a miraculous way. And she has written a huge collection of poetry! She believes the poetry is a gift from God to help her express what she is feeling deep inside. It flows from her heart in a matter of minutes and falls onto the page in poetry form! She praises God for this gift!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 21, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973634478

Shirley K. Scruggs

She is a widow, married for 43 years until the death of her husband in 2014. She is a wife, mother of one adult daughter, and two adult sons. She is a grandmother to three beautiful grandchildren, Nathan, Emma Grace and Annalia. She has experienced tragedy and sadness but has always found victory and solace through her faith in Jesus Christ. She is a church secretary/outreach coordinator/Sunday School teacher. She enjoys writing poetry and devotionals and spending time with family and friends. People and relationships are her priority. She has learned through tragedy to trust everything to the Father in Heaven.

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Copyright © 2018 Shirley K. Scruggs.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-3448-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-3447-8 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/27/2018

Contents

Dedication

Chapter 1 Conversations with My Lord

Why Are You So Afraid, My Child

A Choice

Early Morning Prayer

A True Heart

A Prayer for Forgiveness

A Prayer for Rest

Answers

Be Still and Know

Blessed to Be a Blessing

Deeper

Don’t Lose Heart

Draw Near, My Child"

Even When

Give Courage

I Am Here

Let Your Glory Shine!

I Stumbled and Fell

Let Go, My Child

Lord, Why?

Make Me Worthy of Your Calling

More of You

My Heart’s Pledge

Oh Mighty, Wondrous, Awesome God

Only Love and Devotion

My Precious Sacrifice

Simply Wait

Still My Heart

This Time, Lord

Trust Me

Unless

A Caring Heart

Voices

Chapter 2 Assurance and Good Advice

A Conversation with my Heart

A Friend

A Legacy

A Lesson in Forgiveness

A Time of Waiting

A Whisper

All You Can Do Is Pray?

An Answered Prayer

Before

Beginning of a Beautiful Day

But God……

Close to His Heart

Counting My Blessing

Crippled or Compelled?

Feel His Grace in Your Lonely Place

Immanuel, God is With Us

Encouragement

From Loneliness to Victory

Fulfillment

God is Good!

He’s the Potter

His Hand is Upon Me

His Perfect Plan

I Cherish

I Imagine

Encouraging Hearts

In HIS Word

Extravagant Grace

I Want To Be Found Faithful

I Will Be Thankful

I Will Rise!

In Mercy

Jesus, The Only Savior

May They See Christ In Me

Miss the Joy

My Foundation

I Glory in the Cross

My Lighthouse in the Storm

My Precious Treasure

My Testimony

Never Early, Never Late

No Cause to Weep

No Lost Causes

One of Life’s Miracles

Over and Over Again

Plans and Dreams

Press On

Pride the Deceiver

Reflection

Sadness of Heart

Speak His Name

Through Sunshine and in the Rain

To Have the Mind of Christ

Today-I Choose Joy

Trusting

Victory at the End of His Story

We Need Jesus

What If?

Who is He to Me?

Wonderful Name

Words, Once Spoken

You Are Not Alone

Chapter 3 Relationships

A Friendship Treasured

A Gift for My Grandchild

Dear Jesus, I Feel So Alone

Emma’s Dedication

Little Frog Speaks!

Nana’s Blessing

Nana’s Heart (For my Grandson)

Precious Grandchildren

To Annalia Danielle

Just Like I Knew

Who Will Love Our Children?

Your Mother’s Love Goes With You

My Daughter and My Dear Friend

Mother, A Gift of God’s Grace

The Tapestry

Chapter 4 Holidays(Christmas and Easter)

Slow Down, My Child

My Hope

The Present of Christmas

Not Our Presents But HIS Presence

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my amazing husband Randall, who is now with the Lord, and my wonderful children, Amy, Randy and Ryan, my son in law, Todd, and my daughter in law, Kristina. I also dedicate it to my beautiful grandchildren, Nathan, Emma Grace and Annalia. And a special thanks to all my encouraging friends who have urged me to compile these poems.

I wish each person who reads these poems could understand how God has worked in my life.

My husband fell from a deer stand in December of 2000 and broke both legs. They were broken so badly that the doctors told us he would never walk again! We spent three months in Mobile, Alabama in the hospital and he underwent five surgeries. We both had many trials during that time and I feared we were ruined financially and physically.

One night in February of 2001, in the wee hours of the morning, I sat on the edge of my cot in my husband’s hospital room, crying and praying. I picked up a journal that I had been keeping and began to write my thoughts. When I finished there was a prayer before my eyes in poetry form! There was a conversation between my God and myself. (See poem Why Are You So Afraid, My Child.)

Since that night the poetry has flowed from my being and I praise God because he has given me a way to express the deepest feelings of my heart. I praise Him because even in the moments when I gave up on God, He never gave up on us!

My husband did walk again and returned to work! God led us through a very troubled time and the He has blessed us so richly. He blessed me so that I could bless others! Thank YOU, Heavenly Father!

Chapter 1

Conversations

with My Lord

Why Are You So Afraid, My Child

Why are you so afraid, My Child?

A voice to my spirit said.

"At this late hour you should be asleep,

For hours you have laid in this bed."

I’m so uncertain and alone now, Lord.

I don’t know what my future has in store.

I did not expect this tragedy, Lord.

I have cried ‘til my eyes are sore.

We had so many plans and dreams.

We had many, many places to go.

But now, I am worried and anxious.

There are so many things I don’t