Like a River
Being from Colorado, I love the river.
I love it in every form, from its calm
stillness to its mighty rapids.
So many aspects of this river remind
me of God’s constant love for us and
I wrote this song at one of those
times when I was basking in that love.

Like a river
Flowing through a canyon
Like the snowfall
Melts into a stream
Like crystal waters
Wind through hills and valleys
‘Til they find their way to the sea

Constantly
Oh, so patiently
Overflowing
To its destiny
It reminds me
Of how You find me
Your love’s like a river
And my heart is the sea
Like a river
Sometimes I can’t see You
But still You keep on moving
Hidden from my view
Then You surprise me
With waters of refreshing
When I’m least expecting
I’m overcome by You
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In The Waiting
As the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways and my thoughts
than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9
The Lord has kept me in a season
of waiting for many years now, and
to this day I still wait. He hasn’t
provided me with a list of reasons
why, or given me writing on the wall
as a form of reassurance; I only know
that He has asked me to wait. For how
long, I cannot know. The Lord is
working on us in the season of our
waiting, and it is not seemingly wasted
time. We must not view His delays as His
denials, for He makes all things beautiful
in His time.

I’ve tried to be strong
Is there something I’ve done wrong?
Cause I’ve been waiting here so long
You see each tear
As the months have turned to years
For some reason You must want me here

I can see You’re breaking up my
fallow ground
In this season of such barrenness,
Lord, I have found

You are in the waiting
In that moment of my life
When my faith and hope collide
While my heart’s anticipating
How and when You’ll move
Oh, that’s when You prove
You are in the waiting too

So, plant Your seed
‘Til it’s living, Lord, in me
Make me all You want me to be
Unveil my eyes
If I’ve exchanged the truth for lies
Give me faith so I can see

The work that You began You will
complete in me
And I don’t have to understand the place
You’re keeping me

You give me water in the desert
You lift me up on eagle’s wings
So from way up high, I can see my life
From Your view of things
Though I’ve cried out for an answer
I believe that I can say
Thank You, Lord, for every
answer You’ve delayed
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Shadow of a Tree
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law
by becoming a curse for us, for it is written:
‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’
Galatians 3:13 It was just an ordinary tree,
but it was an extraordinary day - the day a
cross bridged the gap between man and God.

A tree stood tall, high above them all
Many years the tree had grown
It provided shade on a traveler’s way
‘Til a woodsman cut it down
Far from its home, the tree didn’t know
That a Savior it would bear
Soon to be part of a much greater plan
For Love would be crucified there

In the shadow of a tree
Heaven’s light broke through to me
I was blind, now I can see
Here at Jesus’ feet
In the shadow of a cross
Perfect Love was pouring out
I found hope, I found peace
When Love found me
In the shadow of a tree

Time stood still on that lonely hill
As the sky grew black as night
Forgiveness flowed and mercy was shown
As upon the tree Jesus died
Far from His home, He was buried alone
But this was not the end
An empty tomb and a tree are
reminders to me
That Love is risen again

My mind cannot fathom
Why this King gave up His throne
But on that tree He gave you and me
The greatest Love
The world has ever known
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Take My Life

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
At the impulse of Thy love

Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee
Take my voice and let me sing
Always only for my King
Always only for my King

Take my silver and my gold
Not a mite would I withhold
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Let them flow in ceaseless praise

Take my will and make it Thine
It shall be no longer mine
Take my heart, it is Thine own
It shall be Thy royal throne
It shall be Thy royal throne
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Story of My Life
You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good
thing. Psalm 16:2 When He calls, I want to listen.
Where He sends me, I want to go. And what He
desires, I long to desire. Thus, His very presence
in my life will be my story.

If I had the words to tell You
Exactly how I feel
Then I could fill a million pages
With all You’ve done for me
If I traced each memory
And the source of all my dreams
Cover to cover You’d see

You are the Story of my life
I need You by my side
Both now and ever
You are the Lover of my soul
No matter where I go
I know it’s true
The Story of my life is You

If I turned the pages of
The things You’ve brought me through
There’d be a thread of faithfulness
In everything You do
I’d see where You washed me
Just as white as the snow
And how each day You’re helping me grow

You are my Testimony
The Reason that I sing
I long to bring You glory
So may You always be
Found on every page of me
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Where My Heart Is

The treasures of this world
Will never satisfy me
They’re only serving to remind me
That I am on a journey
And I haven’t made it home

There’s another world
That’s far beyond my vision
And I have made it my decision
To build my life in Heaven
For Heaven is my home

Where my heart is
There my treasure will be
So I’m storing up in Heaven
The kind of riches that keep
I know one day
I will finally be free
And at last I will be
Where my heart is
Waiting for me

When I close my eyes
And I think about forever
It just can’t get any better
When Jesus is your treasure
For all eternity

So I will seek His face
More than diamonds or silver
For His love is so much richer
Than anyone could measure
It’s better than gold to me

So His kingdom I will seek
And everything else will be given to me
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He’s That Close
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where
can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to
the heavens, you are there; if I make my
bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on
the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far
side of the sea, even there Your hand will
guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.
Psalm 139:7-10 When difficult circumstances
come upon me, how many times I disregard
the very One who is closest to me and
intimately acquainted with me. Because He
isn’t as ‘tangible’ as a human being, I
somehow feel He will be less effective in helping
me. What a deception - He is the only one who
can deliver me.

When all your shattered dreams
Lie in pieces on the floor
When hope’s been lost at sea
And faith has walked out the door
There is One who stays beside you
He has promised not to leave
When you call His name
There He’ll be

He’s that close
Like the beating of your heart
You don’t have to travel far
He is right where you are
He’s as near
As the whisper of His name
He is just one prayer away
Yes, the One who loves you most
Is that close

When You have walked away
From His true and perfect Love
You can be sure His grace
Is more than enough
For His arms of love can find you
You are never out of reach
When you call on Him
There He’ll be

(The One who loves you most)
Is closer than a brother
And Your burdens He will bear
When you need a friend
He will be there
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Work of Art
…You are our Father. We are the clay,
You are the Potter; we are all the work of Your
hand. Is.64:8 I originally wrote this song for
a chapel service at Dallas Baptist University.
One of our art instructors was doing a potter’s
wheel demonstration while speaking on God’s
plan for our lives. I wrote it the night before the
chapel because I wanted a ‘fitting song’. It has
since become a prayer of surrender in my life
and in the lives of those who have heard it.

You are the Potter and I am the clay
You are the Artist and I am the paint
You are the Writer and I am Your song
I will be Your instrument my whole life long

Mold me, change me, color me
In shades of You, in shades of You
Play me, sing through me a melody
So when they look at me, they will only see who You are

You are my Father and I am Your child
An empty vessel and You are the fire
All that You are, Lord, is all I desire
Master, Creator, Take my life

Create in me Your work of art
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All songs written by Shannon J. Wexelberg
© 2002 Songs of Doxology (ASCAP)/All rights
administered by EMI Christian Music
Publishing; except, “Work of Art”
© 1996, and “You Carry Me” © 2001; and “Take
My Life,” Public Domain.