THE POOL

Her wings hold her soul with God's care
watching into Heaven's pool
where the waters are from the tears of the parents
she had to leave.

Love soaks her spirit
knowing they miss her soul,
as she whispers in their dreams,
"I'm okay and waiting for you."

Parents sit by the photograph
unable to cope at times with her loss,
but when the pain hurts the most,
they feel an invisible pair of lips
kissing them so softly on the cheek.

TAKE

The feeling of being claimed can be so assuring at times. Providing it is for the right reasons and a good source.

Otherwise is can be so confusing and muddle in the mind. I always find it amazing how we are most concerned about other people's opinions and not as much about what God thinks.

We fuss over perceptions and image and even though it isn't really a good image at times, we thing it is important. Meanwhile, despite the fact that God knows us completely, we don't get as concerned with his opinion. It is like we tell ourselves he will understand no matter what.

God is longsuffering to be sure. He does love us, and reaches out to us, but doesn't grant us the right to totally disregard his opinion or sovereignty.

Today I am in my office, a huge building where I spend a lot of time by myself. But there are times during the day that I do have encounters with others.

At the moment, however, there has been a decline interaction. Not by my doing, just by the reality that I have fewer employers coming to my office.

But it did occur to me how that gives me more time to reflect upon the Lord. Which is not a bad thing.

Providing I see it as an opportunity to listen and hear what God's spirit is saying. This doesn't always happen the way I would like, but it is important just the same.

So in the midst of the quiet, I can celebrate the joy of knowing he is there. And listening even if nobody else is hearing.

Quiet need not be sadness if one understands it correctly. And though it doesn't necessarily replace the warmth of a voice or a hug or two it does touch in its own special way.

Perhaps heaven truly does grant us the joy of knowing we are taken in a way that caresses in manners nobody else will. I will cherish that possibility and opportunity.

For now, I sit in my silence being faithful to my calling. The solitude granted me the quiet time to know how truly precious it is that God touches when no one else will.

If we savor that joy then it is a blessing. If we let it fester in some shadow it does other than grace us with happiness.

That is the part of being taken that one has to embrace with the knowledge God truly is more important than our other thoughts.

RELATIONSHIP

If there is one part of life that I'm not sure truly makes sense it is relationships. They can so mix us up in terms of feelings that we can be incapable of thinking clearly.

And yet being alone can be so difficult when you need the company of another's voice. So we struggle, reaching out with arms of need, hoping to find love along the way to embrace.

From what I have observed though it doesn't happen as much as we wish. And sometimes it seems that people truly never even find it as intended.

Of course I think part of the reason is because often a relationship doesn't touch us as needed. So it leaves a whole in our lives. One we so need to be filled.

Only it gets complicated if the hole involves a marriage. For that is always a complicated relationship. It has so many facets and side roads to travel.

Which naturally complicates trying to fill the whole. Hopefully with dialogue involving the one you love.

But what if the dialogue doesn't help? What if you bear your soul and it does not good? Now that can be extra hard.

The truth is people often have a nature that doesn't change and can't be reasoned with. It is fixed in the concrete of this mind and heart. Mixed with certain drives in passions and needs and will not change because you reason with the person.

Sometimes light can be shined into a person's shadows. And change can take place. It is knowing this aspect that often does inspire us to hope a person will listen to reason.

However this doesn't happen all the time. There are occasions when people simply never are capable of being other than bent in a given direction.

So you have to leave them in the Lord's hands and ask the tough question. Can you love them as they are?

That is never an easy question to ask. And an even tougher one to honestly accept when you know the answer.

I've seen what happens when people ignore the question and do not face the truth. How many times it eats at them in way that truly does bring some form of heartache.

How easy it is for the mind to pretend when thinking of answers. And it truly is not easy to in some way actually listen to God's answer. For is wisdom may truly not be something comes close to our desires. Only it is the truth and that is what we have to embrace if we ever truly want the holes plugged.

FLAKES

Flakes

December's wintry hearth
holds its breath
in windswept drifts.

Frozen hush seeps
through soul,
alabaster chilled sculptures
mystically nudge
hibernation's hypnotic allure

Flake on window
inspires
seeing life's vignette,
nature's crystals
unique and fleeting.

We are its gems
distinct and precious,
often missed in the majesty
of a distraction's tundra.

EDGE OF HAPPY

Life dangling on a precipice of laughter. Hoping you won't fall off. Praying it will be perfect and last. Which it never seem to actually do.

But we try just the same. To find a place for smile even when enduring some location where smiles are hard to come by.

That can be so difficult and demanding at times. A joy for us to if we find the right balance and a disaster in progress when we don't.

Life has its mazes of experiences where we will wander and easily get lost. So many times we are helped in the process by those who think they have all the answers in life.

Of course I think the one thing that is true is none of us is so blessed. And even though God does have the knowledge of all things he doesn't necessarily grant us the same privilege.

Happiness is one of those fickle elements of life. What makes one person happy is not the same as what gives another person joy.

And what is equally true is that God views the subject completely different than the rest of us. For his frame of reference is not based strictly on our values.

He will know what is best for us and will grant us the greatest blessing in the long run. But that doesn't mean it will necessarily be related to our idea of priorities.

So at times it is easy to get confused on the times we think we will be happy if one event takes place and in reality it isn't good for us in the long run. God will always touch us in the way that truly blesses even though we may not see it at the time.

Such is the nature of life. It truly is a challenge to be brought to some place that we feel our world is going to collapse if a given event ruins our idea of happiness.

But the question that is hard to appreciate is that this might happen to teach us when we are too dependent on a given source of entertainment or pleasure. If it has become a god then we need to understand who the Lord would in love seek to help us realize this.

How often I have seen where I certain situation that I thought would be the end of the world really was not as tragic as I first worried. That is what I have found to be so true in many occasions.

Not that I always understood or appreciated it at the time. For time is sometimes required before such truths come to our spirit. And if we listen and wait, trusting to the Lord his wisdom will truly be revealed.

It might not be easy to wait in some cases if we are hurting, but hopefully we don't forget God's love in the process.

RIGHT AND SO RIGHT

Right is many things. It is the opposite of left. Which may or may not be the first thing that comes to mind.

Right can also imply correct. As doing something the right way as opposed to the wrong way.

It is to me I think, a word that suggest balance or wisdom to some degree. But that doesn't mean others see it that way.

And the big problem is right with God may not have much to do with right in our eyes. It can be something totally different in our way of viewing it.

This is the nature of perception. And it can be even more complicated when life has so many twists and turns that defy adequate explanation.

We can find ourselves in the midst of confusion. Letting something other than our sense of right or wrong ruling.

This is not unusual. And it gets even more so when our emotions get in the way. That makes it even harder.

For nothing can clog the reason more than to have emotions cloud our thinking. They can so color our thinking we are incapable of seeing reality as it truly is.

Then right becomes an opinion. It falls short of the way life should be understood and ends up in dialogues that don't truly prove all that profitable.

If life were written in the same language of thought we all understood equally, it would be different. But that doesn't happen.

Instead we find ourselves in the middle of gauging those values based upon our experiences. Not that God has the same values, but there are many who like to say what God approves and doesn't approve of by their standards.

Oh they will always base in on some scripture whether it is interpreted correctly or not. Generally it isn't.

And that always ends up with us finding out the sad way that we are wrong in terms of God's blessing. But more than one person has made that mistake.

We just never manage to find that out when the time is right. Mainly according to our desires.

Such is the nature of life. Such is the way God works. And that always ends up disappointing if we don't keep it focused right.

WRONG

WRONG

It would be nice if this were truly a simple subject. But in order to be simple we would all have to agree on what is wrong.

This never works that way. And it is sad when you encounter people with a prevailing view of themselves that they are good and therefore never intentional harm others.

I know there are some that can truly be more kind and loving than others, but it doesn't mean we are all perfect or even without the capacity to do wrong. Even if our desires are good, we are imperfect and will make mistakes.

This is never an easy path for some to follow. You listen to their life stories and the one thing you do not hear that much when they did wrong that says, "I sinned."

People just aren't comfortable as a rule with that kind of honesty. And it gets complicated by the fact that too often one associates cultivated a certain image to accompany their sense of right and wrong.

Images are really a tricky thing. Myself, well I never claim to be perfect or even good. But there are those who do feel that if you are one who claims to speak for the Lord you should somehow be righteous.

It is true that when one speaks for God it will affect your life, but you will still be imperfect. And those who try to be otherwise will always find the journey a sad adventure if they insist on making themselves look totally whitewashed.

I've seen too many with double standards. They mill around in such strutting piety, the whole time spending a fair amount of moments in shadows.

Places where they can hide in order to keep their sinful desires from being seen. It never work, but they think it does.

And this all leads to a general state of something other than truth. People in such valleys often never are even aware of this valley.

Such is the nature of deception. It creeps into our being and smothers our sense of reality. And for a while it might even be something that works.

However, sooner or later it will come back to haunt. Not necessarily in ways we care to appreciate either.

Such is the nature of life in the maze of our own creation. Where we fall prey to letting needs we don't wish to admit somehow dominate.

None of this will in any way improve life in the process. Just make it more a game where there is no winner.

LIFE

Seconds hastily squandered in stormy questions,
grim reaper waiting list forms shadowy mirage,
grasping at bouquets of passion to revive,
forging cathedral of life to dream heaven in closets,
striking hope's flame to keep from screaming.

EASY

Wouldn't it be great if all life was like this? I haven't found it to be the case. Most of the time it seems what we really cherish takes a great deal of work in order to be realized.

However, the upside is when we have struggled and survived it does give us so much confidence for the next challenge. And that is always a benefit.

Which is not to say we enjoy the struggle. Merely that we savor the lesson. Providing we actually do learn from the experience.

And maybe it is because such trials are so exhausting we all have reasons to want to have times of finding some nice easy detour. The mind can easily create plenty of options.

We may even get desperate enough to pray about it. That doesn't mean God will answer such prayers as we wish.

No matter how difficult the road, no matter how challenging the crisis there are times when we do need to those experiences. All of which will not necessarily give us a reason to smile.

I'm not sure God always makes giving us a reason to smile the priority in any experience. Instead he will have what inspires faith to be the cornerstone of our life's house.

This isn't always the easy answer we seek or crave. And we might even go so far as to try and argue with the Lord over his will when we want a different outcome.

But when we transcend our selfish sight and see what is clearly God's will then it makes the vision more beneficial. And to that end we do have to focus on what he says is important.

I didn't say that is every easy. It can be very difficult to say the least. And if it becomes to burdensome on our expectations then it truly bears heavy upon our thinking.

But thoughts do not cling to our heart like feelings. What weighs as an anvil on our chest is truly something that we can feel so deeply.

Disappointment can fall under that category. We can become so burden by sorrow if we though an event was headed in one direction and it gets changed.

That is when we can lean upon God in his mercy and love for endurance. It doesn't mean things will improve, just that we can learn in the process more about ourselves.

This can be such a blessing a times. Not the kind we necessarily see as a blessing, but one that is one just the same.

Silence in our sorrow will sometimes bring the greatest joy.

FAVORITES

At this writer's site where I spend a lot of time they have this term called, "favorites." The idea is that these are other writers whose work you admire and want to read a lot. So by listing them as a favorite you will be notified any time they add another piece of writing.

Now the thing is most of the time people don't actually read other people's work that much. They might look at one on occasion, but not all of them.

So the term gets depreciated in terms of credibility with time. Doesn't change the practice and some think it is an honor.

As for me, I don't know, a label that has no substance to me has no value. So I never really take that term all that serious.

And I did try on some occasions to read other people's work. Only most of the time they never read mine in the process.

So after a while I got bored and stopped trying. Plus, I don't know, some make such comments so darn flowing with honey like it was a masterpiece even when it wasn't.

Such is the nature of social activities. They lend themselves to whatever little tales we care to say even if they aren't true.

All of that naturally is to be expected in most things. It is said when it infects the spiritual realm.

People just don't appreciate the importance of honesty and encouragement in that arena. They will not always tell the truth even when it is needed.

And encouragement, well forget that part. The best you will get out of most people in spiritual settings is something other than encouragement.

What is amazing too is this happens so much at places that love to talk about being so loving. Like you can really be loving and hateful in your comments.

People manage though. And think they are perfect in the process. Go figure on that part. Hardly works that way.

As for myself, well I try to encourage when I can. But not by saying a bunch of things that are not true.

That just never helps from my point of view. Which might not please some, but I find it path that works for me.

And at least I don't have to constantly make up another lie to replace the last one I told. Hard to keep them track too.

After the storm

Visions vex in vicarious elation
thunderous flashes inflame sight,
burning with inspiration's torches,
mind sculpts the gossamer ribbon
of hope's many hues.

Soaking the fantasy radiance
until a prism of transcendent reality
stirs in the mind.

Colors stir their vibrant stew
in quintessential strokes
sky and soul swim tangential
towards the pot of gold kept in the heart
and used as coins of love
showered upon others
bathing them in rainbow thoughts.

TRIED AND TRUE

There is something truly satisfying about the confidence that comes from dealing with someone who you trust. And has such a long history of being faithful and dependable.

Now these days this really is a hard thing to find in some case. You can find all types that will be glad to vow a promise of devotion or loyalty.

They just get lost in terms of actually doing what they promised. And sometimes they don't even see the problem with it.

I am involved with this one community of creative souls. And artistic minds often drift into strange and unusual forms of inspiration.

Among the oddities of this climate is the case of image. People crave to be seen as normal and traditional.

Only in reality they are often the opposite. Oh it sound great when they pour out all this honeyed emotions as if they are loving and caring people.

But too often they are words of intrigue caring with them ulterior motives. Images carved by seduction that have no basis in reality.

So they cultivate such facades for some devious purpose and never bother to actually be trustworthy or tell the truth. It can be very frustrating to deal with them.

As for me, well I learn the hard way that dealing with them was a problem. I got confused by the ones who claimed to be spiritual, but were totally immoral.

It is so incredible to me the people who wave the flag of Christianity as if it that makes up for being unethical. Oh they often justify such behavior.

I never honestly worry about it myself. I never claim to be perfect or even close. But I do try to be honest. Which is not easy at times.

But at least it is best when you can keep it simple. In reality too many people have problems and unhappy lives.

So they let those issues intrude upon their reality. It doesn't profit in the long run, but they think it does.

And generally it ends with disaster. Which never truly improves anything. God doesn't exactly bless you for lying and making it look like it was his idea.

Pity more don't understand that. But lessons learned the hard way are often so very painful, even though seldom forgotten.

Just too bad we have to mess up and play games to learn.

FEELING

These are such a big impact on life at times. We can be in shape physically, have mental alertness so crisp it amazes others, but if we have never feelings dogging life it truly does diminish the ability to savor our qualities.

Some people have such a true capacity for looking at the positive elements of life. Others do not.

And I think most of us enjoy chatting with people who are positive more than negative. But the big challenge is coping with the dark side of smiles when we are prone to such aspect in our nature.

To that degree I think that God truly does help when we have faith. For much of what burdens and sadness impales us in feelings I think related to sadness in one way or another.

Disappointments, failures, rejection, the absence of love all bear down upon us as shadows. And it is made worse when others compound those feelings.

But what is a challenge is to look passed those experiences. To remember that this life is fleeting and whatever valley we must walk is not eternity.

For those who follow the Lord there will always be hope in eternity. A place where we can travel without the shadows at last.

I take comfort in my solitude that despite my times of emptiness there are the times when God still shines upon my soul. If the Lord loves us, then what else really matters? Whose love is more important that his?

And we shall never be alone as along as his watchers are with us. They may not talk to us, but they are there.

To wipe away every tear is God's promise in eternity. That will be his time with us that we can truly cherish.

For now we must visit the places of our heart at times, which produce shadows. They may not always grace us with joy, but it is important to see them just the same.

In any case, life does transcend this present night of thought. It grows in our heart when the Holy Spirit is our light.

Other candles may burn, but they are never as bright or lasting as the one that comes from heaven. So let us praise his eternal fire that gives us what is a joy when we see with help.

We can walk with assurance the real tomorrow is one that dawn in heaven and not in the darkness of this night.

FALLEN

FALLEN

There are always to being on a pedestal. And even more so if we put ourselves on one. That is not a good thing, especially if we make the pedestal of some material that easily crumbles.

Such as trying to be perfect. Oh most of us will admit we are not perfect. At least in theory.

But not necessarily in reality. Our minds can cling to some illusion and we may express it in a very subtle way.

Like saying, "I don't make mistakes." I've known a few who said that. And let me tell you they are not the types to be very flexible in terms of admitting errors.

Another form of detour to me is when we always blame somebody else for our own mistakes. That to me amounts to the same thing. Just a case of deciding nothing is ever our fault. It is never true, but makes us so able to defer any sense of guilt.

None of that ever works with the Lord. His spirit doesn't grant us the luxury of such delusions.

Honestly, he will not let us live in such myths whenever we truly are listening to his spirit. And some truly go deaf on that part.

They get so acclimated to ignoring whatever disagrees with their view of reality, that they simply stop hearing when God speaks. To the point it truly becomes detrimental.

And it always happens in slow stages. God gives us plenty of opportunity to listen. The more we grow deaf and resist the more we find ourselves in the place where we simply stop hearing him altogether.

At the point we stop listening we will probably not even notice when he stops speaking. If we are so accustom to ignoring him it isn't that far or a shift to not hearing at all.

But the sad part is how often it will take some major crisis to have us wake up. And then it is really more like shouting.

Only there are times when God won't even do that. He will if there is a chance we can be woke up in the process.

But if our hearts are as cold as ice and our spirit far too dull in hearing, then we will just stop caring and go on our way, thinking everything is okay. Life may even get easier, but in the long run we will not find the kind of blessing that come from listening.

Hopefully, we will move ahead and always be willing to listen, though what we have to hear is painful.

WITHOUT WORDS

Without words

Without words,
lips give their voice
through soft kisses,
hands say their feelings
with tender touches.

It isn't a choir of golden tones
that lifts a heart from the shadows,
only the light from a single pair of eyes,
shining with the flame of devotion.

Sheltering without complaint
in the middle of any storm,
holding on when one falls into the shadows
just to keep you warm.

Enduring valleys and life's quakes
because the heart
is wrapped with another's face.

Finding it enough reason
to reach out in affection
because the beauty one beholds
radiating from another spirit
so bring and intense
all you can see is a gem
mid the stone forms of a day.

CALLED

This is not always the easiest of concepts to except when speaking of the call of God. For so often people have this preconceived notion that being called is based on somehow being very righteous. As if God touches you and you stop sinning.

It is true if a person called of God acting the same as a person devoted to breaking the law it would be hard to take their calling serious. But it doesn't mean that one ever becomes perfect.

It also seems that too often those who are not among the save have this obsession with deciding what makes one worthy of being God's choice. And naturally they never grant the person the same latitude of behavior they keep for themselves. That is never allowed.

When one studies those called by God as written in his word we do appreciate how that many of those called were anything other than perfect. Some had a wide variety of personal problems. The type that can be less than flattering.

Does it mean that they weren't truly called? No. Just that God didn't pick them because they were somehow better than others.

His standards of choosing is based on a whole different criteria than our values. Which can be very annoying to those who think being called is also the same as never sinning.

I do consider myself to have been called by God. He has never given me the freedom of serving him by not having a regular job.

And he has not so blessed me so that I somehow get lots of recognition either. He has provided and I have been very grateful for that.

But no where did he promise me that I would somehow be able to quit work and just spend my whole time doing nothing, but serving him. That is true for many and not always something that is popular.

Still, he does give me a joy from the doing. A sense of feeling that it is serving his purposes.

Does it mean that I have become perfect either? Not at all. And I have never claimed that I was perfect.

Just willing to serve as lead. Some label me as they see fit. But I never claim those labels for myself.

I do feel the satisfaction of knowing what I do is more according to his purposes than according to what gives me bragging right. And to that end I feel the joy of continuing to trust him even though it doesn't always give me reason to celebrate. Just a reason to feel joy.

TEXTURES

What is the surface of you day like? Is it rough and harsh and irritates the skin? Or is it smooth and soft making one feel so much better?

We each feel as our soul touches. And in our mind we set the pace for our expectations. If we look for shadows we will find them. If we seek light we will find it too.

One can not always be blessed with just the light. Sometimes life gets harsh along the way too.

None of this is a bad thing. Just a reflection of how things do bear down upon us. What really counts is how we choose to feel about it.

When the texture is rough we can decide to make it easier for ourselves we finding ways to avoid it. Then it never truly improves things. We get so used to not feeling we can't handle when we do have to feel.

On the other hand if we only are used to the harsh touches our lives may not be prepared for the times it is easy on the mind. God always graces us with such a mix.

But we still have to embrace it in our own way. To feel as he would inspire and accept as he would give.

Sometimes if the fabric of life gets uncomfortable it doesn't mean it is a bad thing. It might be that way as a lesson.

Not that we always are willing to accept such realities. There are times we resist. And if the cloth that God drapes upon us is even more harsh for specific reasons that can make things even more difficult.

Providing we never learn what we are suppose to know from the process. Providing we fail to embrace the threads shared for their intended meaning.

That is when we have the most problem. For the holy spirit tailors our life with certain aspects that are truly meant to bless and inspire.

And they made feel irritating at times. But if we go past the texture to learn the greater message being shared, they we can grow in the process.

For that life moves ahead. Wearing the garment intended, no complaints over how it fits either.

Such is the nature of life when we accept God's will and let his weave of calling fit our lives instead of some other choice. That makes the blessing we should always savor if we will but listen when he speaks. And for that we can be grateful, for doing so ends up with us wearing his robe of forgiveness.

EACH LINE

Each line
of life
traces its message
upon one's sensory awareness,
innocence's outline
hinting at its vulnerability,
naked and waiting
to be appreciated.

Images forging their secrets
under a sun's revealing rays,
mind's eyes see creation's mural
throbbing its equation.

Spirit caresses the edges of reality
feeling their poignant textures
dripping into the conscious
in droplets of resonating illumination,
passion's eyes
learning to love beauty
no matter the form.

SPENT

Being impoverished on a spiritual level can truly be so overwhelming. But in any case I'm just happy when I recognize this for being a blessing.

For there are times when it is easy to question whether one has the energy or stamina to endure a given challenge. To find some reason to just want to relax and enjoy life rather than stay the course.

Such are the aspects of human nature when we let our flesh intrude upon our spiritual wisdom. It can truly distract us from letting God help us to understand his will.

For we can see ourselves in our limitations and think, I'm just too exhausted to go on. Surely the Lord can not want me to do more?

It is an honest question and one I think we all have asked from time to time. At least if we are willing to admit we are human.

Yet, that doesn't mean our inner voice is truly the best source of wisdom in that regard. There are times when it does not come from the soul, but the flesh.

God seeks to help free us from such problems. He wishes to help us to learn more how to trust only in him.

I've been amazed how often God has taken me in a given situation beyond the limits of my thinking. He has guided me to places where only his strength has sustained.

Am I saying it has always worked for me? No, not even close. For being human just makes that part of who I really am.

And I celebrate his grace that teaches and forgives. Which can guide me no matter the situation.

What God won't do is force the journey. He won't make me go where I refuse to step. I may have the choice, but it is still my choice.

For that I am grateful. Because he still grants me the test of my free will. I just know that in long run the obedience brings its own blessings while resistance produces failures.

And we have to be willing to see his hand lift us up when the time requires. To allow his strength renew us when we think we can keep going.

Sad is the time we do nothing. We rest when we should keep walking. And in the process never truly grow as intended.

Such is the nature of life. For that we can celebrate that God loves us enough to help us be challenged to see life as is a blessing and not curse.

WAS IT WORTH IT?

The dragons of impulse often devour our reason. We go with our need or desires, but not always with our heads.

And sometimes when it comes to spiritual matters it is so easy to factor in some element where we excuse our cravings as pleasure to God. Such is the nature of life.

Not that we all will admit our motives. Some times we just find it easier to say it in a way that makes it sound like it was the Lord's will or his choice even if it isn't.

It all might impress to some degree. And if we do something on the stupid side it will make it seem even better or more sane.

In the end, such behavior is never subject to any definitive criteria. It just ends up being the place where when the dust settles that we have to ask, was it really worth it?

Now measuring that may be tough. It can be factored our prejudices. And most of the time that might not actually in any way truly result in our being able to measure the true value.

Plus when asking was it worth it, we have to look at the worth from God's point of view. That can be difficult.

For what God values and expects from us and sees are worthwhile isn't based upon this life. It is based upon what has eternal relevance.

Which may or may not end up being significant in this life or to others. For that is part of the process.

And that can be difficult when you are talking about evaluating the given action. Did we truly do it for selfish reason or to please the lord?

It can be a very difficult question to answer. One that doesn't in any way merit our seeing it only in terms of our needs.

Plus is the eternal relevant? It is difficult to answer that one. God's spirit can make it easier to understand.

In any case, we can savor the time and place as see by eternity. One heart beat being the essence of all life.

Such is the nature of spirituality. Not that we truly will always accept that aspect. But there are times when God will make us understand.

Only we have to willing to listen. And that is what truly brings us to the point of seeing what God considers as important.

SPELLS

SPELLS

When I hear this word I always get this image of some wizard or witch uttering some magical words. The kind that turn princess into toads or some other special trick.

I know there are those that claim they can work all kinds of spells, but personally if such people possess these kinds of powers, I have witness them using it. I'm not saying they can't, just am unable to testify to such things myself.

From my view whatever magic might exist the truth is that I don't feel it can compete with God's power. I personally wouldn't want to take bets on it either.

Instead, I would rather concentrate on the reality that any choice other than god is not a good one. Just not in my view. And I don't think I am alone in that regard.

I was told by a friend the other day how this person we both know had made an allegiance with Lucifer. This being Satan naturally and not exactly a wise choice from my view.

After all, Satan is known as the father of lies. So how could you really trust anything he claims? Where is the logic in that?

I don't care how much he bothers to promise or sway with some soothing words, you can't trust him. I'm not saying he doesn't have any power.

Just that he is not one to be trusted. I think that is not too hard to appreciate. But apparently regardless of all the warnings in scripture and how he is depicted, there are always a few that will seek him out.

I can appreciate how life gets difficult at times. It can be very challenging and demanding.

Disappointment happens so often and our dreams can vaporize in reality's light. So understandably their are people in such situations who will rationalize such help, no matter how risky is worth the effort.

My life is hardly a tribute to prosperity and fame. I have survived and not homeless, but not exactly famous or successful on some panoramic scale.

I do accept that I have made plenty of wrong choices in my life. I don't blame god for that.

But regardless of the failings of my life, I would still rather trust to God's blessings and mercy than turn to some deceiver's promises. Perhaps I may cheat myself out some fleeting moments of pleasure in the process, but at least I can sleep with my convictions and actions.

In heaven there will be no losers only those draped in the gold of God's love.

TWILIGHT'S CHASMS

Crooked fingers of light
poking at the darkness,
snakes are felt slithering
through the blackness,
lying with can't cushions
covering the face
so one won't have to conjure
a fun house mirror
to shine upon the toxin excuses
buried under a dilapidated confessional
shaped like an outhouse.

Feeling the hint of sunset
brushing the void,
only enough to be terrorize
by the mutants it paints
upon the walls
murmuring their melancholy tales.

Holding a candle and matches
mumbling a macabre soliloquy
about wax cannibals.

Praying night will finally kill
the last rays of illumination
so one doesn't have to remember
hand's are holding a ladder.

THUNDER

THUNDER

Roaring through the mind, felt it shake to the core. We will sense the impending flash of lightning along the way. It will give us different reactions from the stress of waiting.

Life has many different types of thunder that come. Some boom in the most unexpected ways.

They can come as a crisis or emergency, even a blessing. Something unexpected that truly touches to the bone.

Where is takes us is hard to say. That will depend upon how much experience we have had with thunder in the past.

If the thunder has brought disaster we can be less that thrilled with future sounds coming into our minds. And we might cringe if the crisis really was a disaster.

As for blessings, well if they roar with such drama in our veins, it can truly overpower. It can rivet with awe and anticipation. But it might also elevate our expectations that all future thunder will be the same.

What thunder will never be is normal or quiet. It will always get our attention. But whether we hear God in the thunderous shake is a matter of our spiritual ears.

Some find that easy to embrace others do not. There are times when we all look in one direction for the storm we anticipate while they will come from a different place.

And it takes time and the spirit of God to truly give insight and understanding to the cause of the thunder. Some can discover the details on their own. They will ferret out all the facts about thunder from some source.

But it never is quite the same as when it is taught by God's spirit. For he will give us light to show more deeply what is the true origin of any thunder.

Plus he will also grant us understanding of the purpose of this thunder. Speculation always serves to give us sight. Only it isn't necessarily from God's spectacles.

Oh it will give answers, but not necessarily the right ones. And if we embrace it as our only version we will probably end up less than satisfied with the meaning.

But again it is our choice. And no matter how painful the truth is at times, it is less painful than when we never accept it at all.

Letting it touch will be the most critical phase to any process. For that is when thunder becomes a lightning for the heart and we grow in the process rather than stay in the shadows forever. A choice that never in any way grants us the joy we can carry through the darkness.

END ZONE

The place where we reach the last place of a challenge. A departure from sadness long enough to stay and reflect upon where life has taken one.

It might be a blessing at times. For if insight comes in the process then it is a good thing. but if nothing is learned that is a sadness.

We never gain if we only see the stumbling and shadows. Then life never gains in the process.

We might feel okay, but we are dying from the lack of light. Then we have only partial sight.

Which never in any way helps to make the passage worthwhile. We only manage to live with the details and not grow.

This never work out to be a plus if we don't savor it as a focus of blessing. Then all we do is live without joy or moving ahead.

That never helps us to progress. The end one thought should always bless with more benefits.

But then it will depend on us. Sometimes that will be a good thing others it will not. Taking a step beyond our limitations is a challenge.

To life up one's eyes and see the sky as God intended is a blessing. To fail to look upon it with joy because we still only see shadows is a sadness.

We can either walk towards the light when reaching the end or move towards some other domain. One without hope or joys.

But we can't always find that choice on our own. We just move at the pace allowed And in the direction available.

But it is the departure we have to live with. And with God's help it will always move as will be in our best interest.

The path might not move in a direction we prefer, but then life can be difficult to appreciate. So for that we have to depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit.

He can guide us according to his will. And that will work at times others it will not. For that is part of what makes the journey part of what is special.

For us this can be such a blessing at times. Or we can be upset by it. That is our choice. One we can make with God's help if we wish or without it. Such is the matter of choice each of us has to make.

HIS SKY

His Sky

His heart hangs heaviest in the dawn
when seeing the golden sun rise over the turquoise sky
painting its saffron rays across creation.
Remembering the days before the holocaust
when the clouds never parted to reveal its orb
and life seemed to hang in a heart beat's pause.

Tears sometimes creep so deep into his soul
over the lost of so many he loved,
but gazing outward in happiness at the new earth
where he tends it as guardian.

Trying to cleanse the stain of sadness
with hands caressing each life
hoping to erase the mar of mortal failings
that left such a disgrace.

Celebrating the blessings of new beginnings,
praying to claim it as beauty,
heading for the vineyard he planted
and the vat where he pressed his wine,
joy flowing forth in visions untainted,
just one drink to honor the bounty to come.

Maybe this time the memories of what was lost
wont need to be drowned in the juices.
Taking one more glance up at the sky
sometimes wishing to see
it turn as marshmallow in texture
as it was in his other world.

FUN ZONE

Fun can be a good thing. When it is done in a healthy and positive way. That is when there is no guilt attached.

Not that everyone will ever agree on the subject. You can be sure some will never think anything fun is a good option.

Which is fine as long as they don't bury others with it. That happens too much. People who truly have no passion deciding to find a way to tell you God says having a good time is a sin.

That is a big key buzz word. Doesn't mean it is a sin. But it sounds so much better to say it that way than to say they just don't like to enjoy life.

There is a need for boundaries though. To let God help us fly, but without ending up sailing intentionally into a storm.

That is the difficulty and challenge. We need to have the balance that says we are able to serve God and still have a good time.

Some will think God never smiles. That enjoying yourself is a bad thing no matter what it is.

Such people probably will never find a way to savor the things out of life that God will freely give us. They will never be happy thinking you do either.

To that degree such actions can kill the spirit. One can lose the very joy of salvation from the lack of passion.

It can devastate and ruin one's capacity to truly look forward to trusting God. It can sever the very essence of what makes life seem worthwhile.

This can't truly bless if we start out not wanting to be blessed. If we don't God help us to smile in ways that adorn then it takes the strength out of our ability to trust him.

Not that all of life needs to be so blessed. There are times of tears and times of struggle, but there are also meant to be good times too.

Only we can't control them. We have to trust to the Lord to allow him in his timing to bless us as he feels is right.

Some will find this easier to accept than others. But those who don't embrace it at all will be the ones who will have saddest times.

One can go to heaven frowning. One go to heaven with tears. But blessed is the person who also comes with a smile when it is possible.

BESPEAKING LIGHT

The wonderful moment of rapture when the mind feels the Lord's glory touching. It doesn't necessarily happen in church. That kind of moment can come on any occasion when God speaks to us in ways that we see life differently.

Growth for the soul happens on so many different levels. Life is the constant renewal of understanding, seeing new facets of truth where before we slept and were without such knowledge.

Does it come when we expect it? Not always. Does it come because we deserve it? No, not then either.

It occurs when we are ready most to listen. That is not the same for each person. And some never hear or grasp the time this occurs.

They will wander in a valley of thought even when they are on a mountain experience. Just never quite getting it.

Because above all we are human. Because life calls upon us with demands that claim out thought.

Still, God tarries with our clarity. He will reach down into the recesses where we truly live and bring his light.

Such is the nature of spiritual intimacy. Not that God is imperfect, but our capacity to hear and fathom is flawed.

Time and experience often helps. It can fill the gap where misunderstanding dominates. Such is the nature of true spirituality.

Some try to act as if you can somehow alter life so you will have a perfect receiver for hearing. They will go through all the motions of purging to do what they can to make their minds and spirit prepared to hear with perfect clarity.

It sounds impressive. But often it is more the process that is other than pure. Because above it all we are human.

And that means we will not truly find ourselves in the moment finding pure light to guide our way just because we prayed extra hard. It does sound great.

But that is not how things work. True communion with the Lord is always an evolving process.

We travel ahead then fall backwards. We never truly arrive in this life, just grope along a corridor to eternity.

Hopefully, with the joy of hearing God's voice along the way and even more so to understand his message.

UTTERING DAWNS

Life regenerated and filling by thought and prayer. Creating the worlds we wish were real and imagining them to be possible.

It is all part of life. A form of survival in a harsh reality. Some stop day dreaming as kids. They just focus on the day to day routine. Concentrate on making life into a practical haven where there is the least amount stress.

So we stop believing in fantasy and even manage to give up the practice of daydreaming. Not that daydreaming is necessarily a good thing.

But it truly does keep the core of faith alive in many ways. And that stems from hope. The scriptures speak of how without a vision the people perish. That doesn't always mean dying.

It can mean the soul is drained of vitality. You wither on the inside and are unable to function.

That is a form of death where all you care about and are dies. You function, but there is no passion, no joy, just existence.

This might still call being alive, but it isn't truly living. If the heart beats, but doesn't not feel, it is not the process of truly being alive.

For years I lived this way myself. I gleam small whiffs of hope, but the main elements of my life were numb.

I did my best to be faithful, but felt so miserable on the inside. Oh I found ways to cope, but there was little joy in the process.

God was merciful to me. For that I am grateful. He blessed me with a precious gift of new life when I had given up hope.

In many ways I life has not changed. But on the inside I do have hope again. And for the first time joy.

All because I feel when I was in the darkest valley, I didn't chase after the types of fleeting joys that would have never helped me in the long run. As I look back now I'm grateful that I did walk the path where he lead.

There are times it hurt to miss out on some of the things that gave others life, but then I see some of those same people today and appreciate how they are not really happy. The choices of the time have now brought consequences.

I can't say tomorrow won't bring some grief, but I pray I will face it with the happiness of seeing some light where before I only knew tears.

JUST WORDS

How often I have visited
knowledge's many jewelry stores.
Each one showing off their elegant selections
shining with a luster of reason's shimmer,
enticing me with how their collections
would adorn me with happiness better than any other.

So I tried them all, the dollar shapes and those formed like feathers,
but never felt comfortable or more enriched by their offerings.

Then I met a street peddler selling tarnished jewels.
His eyes flared from their possession
seeing in them a fire I'd never known.

Coming to understand the greatest pearl you can own,
is the one that you feel intensely inside, giving your pulse its beat,
how truth without love's gold to inspire with passion opulence,
becomes nothing more than cosmetic thoughts,
being lifeless words forgotten in a heartbeat
unable to give movement to one's fingers.
Helping me to savored the priceless gem he gave me,
of how true wisdom wears a necklace
discovering the richness in each day.

MEANT TO BE

Not everyone subscribes to the concept of predestination. The scriptures do make it clear that the redeemed had their name written in the book of life before the worlds were formed.

So we know that God knew in advance who would be among the redeemed. But it doesn't make clear when this process happens in a person's life.

For God to know something in advance is not the same as his making those things happen. He does that with some events. For the purposes of affirming is sovereignty in terms of a prophecy he declare would come to pass.

But with individual lives he still grants us free will. So for him to have known before hand that would be redeemed to me means he didn't cause that choice, merely that he is able to know the choices we will make.

To me the concept of predestination implies we have no choice in such situations. That would not allow for free will.

So I do feel, that even though God is aware of who is marked by the cross of salvation, he doesn't keep us from making our own choices. And that can be something we truly need to respect.

It is rather like the doctrine of eternal security of the believer. The idea that once you are saved you can not by any means ever lose your salvation works for some people, but I'm not persuaded it is truly completely accurate.

I do feel that when God's spirit resides within he does influence us. He won't keep us from making bad choices though.

Which for me creates this tightrope of behavior. For if you act as if you are impervious to ever doing anything wrong, you have no conscience regarding your behavior.

It is as I heard one person claim about some sin, "oh well God will forgive me." Which is a presumptive and rebellious attitude.

God, knowing the heart is not impressed with such approaches to salvation. He does not grace us with kindness for taking his mercy for granted or show disrespect to them.

For the me the issue is keeping one's faith alive with passion. To reach out each day and trust God because you want to and it gives you life.

That obsession circumvents the element of eternal security. It is the aspect that sees point and value in the effort and not in the satisfaction of pew sitting.

For that it is to dream and be grateful. Then the rest of the time can be spent in joy of knowing and not trying to keep score.

OPENESS

Hard to always achieve this. You have to start by stop building walls in your mind. Some will never achieve that.

They won't even appreciate how they have erected such walls. They can be such an instinctive choice.

But if one can let God's spirit give wings and fly upon his current of sight, it is possible to rise above one's limitations. Maybe not to the degree we would see in our dreams, but one that will truly embrace a level that helps us to grow.

We do have to be prepared to embrace how God sees to elevate our sight and thinking. It can truly be a challenge to let the lord be our lead in that regard.

Still that is what is required. I have often been amazed at the people I've know who came to some cross roads of discovery and thought it was the final stop on their journey.

They would never be capable of rising above who they were and accepting that this junction wasn't all that life held as meaning. And then they take that small detour and think it is all the truth they will ever need.

It is sad and amazing when people see the profound and not the obvious. They can recite the deep meaningful things learned in life, but never the ones that are less complicated.

Such is the nature of who easy we are more able at times to thrive on the complex rather than the simple. The complex is hard to understand.

Mysteries appeal for they stimulate, but it doesn't mean it is good for all situations. And when we overlook the obvious, we often end up being worse off.

Health is one of the most common places we suffer in that regard. We can delve into any cerebral cranny, but not spend time exercise.

One can learn spiritual secrets from an angel, but still fail to appreciate that ignoring health can have lethal consequence. Not that anyone will live forever.

Merely that we are not truly as open as we claim if we only see part of life as important and don't give respect to the rest of life. We are in such situations just as narrow minded and with problems as those who don't see spiritual truths.

We may never find all the truths of life as God intends, but we can face the most important ones. Mainly how God doesn't expect us to think ourselves wise if we only are willing to listen to part of what he says.

Such is the sadness of life. And such is the nature of where we need to pray for his leading.