ALMIGHTY

The Lord is in His omnipotence. The reality that His reach is endless. And the fact of how much we don’t understand it.

No matter how much I try I still forget this truth at times. I feel the times when I honestly get side tracked and just miss out on some occasion to see this truth.

I just get detour from faith’s sight by worry and stress. And how easy it is to stay in the condition way to long.

Just allow yourself to drift into a place you treat as a wilderness and presume that for some reason the Lord isn’t there. But He is.

I was having a discussion the other day with a friend. This friend was of the opinion that it was possible to control one’s thoughts.

And in so doing you would manage to avoid some sin in your life. This, was to this person, the life of faith.

Well, the problem is that trusting the Lord and never having a single unspiritual thought are not the same. They are not even close.

At least that is my experience. And the reality is from what I’ve seen is that God’s spirit resides in our fleshly tent, but doesn’t cleanse it of all wrong.

I wish He did. I wish that was the truth, but it isn’t. I think those who are truly called of the Lord sooner or later come to this point of understanding.

To see the Lord’s power as truly having no limits, but to appreciate how He doesn’t change our lives to purge them of every sin. We just keep being human.

Not that we always accept it as true. So often we tend to get away from that truth. And that is when we have problems.

But when He helps us see that truth, we are able to move ahead. To trust Him, not expecting to pretend we didn’t have some terrible thought earlier.

We have to step into that valley were the darkness immerses. And be alone with the truth of what is inside.

Not think it will disappear in the light or cease to exist. Then we can accept what darkness God doesn’t take away.

And that is the part that is the constant struggle. It is trusting the Lord and His saving power even when we don’t think we deserve it.

That can be the greatest hurdle we can overcome with God’s help.

EVERY CLOUD

Every cloud caressed by eyes and heart

always bears its blessing

though hidden inside and not easy to find,

they wait for our wings to touch

what beauty is within,

soar through their refreshing dew,

let it immerse in a cleansing rain,

wash away very tear and stain.


Hope is the eagle living inside

who doesn’t stop flying

because the sky turns dark or gray,

for love has feathers to keep one aloft

and always sail towards one’s dreams,

not seeing a barrier of billowy banks

waiting to impede one’s flight,

but an opportunity to experience

a different challenge and encounter.



For we are only limited by our own thoughts

when crossing air of life,

doing it with outstretched plumes of anticipation

always makes the journey filled with joy

while riding the wind of peace.

GETTING

There are so many who would treat this as a case of quoting scripture where it says, “vengeance is mine, that sayeth the Lord.” And it is true.

It would be wonderful if people honestly were able to apply that. I know some who do, but plenty who don’t.

I wish I could say I was able to apply this myself. But no matter how hard I try I haven’t been able to do that.

So that is the case of me just not pretending about my weakness in that regard. I do the best I can to not give in to those feelings, but it doesn’t happen.

Like so many situations I think honesty is important here. The ability to embrace the parts of our lives that are other than perfect.

And even as a Christian to face the truth with honesty. Because even if we think otherwise, God knows the truth.

Now the problem is how does one cope with the truth? How do we cope with this nature and still feel saved?

It can be so hard to admit. To be able to keep things in focus. To be able to not forget the truths of scripture are reminders of our need for forgiveness.

Remember that and then you move ahead. You take the time to always embrace the reality we will never be perfect.

And even if we hate in our hearts, even if we take the time to focus ourselves in terms of seeing ourselves correctly, we will always need to take them to the Lord.


Perhaps some can forgive and forget. Maybe some are able to truly able to spend their time in such a state and have no problem.


But I think human nature is a truth you have to embrace. To allow God to give one peace over the frailties of life.


Then getting even is the victory of faith. The times we get even with the voice inside by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And that is time we will truly see how loving God really is. For He will grant us clarity in our darkness.

Then help us to see the blessings only He can provide. Such is the nature of faith and forgiveness.

And the power of His divine light.

TIME KEEPERS

I plead guilty on this one. Always loving to plan things and expecting them to happen when I want them to.

And it sure can be so frustrating when you take time to plan something and things go wrong. Those can be times that really upset me.

I used to have problems with procrastination. Very serious problems that kept me from getting much done.

So in a way of compensating, I tend to try to do things in advance. Always make sure I am done on time.

This is realistic in all situations, but I do enjoy when it works. However, because it also involves control there are times it goes against the tenets of faith.

So God will toss something in my path to interfere or disrupt my plans. Not all the time. There are occasions life does it naturally.

I wouldn’t say that I love those times. But afterwards I normally have time to reflect and appreciate the merit of this incident.

Do I always give thanks? I wish the answer was yes, but it isn’t. I do try to find the reasons.

And there are times when the Lord is merciful in that regard. When He takes time to add understanding.

If that happens it does help. Just doesn’t make me prepared for the next time. Because it will happen in a different situation with no related connection.

All meant to convey the continuing need to trust. All meant to in a loving way grant me the grace to see I am not perfect.

I can’t say I am always happy with the process. I can’t say it will always turn out to have a happy ending.

But I can say that I have learned. Enough so that later I will pause after the crisis to remember the change.

Then I move ahead and sometimes still stumbling. But I will always be grateful for the joy it brings to learn.

Even if it doesn’t always make me happy at the time. Still the process of faith will always be a benefit.

Just making sure we embrace it is the challenge.

NIGHT

What sleeps in the mind when we are all alone? Is there hope in pure darkness? It is the question we often can ask.

And the answer will depend upon the person. Which is the part that we have always review.

Perceptions can be so difficult and challenging. And we may rely upon them no matter what is true.

This leads to the predictable, I’m right and you are wrong scenario. Passions get inflamed and then anger boils over.

In it all somebody decides they are an expert on the night. They may not see any better than the next person, but they think they do.

I do appreciate we all have our needs and desires. And feeling we are right is always part of that.

Still it is important to keep focused on what is important. And to look for God’s candle in the middle of the blackness.

He will always have it there, just not always where we care to look. He will be sure that the light is there.

But it means being willing to look where He leads. We can grope all evening in our own choices and still be stuck in the dark.

Unless we finally embrace His choice. It can be in the most unexpected places. Which requires us to be obedient.

This translates into never stop being willing to listen and accept His message when it comes our way. It can be hard though.

Especially if the message we get is different than we want. It can be the aspect we will even resist.

None of which in any way results in the improvement in the situation. It just becomes another point of frustration.

How we truly end up at those times being responsible for our not finding what we really need. Sometimes we just are not the best judge of that.

But keeping our pride from interfering can be the hard part. We do so love the feel of being in charge.

Even when we are blind and no clue how to find a means of escape.

CREVICES

To stroll with eyes towards the sky
and never look where feet must step
will miss the snare of fissures in the path,
where light never touches and fear is master.


It is where the climate is thick and suffocating,
in the black void eyes can’t find an escape,
mind erodes of its vision,
life bleeds of its paradise passions.


Survival is the oxygen of the spirit,
easy to deplete when air seems infused
with stench of morgue
embedded in the darkness corners of the abyss.


Yet, after the panic seizure,
beyond fighting the spiders of paranoia,
one learns in the crippling ebony chamber
residing within the head,
stamina serves in that destitute essence
as proof
of how much iron there is in the soul.

Discovered in the deepest moments of questioning
is the strength that sleeps within,
telling the heart how hard it can beat
while ascending the slopes of possibilities.

So when the night crawls on the inside
leaving one dreading the gaps in sight,
truth shines in the groping confusion
letting it be the guide
to how far one can truly climb.

DELIGHT

I do think there is a definition for this that really fits all. It is the feeling of happiness focused on a given item or experience.

Something we feel good about that in some way confirms what we believe in. Taking delight in things always brings a few smiles.

Most of the time though I still think what warms most is when it touches what we value in a good way. Gives us some sense of balance.

And that brings such joy. You just feel better in the process and so full of a sense that you are right.

We can go away from such situations seeing the world differently and having a sense of peace. Wish they would last.

But sooner or later you encounter the person whose idea of delight is foreign to your own. So they will disagree with anything you say.

Then delight evaporates in the process of defending your view. Arguments never enhance the process.

And in the end somebody goes away less than happy. Somebody will be better and resentful.

Plus no agreement is reached. So nothing changes to improve the situation. It just ends up happening again.

But along the way as we end up forgotten a more important form of delight. Finding delight in the Lord’s eyes.

Now that isn’t as hard as it might sounds. It isn’t about perfection or even acting differently.

It is mainly about faith and honesty. Always looking to trust in Him and being honest when we don’t.

Being willing to admit when we have failed and when we sin. Make no excuses about, but do what we can to embrace His forgiveness.

It is said in the scriptures that obedience is better than sacrifice. But the important thing is that it be obedient to the truth.

Which means lifting up to the Lord what is the truth in our hearts and not some excuse we think will matter.

That never brings us joy or produces any real delight. Just avoids the guilt for awhile.

DOWNHILL

A steady slide away from what is important. How the heart so easily does move at times. We don’t plan it, but it happens.

And when it does we move so often unwillingly in our thinking. Though in reality it is an easy shift.

I am always amazed how often I hear the most incredible things people say. They will have all kinds of reasons to explain their decay.

All of the information will be interesting. Not necessarily true, but we do love to share our view of the truth.

The one thing that is rare is to have someone simply say they can’t control something. Which is truly so obvious when you see the facts.

When this intrudes upon the arena of faith it turns into a really sad farce. All the sadness that ensues in the process.

Because again what is lost is the joy of grace. The ability to accept God takes us as we are.

That is the part that where we need to explain that sin really isn’t sin. And even if it is, it is different from real sin because we are good.

I would hate to think how dumb that sounds. But you never know how many times it happens.

The incredible conversations people come up with in church settings. As if having it said in that location makes it okay.

How sad it is when we need these times of making sin out to be other than sin. To make ourselves seem other than as sinners.

God will of course always take us to the point where we must face the truth. Which is never comfortable.

Now if somewhere along the way we learn and accept the need for grace then it is a blessing. Been to many places where that is not true.

But I am grateful for how often God is merciful. Just the small joys along the path of salvation.

And sometimes we even encounter others along the way. We might all have confused looks, but it is great to be on the same path.

Time for celebration when we can have it.

SPECIAL TOES

Toddler first steps
dance across grandparent’s heart
innocence’s ballet of discovery
whose performances
always earn
the ovations
with bouquets
of love.

THE EVER

I think the nature of life makes us crave security and permanence. We can’t find it that easy so we value it when we do find it.

But the problem to me is in the area of being realistic. I don’t know how many times I have found myself in the position of end the story on something.

To take the time to imagine the future according to my desires. Which is never something that works out.

Because dipping reality into fantasy’s well seldom changes the facts. Might feel better, but doesn’t change things.

Now the problem is that we will still want the dream. So it is easy to want it so bad we make the truth our own possession.

Meaning we try to shape it our way. Never truly works, but we sure do love it when we can do it.

However life doesn’t ever obey our hearts. But you can be sure some will try to make it that way.

I know I’m prone to worrying. Part of my insecurities. Just really does grate on me at times.

Perhaps it is the disappointments or other experiences, but I know how often it will dig at me. And that is not a good feeling.

Even though the scriptures tell us to not worry, I still do. And I’m sure others do also. Hard to overcome those feelings.

I am grateful that God is merciful and does continue to watch over us despite that weakness. It can be the joy to see it happen.

How do we find any piece in the process? How can we manage to cope despite the lack o security.

There is no easy answer. Only that it is part of faith. And that is what we have to hold onto the most.

Which is by trust to always cherish the security beyond this life. It doesn’t pay the bills, but reminds they are not forever.

And to that end we can rejoice. Even in our trembling. For it is the pearl we can wear any storm.

Providing it comes from the Lord.

HEART SONG

I was talking to a friend earlier and listening to all the details about how having a life that had been full of sadness and sorrow. Times had gotten better, but there was still the memories.

As this point the up side was how this person was going to now be able to share the victory as a ministry. Which was such great news

I think it is always such a blessing when the Lord is able to turn some crisis or tragedy into a witness. And how is does comfort others.

In the process of chatting I think the person really did have such a concern over it the burdens of this ministry would be overpowering. But I tried to encourage that God would give the strength needed.

How wonderful it is when the heart is at last given a song. A chance to reach out from the misery and suffering and find light.

Then to share it in a manner that truly touches others. Now I have labored for years to pen what God gave me to pen.

Yet, it has never ended in up in being accepted by a publishers. Still my friend is having a door open and I am glad.

And always will be. For the joy that comes from sharing in another’s service to the Lord is what is important.

Not whether it is me or somebody else. For in the celebration what proves our own inner quality.

The important part being that the Lord is uplifted. How special that truly is to be the one who is given that calling.

And in the process those of us who encourage also serve our purpose. To help inspire and add strength.

That becomes our own heart song. And that is the element we can truly cherish and feel good when it happens.

For what sings inside there is joy in Heaven, if it is the melody of faith. When it brings a gift that helps to heal and grants hope.

This is all that we can hope at times. A simple service of surrender that the true music would be heard.

A gift that has notes forever remembering and appreciated.

NOT TODAY

Oh how I hate waiting. I just get to the point when I’m expecting something that I can’t handling the timing.

Then inside, the energy stirs and builds until becomes one of those imaginary be all, end all situations. And that is not, something, which ever brings results.

Now I wish I could say I ever improved in this area. But despite the times I have learned from this, I still fall victim to it.

I have tried to seek the Lord in prayer on this in hopes it will improve. However, that is not the way it has unfolded.

From this I have learned at least the ever growing knowledge about the area of grace. Which is the part that never gets easier.

I will always find that part of the situation other than a joy. But that doesn’t mean I will give up.

Nope, I have accepted that is not the way things will happen. Yet, there is joy in the discovery of one’s inner self.

Not that it keeps this situation for happening. Just takes me to a level of awareness that I can appreciate with more honesty.

Basically, how I am imperfect and God accepts me a such. Even if I do wait for lightning that never comes.

Still, it is part of the journey, the never ending struggle to find the truth. And if we do it in the right way, with eyes open we can find the blessings.

To that end I celebrate. I find the time to be sure that I don’t let the shortcomings bother me.

For there is strength in the acceptance and it comes in the reality that nothing is perfect. Therefore in the Lord is the only place we can find our real refuge.

Does this in anyway result in stop wanting the impossible? Does it prevent a person from being obsessed? Never.

So it becomes a small step. A chance to move along the path to progress within. That is real end all, be all that matters.

And it is the one that truly will count with the Lord. For that I am happy I’ve at least learn to see this as part of faith.

Just taking it with joy is hard at times.

VOTE FOR ME, VOTE FOR ME

I am the unemployed factory worker
shivering in the apartment
where the utilities are not shut off,
holding the worn out campaign pamphlet
of candidate voted for who promised
to improve the economy, but nothing changed.

I am the eight year old girl
who sits at home with doors locked
after school because single parent mom
working two jobs still can’t afford child care
and this same elected official
was part of those who decide to eliminate
government assistance for child care in her city.

I am the senior citizen unable to buy enough food
on pension, not sure how will survive next month,
words spoken when shaking hand of man elected
during photo opportunity at senior citizen center
still ring in ears from his help in closing it due to cost increase.

In the office of the man who wooed his constitutes
sits the success of rhetoric and media spins
called himself a servant of the people,
but meant those who had a lobbyist’s needs,
the droning pain of “vote for me, vote for me”
coming from the conscience
by those in his district he tries so hard to forget
until next campaign
when again he’ll visit those who ignored
with flowers of assurances
that will wilt before they bloom.

CONSUMED

Why is truth so hard to accept? And why do those how peddle lies of a spiritual nature always seem to have the biggest supporters?

Now that might just be my view, but it sure seems to be the case. The more a person is off center and extreme the more some think they speak for god.

And when you listen and all they says is lies, you wonder why others don’t see it. It will always bother me that this happens so often.

In addition what is amazing is even if the person is exposed for lies it doesn’t change the support. People still don’t seem to care.

In the usual routines of life this might not always bring consequences. But you do have to wonder why in spiritual matters people are more concerned with truth.

However at the core I think is the nature to want to embrace whatever bias works for you. So even if it isn’t correct or void of God’s truth if it appeals to a prejudice it is okay.

How hard it is when so many times this affects others. If you views are just affecting yourself then that is one matter.

But the moment in impacts others it takes on a different aspect. For the views, feelings and actions of others are impacted.

God always finds the rare one in the crowd who listens. That will not abandon faith in the truth despite it being unpopular.

And even if that doesn’t end up earning fame or fortune the person still is faithful to what God said. Which is always more important.

Just not something that will get you attention. It will not make you welcome where light, true light from God is shining.

The Lord will always make the candle available. Just some will not embrace it. They wll never accept it in the darkness they crave.

But neither will they admit to it either. So they will preach and pass on this limited view of life.

And the whole time thing they are the called ones. Which is truly a tragedy. For it deprives them of real blessings.

Now the whole time they will think they are the ones who are holy and saved. It will be the path they will follow always.

Right past the throne of salvation.

Reserves

I’m always amazed how often the Lord has helped me to appreciate that we are often more capable than we expect. How we have more energy than we think.

And I can’t think of the times when I wanted to give up and just was able to hear the Lord’s Spirit telling me to not quit. It always give such joy when that happens.

So often in life it seems we limit ourselves to what we assume is possible. Yet, the Lord will take and give us situations to help us learn otherwise.

In the Old Testament there is a promise that says, “As thy day, so shall thy strength be.” I can’t think of the times that promise has popped into my head.

What is really important in that is how it means we are promise strength according to the need. And not according to our desires.

Strength in that sense being like a form of provision. God promises to meet our needs, not our wants.

Oh you have the name it and claim it types who say you can have your heaven on earth, but that isn’t the experience intended. When life is in His hands, faith is the issue.

If He gave us abundance to the point we didn’t need anything else then it would impact our need to trust. So giving us enough is part of that process.

So with strength it is often tailor to the need of the day. If we are facing major challenge He will give us more power to cope.

Only that doesn’t mean we will be aware of it. Because strength doesn’t mean He takes away our pains.

He can give us the capacity to do more, but doesn’t mean it will stop us from feeling all the normal problems.

If we focus on the real purpose it does help. Remembering the point is to be responsive to what challenge we experience.

I’ve tried to be grateful for the times of trial and exhaustion and also the good times too. Not letting the fact it is difficult means a person gives up.

So that is the joy that must be seen in proper light. To rejoice over the way it does touch us with light.

To that degree it is what we must see with some degree of joy. And if we can do that, then we can have reason to celebrate.

Even if we do it with arms fatigued.

THIEVES

Predator’s promises
clawing at the heart’s darkness,
speaking the language of royalty’s lust.

A thief who burglarizes the soul
morning after crown gone,
sweet caresses to the mind from eve’s foreplay
a hickey never able to hide..

Monologue in dirge dialect
mourns the coronation defiled
and turned into a jester’s audition.

SHADOWS

The mind can really see so much in the shadows. One’s imagination can fill it with both good and bad.

It doesn’t always have to be bad either. Sometimes the dark place also carry truths. And it is amazing how people associate the dark with evil.

Considering half of life is spent in night, it would be a shame to see it all as bad. Yet, fear often comes in such situations.

For what we don’t know will gnaw at us. And sometimes if the past brought some pain in the not knowing we will be even worse in our fear.

However, life does have to embrace both parts of our existence. And to let God show us what is positive in our shadows.

Some will always feel it a trip they don’t wish to make. To be in a position to just ignore them as much as possible.

It is sort of like one thinking living at church would keep bad thoughts out of the head. As if being in that climate would truly prevent anyone from sinning.

When I was a teenager I used to go to Winter Camp with my church group. It was in the mountains.

Surrounding by all those pines and getting away from the city did help with the inspiration. So for two days you felt close to God and it could at times be very moving.

And often they would have this time when people could make spiritual decisions in their lives. Such things as accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, rededicating ones life or making some special vow of commitment.

But when we came down off the mountain things never stayed spiritual. You still had to go back and face your demons.

Oh there was a period when you had the afterglow. Periods of quiet and calm. They just never lasted.

That is when the true test came. That is when reality slipped onto to your life and you had to accept still being a sinner.

How you coped often dependent on if you accepted that personal shadows don’t die. They just come back in different forms.

Accepting this by faith is often the greatest struggle. That is when we find the light there God intended.

THE RIGHT PERSON

God’s choice is never going to be based on popularity. It won’t be determine by goodness or other qualities we think would be the issue.

His basis is according to His will. And often it seems when somebody is picked they are not thrilled by it.

More than one person called didn’t treat that anointing as a blessed. It was a burden, a choice that didn’t get viewed as something desired.

When one looks at the panorama of life one can appreciate that there is often more suffering than fun. It is not a thrilling prospect, but is true.

Not to make this a negative view, just that faith truly is only practiced when one faces crisis. Blessings don’t require a lot of trust.

So in order to give us that arena of trust it means valleys. Course everyone faces trials. Being a Christian doesn’t make one special in that regard.

However, what we do about it does matter. And that is where we are in the arena of faith. That is the choice the believer will make.

I suppose it would be great if believers had better results in the valleys, but we often get similar results. Because we are still human.

What truly is the mark upon our lives is the area of do we lift up the Lord or do we sit and merely complain? Can we accept the burden with joy or always sadness?

These are the questions that will haunt the soul. They will come again and again into our mind.

Because our minds are still prone to have certain expectations. We want rewards for faithfulness.

We want somebody to listen to our suffering. And we want to have somebody make it better.

But it only stays the same. And that is part of the truth we have to embrace. In a way that comes with knowledge.

If we to that, peace comes in the midst of the struggle. We can face it for the right reasons.

That might seem like a simple answer. And it might not seem to work for others, but then sometimes simple is truth.
God never gives us lies for truth.

Irony

Nothing to me is more annoying than to have a dream turn into a nightmare. Got to hate those times.

And they can never be planned for or noticed until they are too late. It is sort of like a birthday present you think is a toy and it ends up socks.

The disappointment really digs at the heart. But then the big chore is to not let it ruin your day.

Hope can be crushed so easy. It can be erected so quickly too. But if it crumbles it can be devastating.

I don’t think that no matter who hard I try I will ever enjoy or appreciate the times when life takes a detour. That you are so close to some dream and it fizzles.

Why is the question that so often stabs in those moments. You just take time to be sure that all is going in a given direction and then it fails.

Now if a person has prayed over the pending situation and thought you know the Lord’s will, but if goes wrong, it can really sting. It leads to all kinds of questions.

But that is part of faith. The aspect where we have to truly be prepared to head in one direction and it gets changed.

Those are the times you really have to be able to remain more focused on what is important. Was it our dream or God’s will?

So easy to miss out on that part. And to not appreciate how the situation can also be intended as a lesson.

It can be the main purpose. A time to truly reflect and appreciate what is the path we are suppose to follow.

All of which might be painful at times. Because if our desires get in the way we can truly find it less than satisfying.

So there is where we have to stop and reflect. To let God’s light touch with the truth. It can be a blessing.

Even if at the time it appears to be so much more meaningful. That will be the challenge we all face.

Some times for the better others for the worse. But we still have to try and cherish when it all becomes clear.

It is the time of blessing even if at the moment it seems otherwise.

WINDOWS

The mind is a telescope
without any lens,
gazing through transoms
into invisible realms.

Faith’s candle shines upon
heaven’s scroll,
unfurling oracles and images
no eyes have ever seen.

When the light
reaches into the soul
all we see is possibilities
in any darkness.

Dreamers write upon the clouds
what dares to dwell
beyond our expectations,
by their gaze
are prophets born
who drink the fount of ethereal inspiration,
its divine droplets of grace drenching
as the dew of imagination
that hearts lacking spiritual spectacles
who presume in ignorance
the sight gained
was created from within.

NOT REALLY

This is the needle that burst a bubble of dreams. Sharing some heart felt feeling and then having somebody say it doesn’t count.

It can really be discouraging. And it can be worse if the person is wrong. This happens a lot.

People filter truth through their own thoughts and values. They don’t even have to be based on fact.

Bias is hard to always appreciate, but it is there. And it will color any person concept of what is real.

They just won’t admit it at times. So you can only tell it by listening to them. To see if everything they say is either negative or positive.

I think both views are extremes at times. They lack balance. And in both situations they can be harmful at times.

Because if you see only clouds or sunshine and nothing else how can you really recognize changes in the weather? And how can you assess changes that you have to prepare for.

Too much negative and one won’t try. They will not venture into the land of risk. Too much positivism and you live in denial.

Which never results in the ability to honest interact with one’s environment. I think you need to have faith, need to see possibilities, but not ignore the sounds of approaching enemies.

God doesn’t expect us to be stupid. Or does He rejoice when we are lacking in wisdom. He did give us a brain.

But the problem is that we don’t always listen when His spirit speaks. Sometimes He does present us with the impossible.

And that is when we have to struggle the most with what we believe. That is when our prejudices are most exposed.

So often we find out something impedes our ability to trust and dream or makes us simply start running without knowing where we are going. This doesn’t work either.

Through it all our personality truly does prevail. We can pretend it doesn’t colorize our thoughts, but it always does.

Just a question if we are willing to accept our weakness in that area and let God help us in the process.

OUTER SPACE

No, I’m not dealing with the issue of aliens. There are plenty of places one can go for that.

Not always where you want. But then you still won’t have trouble finding it if you care to look.

Now in this case I’m speaking of the space outer to our thinking. The territory we don’t always visit.

But the problem is not wanting to visit it either. To be afraid you will find what you are not wanting to discover.

I was speaking to a friend of mine today. We were discussing the issue of politics. Normally not a subject I love talking about with those of different options.

Now in this case the person was expressing the view of how this one candidate as so perfect for the office. In his opinion the individual stood for all the right values.

Ironically, he is a brother in the faith, but we couldn’t be more in contrast of viewing this person. I had listened to the person and didn’t see God in anything being said.

I sensed a lot of hate. But no love or real faith. Mainly I was very stumped how he saw otherwise.

Fortunately, we didn’t argue. But didn’t have much of a conversation either. So it merely ended with us each retreating to our own lair of thought.

And that was perhaps for the best. Still it did amaze me how two people can listen to the same person and see something totally different.

Part of the problem with perception. Doesn’t mean truth changes, just that what I see as truth is not the same as the next person.

I am glad God’s truth is more important. And that will always be the best part of the process.

I don’t imagine we will chat on the subject again. And I will always respect his right to his opinion.

Just sad to accept how a person as a candidate can have such volatile views and be popular. That is the part, which I’m not sure God condones.

But as long as people have brains they will always find a reason to think more than listen. And to want give more than take.

A process of human nature God touches with so much grace,

WINDCATCHER

I feel the wind sing its serenade
of ancient rhyme and rustling psalm,
exploding within as a hand grenade
spinning the fans of my mind’s calm.
my
Standing upon the soil of my thought
to catch life’s countless array in scents,
inhaling the breeze from the blasts they wrought,
allowing the drops from raging vents
to engulf my being in all the potency it brought.

Until its power flows through my girth
stirring the drill possessing my soul,
pumping the blood from my earth
pouring forth a fount of gold.

Flowing in euphoria’s effervescence
as it waters the inner greenhouse
where the flowers of my tear’s quintessence
blossom in their own bouquet’s blouse,
becoming roses that can heal and inspire,
but never without thorns lacking evanescence
that prick those who visit in unsuspecting fire.

By day my blades obey the swaying strides
from wherever the zephyr current in moods shifts,
exhaling at times a pure blissful waft in tides,
others expelling a volatile twister in tempest rifts.

But it is at night when my windcatcher being
finds the harmony to stay steadfast amid the shudders of light,
when the pinwheel of my spirit’s leaning.
is bathed in the twinkle of cosmic pinpricks sight.

Carrying the shimmer of divine love,
felt as the candle of heaven’s flame,
covering the darkness with serenity’s glove,
enabling me to remain upright in my aim
even when tomorrow’s gale threatens from above.

CRUISING

There are times in lie when things seem to remain calm and a peace. The day flows smoothly and without any complaints.

You don’t feel the need to be upset and life actually seems fun. Then you can nearly forget the day before when you were totally upset about something.

Do as we might, we can’t cruise all the time. There are just too many pit stops. And they will not all be fun.

But the joy to me comes from the occasions when we can have fun and enjoy things. Just not constantly.

And that is the problem. Well it is to me. And it is perhaps because of getting to comfortable with a given situation.

That is easy to do. But it doesn’t mean that God plans it that way for us. He just makes sure we are in positions to truly remember life isn’t forever.

I don’t think he tries to ruin our fun or add to our misery. But I do believe that if we become to comfortable and complacent He will shake us up.

It is always for out own good. Just might not seem like it at the time. And of that we can be sure.

Because we do appreciate how that can be a problem. In reality it can truly cause problems.

That is because we will end up simply not having a much reason to trust Him. Sometimes we do need that extra push.

And it might be disquieting to our senses, but that is part of the process. Oh to have wings to fly over the deserts.

However, we must walk. And no matter how far we have to travel, we can’t escape the steps.

I am grateful that I have embraced this fact. I cant say I enjoy it at times, but I do appreciate it is for my own good.

Just have trouble at times adjusting to the truth. Which only results in it happening more often.

In any case the joy is celebrating when we learn. When we find the truth and gain some insight.

Hopefully we don’t forget it too.

PRAISE AGAIN

Some people treat praise as some kind of performance. An act you do that takes on some type of spiritual mask.

I remember being in this one church where the majority of people where elderly and prone to be more quiet in their worship. It didn’t have much to do with what was in their heart.

They truly loved the Lord as best they could. but honestly didn’t feel comfortable shouting during the worship service. It was their way for many years.

That was until this one person decided if you didn’t praise God in a certain way, it didn’t count. That hardly resulted in anything uplifting moments.

Still, that was hardly what I would call a form of praise that really honor the Lord. It did cause a lot of strife.

To me if the praise is forced or not truly from the heart then it really isn’t praise. It is a lot of things, but not doing what was intended.

I wish that truly was the priority. I wish that seeking to honor God was the real purpose and not to make one’s own desires the truth.

But that is how things often all apart. It is the avenue walked that never ends in real praise.

For if we do not lift each other and spend the whole time feeling bitter and unhappy where is the praise? Where is God honored?

I haven’t noticed too many asking that question. Wish it was otherwise, but it isn’t. Self so often takes priority.

And in that situation the hard feelings really did break up the church. Wasn’t too long till people left.

Which always seems to be the case. Not that churches who grow do it by praising God alone.

That is one of those logic arguments that growth alone is prove of blessings. A nice idea, but not always true.

And what a shame it has to be that way. God truly can do anything, but He won’t interfere with out free will.

Hopefully, along the way, He truly gets honored and afterwards we feel a real joy in praising again. Which is the real blessing.

SMART

I don’t think I will ever be able to figure out how people can be so smart and dumb at the same time. I do include myself in that process.

There just seems to be a part of human nature to be driven by our impulses. We get those darn cravings and it doesn’t matter what makes sense, we are going to appease them.

Then later the fun comes when we try to explain our motivation. Truth is there is no logic, it was pure lust.

Not meant in terms of just any type of erotic desires. Just lust for any needs. It becomes a candle you can’t extinguish.

But how we cope with it is the part that does matter. This is again an issue of faith. Because we can either trust to God’s grace and forgiveness or keep on making excuses.

For some reason we always seem to need to treat sin as bad. In the sense of evil. Meaning it is harmful or hurtful.

Yet the fact is by God’s standard anything we do that is not an act of faith is really considered a sin. At least according to Paul.

He did write, “for whatever is not of faith, is sin.” Basically it means that anything we do that is not an act of faith falls short in the Lord’s eyes.

It doesn’t have to be a bad deed. It just means it doesn’t count towards salvation based on faith.

I really think this is a message that honestly doesn’t get embraced by the church that much. Too many get hung up on works.

As if we can somehow stop being ourselves if we do enough good deeds. Which of course is not true.

And this doesn’t keep some from thinking so. Oh how they will peddle their version of wisdom.

Which is to imply that you can be sinless and never do a thing wrong again in your life. That hardly erases all the other sins of the past.

Nor is it true. But that is what some care to teach. It falls under that usual concept of how I can be lord over my own life.

Never is true and never will be. However, it is the reality, which we have to face. And we can do it either with His help or all alone.

I prefer grace to lies myself.

Architects

Eyes seeing only thrones in the sand
ravenous digging their claws into footprints,
furrows created to plant their crown’s seeds,
never concern those who fall into their ruts.
Pain of bruises suffered from each stumbled step,
drowned out by sounds of praises
sung by single voice who sees only self as sun.

Outside the aura of glory surrounding
the steeple where power is monarch,
sadness is the diet, hunger goes unfed,
because the edifice is a vacuum
sucking life from hearts and souls.

Too limited is the aristocracy’s gaze,
seeing only the mirror painted with the mind,
every pearl gleamed to adorn its spectacle.
So cold grows the spirit silent to suffering
sitting in regal repose devoid of ears,
designing paradise for one,
contemplation’s counselor banished to dungeon.

Mourners over lost identity pass the citadel’
on way to graveyard for the corpses of their diaries,
crying out to impenetrable walls
covering the brain burdened by a diadem,
who measure progress by the jewels collected
regardless of the sacrifice hands viewed as invisible
paid for their blessings.

Questions moaned from closet kept shut,
carried the sobs of neglected,
history bearing the brand marks of erected
upon the bodies it enslaved
with faces always forgotten.

ELOQUENCE

As a writer I do possess a fairly diverse vocabulary. And sometimes I forget when I’m writing that not everyone is going to understand those big words.

Even though they do have their place and purpose, they are not always the most eloquent way to express something. On some occasions simple is more effective.

I do struggle to remember that at times. For part of me truly savor the richness of the language.

And I appreciate the times it really is expressed in ways that truly is beautiful and profound. Yet I know how not everyone enjoys that.

I’m grateful the Lord is truly understanding of how we comprehend things. It is so terrific He is that merciful.

Where it gets complicated is in terms of translation and interpretation the Bible. This is the big area of problem.

For so often people add to their bias to the understanding. And naturally there is always a big difference between the literal and symbolic meanings.

It can be a real hard to always seek the truth. I know so many who claim that is what they want, but not if it is different from what they want.

Human nature is really the difficult part. It is the element that truly blinds us at times. We are all human and that is easy to get sidetracked.

God’s spirit truly has the power to guide us. But we can refuse to listen. And many do. Sadly to their own loss.

For if the truth is different from our views, the real person of faith will always yield to the truth. Just not that easy at times.

Even harder if the person only wants certain things to be reality. That is the reality that part, which is hard to cope with at times.

And the sad thing is so often the most zealous and boastful about their piety are the most blind. They seem to take pride in their attitude.

What suffers in the process is the faith. Because they become the pitiful examples of what others hate about the faith.

And so often facts get sacrificed in the process. They are lost to the need to support a given point of view.

Which often is the end result. Others see the faith in a negative light.

MILES

Any ordeal can seem like an endless trek in some cases. Just a journey that seems like it will last a life time.

There are the times when it truly can strain one’s strength and endurance. Even more so when you have no idea how long the journey will last.

It is one of the aspects of faith and also life at times. We just have no idea who long a given trial will be part of our lives.

And the longer it lasts or if it gets worse along the way and we will not be filled with joy and happiness. It can be so frustrating.

Then comes the annoying issue of seeing others who are not suffering. They seem to have it so easy.

If by chance they are not part of the faith and are blessed while during sinful things it can really be annoying. But that never changes our walk.

I’ve seen so many in my life that were like shooting stars. They light up the sky with their talent.

You truly had to be impressed. And even if you wished it was you who was making all the fireworks happen, you do still appreciate how it can take place.

But then you wait awhile. A few weeks or months and suddenly they are not only without that same light, but aren’t even shining at all.

I remember watching this one revival where they had celebrity speaking. The person had just become a Christian and speaking of how much life had changed as a follower.

It was powerful and very impressive. And it would be so great if it stayed that way. But it didn’t.

A few months later this person was in trouble over some law violations. All the talk about changing hadn’t been permanent.

Course the church that had put the person on display and reveled in that individual’s faith suddenly were absent. They love the attention, but not the need for support.

Some times it is the one that faithful walks in the shadows day after day that lasts. Who never gets attention, but never gives up that truly survives.

And those are the stories that will be seen and told in heaven. Which is the place that it will truly count.

Until then it is just a matter of continue to walk regardless of if the sun is shining.

OUR SONG OF HOPE

We greet you with a joy so intense
like one gets from seeing a brilliant sunrise.

Our lives are as stars in the cosmos
each twinkling with its own unique splendor,
some becoming meteors descending in decay
till crashing and leaving behind a crater of sadness.

Others are more like comets,
streaking across the skies of our existence,
brilliant and bedazzling,
passing too quickly,
but leaving behind a trail you never forget.

Upon our small blue planet
life abounds in a plethora of expressions,
which we watch and care for from our cubed domains
clustered in constellations of communal twinkle.

Yet, we do not reside in perfection
some only seek the darkness of night to hide their ways,
while others march into the day
that we might be inspired by their illumination.

With this greeting goes our hope and invitation
to come and share all we are
uniting as part of the same celestial majesty,
perhaps bringing to us
a way to revive from what eclipses of suffering.
have shadowed over our reality.

Joining us in peace and a chance
to be one in the universe of being.