Month: March 2014

I can really relate to this poem…

Grace is now.
God is here.
He wants you to join him,
To bring heaven to earth.

To end the fighting,
And establish peace.
To end the taking,
And give to all according to their need.

To turn the swords and spears
Into plowshares and pruning hooks.
To cultivate God’s creation,
To sit down to a heavenly banquet.

To celebrate, to have fun.
Play frisbee in a park,
Or bask in the sun at the beach
Without ever getting burned.

To watch football games
Played according to the rules,
With nobody arguing, or
Getting their panties in a wad.

Swimming in a crystal blue ocean,
Pure and clean, with no pollution.
Always recycling everything.
There will be no waste.

Only eating just enough.
Never binging. No food poisoning.
Everything will be fresh,
And full of flavor.

We will see all our friends
And all of our family,
Every generation back
To the beginning of time.

They will all be there,
Comfortable, peaceful,
Without a hint of suffering.
And no pain.

Everyone will get along.
We will all have each other’s
Best interest at heart.
Life will be good.

Very good.

Glide into the atmosphere.
Soak in the peaceful silence.
To get away, to take a break.
It’s such a nice relief.

Sometimes the tension
Of the everyday stress
Can strangle your soul.
Set it free.

Find a quiet place,
All alone.
Drift into outer space.
Listen to the earth groan.

What comes next
Is your decision.
Could it be a touch or a taste?
Anything goes,

It’s your time to breathe.
Escape from the noise and the smoke.
Take a swim in the pool.
Stretch, or take a nap.

Relax. Find your rhythm again.
Meditate about love.
Curl up with a good book.
Open a window and look.

Nature busies itself,
But only loses its rhythm
When we step in,
So stop and listen to it.

Feel the breeze,
And the warmth of the sun.
Hear the cricket chirp.
Marvel at a dragon fly.

There is no end
To reconnection.
Drift to your heart’s content.
It is your time.

Hey, you!
Come here!
I want to ask you something.
What is your temperature?

When was the last time
You spoke in rhyme?
When did they say
You were okay?

Are you?
I beg to differ.
You seem quite not okay.
You seem on the edge.

Or maybe that was me.
I get confused sometimes,
Especially when I speak in rhyme.
So, go climb a tree.

Do you see me, carefully?
Do you feel the waves of the sea?
Are you happy?
So come with me.

Do you see the way to me?
Can you hear the tune I sing?
Are you here to knock my knee?
Is that exactly the right thing?

How do you do today?
Is this the day you come to play?
It will end upon the night.
Don’t even try to start a fight.

Let’s go now to the end.
It costs too much for me to spend.
Let’s connect the happy dots.
Then we’ll sit and start to rot.

What is here for family?
Do you see just what I mean?
The jungle gym will make you sing.
It will also make you lean.

Let’s cover up the tangled web.
Did you hear just what I said?
Are you coming now to bed?
I will stay here, turning red.

I will fill you up with lead.
You won’t know that you are dead
Until it hits you in the head.
Listen, now, to what I said.

Do you think
There is wisdom
To be gained
From the trees?

What kind of truth
Does nature speak?
What can we learn
From the world around us?

I would hope
I could grasp
The gentle voice
Of a trickling brook,

Or the booming shout
Of crashing waves
On a quiet beach
On a distant island.

How do we seek
Truth in the desert?
Do we need
To get away from it all

To hear the still, small voice
Of our Heavenly Father?
Perhaps, if we wait
In silence,

Resisting the temptation
To blare our favorite music,
Or watch our favorite tv show.
How is God speaking to us

At this very moment?

When I serve my brother or sister
In generosity,
Giving what I have,
And then giving a little more,

Do I see God in their face?

When I visit the prisoner,
Tend to the sick,
Feed the hungry,
Shelter the homeless,

Do I see God in them?

What can the immigrant
Teach me about my culture?
What can I learn
From the aborigine?

How will the Native American
Teach me about the universe?
How will I be humbled
By the former slave?

We all have truth
In our lives,
Learning from whom and what
We see and hear around us

In our everyday life.

What places have you been?
Where are you from?
What have you learned
From your ancient ancestors?

Wisdom and love
Are passed on to the next generation.
Gifts and truths shared
Through mutual respect

Bond us together,
And make us all stronger.

You have a special place
In my heart.
I pray for you
Every day.

For strength, for patience,
For wisdom, for love.

I know you will get through
This difficult time.
I am here beside you
Every step of the way.

Let us walk together
Into the future,
Holding hands,
And standing tall.

Let us bless the lives
That cross our paths.
Let us pray
For the broken-hearted.

When you are sad,
I am sad.
When you are lonely,
I am lonely.

I will carry your burden
Until the heavenly kingdom
Descends upon the earth.
Let us go there together.

We are never completely saved,
Until we go to be with God.
Rather, we are constantly being saved,
God is working on us.

So, you can be momentarily saved
From one thing or the other,
Whether it be some type of trouble,
A bad habit, or any terrible sin.

But you are not completely healed
Of all your shortcomings,
And there is always the potential
For you to get into some type of trouble.

So, don’t get a big head,
Thinking that you are better than others,
Because God is constantly saving them, too.
It’s just God’s nature.

God reveals himself
To different people in different ways,
And God heals us
In his timing, not ours.

God will always be a mystery,
And there will always be things
That we do not know about God,
And about each other.

That is our nature.

We are incomplete.
That comes with the state
Of being human.
Without God, we are nothing.

Instead,
We should wonder
At the amazing generosity
Of God, our redeemer,

The one who is redeeming us.

Let us all strive to be as
Generous as God is to us!

We are never completely saved,
Until we go to be with God.
Rather, we are constantly being saved,
God is working on us.

So, you can be momentarily saved
From one thing or the other,
Whether it be some type of trouble,
A bad habit, or any terrible sin.

But you are not completely healed
Of all your shortcomings,
And there is always the potential
For you to get into some type of trouble.

So, don’t get a big head,
Thinking that you are better than others,
Because God is constantly saving them, too.
It’s just God’s nature.

God reveals himself
To different people in different ways,
And God heals us
In his timing, not ours.

God will always be a mystery,
And there will always be things
That we do not know about God,
And about each other.

That is our nature.

We are incomplete.
That comes with the state
Of being human.
Without God, we are nothing.

Instead,
We should wonder
At the amazing generosity
Of God, our redeemer,

The one who is redeeming us.

Let us all strive to be as
Generous as God is to us!

It is such a temptation
For Christians to think
That when they accept Jesus
As their personal savior,

That they have arrived.

There is nothing further
From the truth.

When we become saved,
It is just the beginning
Of a life-long process
Of sanctification,

A process that never ends.

We are only acceptable
In God’s eyes
As we are convicted with judgement
And forgiven with mercy.

That is, by God’s actions, not ours.

This is not a one-time,
Or even just a once-in-a-while thing.
Until we pass on from
Our present state of being,

That is, as a fallen creature,
Who is continually faced with
The choice of either doing
God’s will, or playing God ourselves,

We will be constantly dependent
On God for everything good.

Not only that,
But the very next minute
After God forgives us,
We are tempted into mischief again.

We never truly arrive,
Until we die.

So what can we boast of,
Except, that God is wonderful?

How can we possibly think
That we are any better
Than anyone else,
Or that anyone else

Is better than us,
Except God?

We do not have
A leg to stand on.
But we do have
A lot to be thankful for,

And a lot to be humble about.

So, let’s not divide ourselves
Into who’s right
And who’s wrong.
Let’s welcome all,

And appreciate all,
For how God is working in their lives,
Whether they are Christian or not,
For we are all God’s children,

Created in God’s image.

Nobody has a corner
On the truth,
And we can all learn
From each other,

Because God blesses
Each one of us uniquely.

Let’s focus not on
Who’s in, and who’s out,
But, instead, on
How each of us can contribute

To the greater good of all.

Paint a picture
Of a life
You wish you had,
And see the color

Turn to black.

A vain wish
Can be toxic.
A seemingly “harmless” fantasy
Can take you down

The road to ruin.

Slipping out of reality
Is dangerous in itself,
But living in a world
Of detrimental dreams

Can tear your heart apart.

Instead,
Take the more challenging,
But more rewarding,
Road of dealing with reality,

The here and now.

How is your life going?
What can you do
To make some improvements?
Little problems that call for

Little changes.

Simple solutions
To complex situations
Sometimes are the best.
K.I.S.S.,

“Keep it simple, Stupid.”

So, looking at your life today,
What do you have to be thankful for?
How has God blessed you?
Don’t just look at your issues.

Sometimes it takes more courage
To count your blessings.

And, although it is easier
To focus on the negative,
Looking at the good things
Will indeed make you feel better.

You may even shed a tear
In grateful relief.

Remember, as they say,
“When God closes a door,
He always opens a window.”
What window in your life

Is God urging you to crawl through?

Sometimes God speaks to us
Through the words
Of those around us.
Our family, friends and associates

That drop seemingly benign
Comments about us and our lives
Can be God’s messengers
In disguise.

So, what words of wisdom
Has God spoken to you lately?

Perhaps,
He has told you that you
Are exactly where
You need to be,

Like it, or not.

Sometimes it is difficult
To accept this,
Especially if we are suffering.
But even our trials

Make us stronger.

And if we go even further,
And consider those around us,
What their needs are,
And how we can be there

For them, we find ourselves
In a refreshingly new place.

Sometimes,
When we look beyond
Our own situation,
We open ourselves up

To a whole new world,
Full of promise and possibility.

And when we do this,
Our own problems don’t seem
So imposing.
Just ask yourself,

Who has God placed in my life
Whom I need to bless?

You might be surprised
At the miracles God can work
Through your open hands
And open heart.

So, go ahead:
Jump right through

That open window!

Laughing heals the heart.
So good to hang out with friends.
Meeting minds,
Followed by hearts in motion.

To connect,
To intersect,
In this crazy world,
Sometimes it seems like a miracle,

Just to get our schedules together.
I feel what you feel,
I’ve been there, done that.
I’m right there with you.

How many times
Do I look in the mirror these days,
And say to myself,
“Who is that?”

How did I get here?
When did I start
Looking like that?
Seems like just yesterday,

I was slim and trim.
Now, look at me!
I’m a blob!
It happens, I guess.

Part of getting older.
You lose muscle tone
And it all turns to fat.
That’s life, I guess.

You get distracted
By business as usual,
And lo and behold,
Surprise!

Where to now?
Decisions, decisions.
Lots to choose from,
But little choices to make.

Somewhere along the way,
Life takes over.
You are no longer
Captain of the ship.

Where it takes you,
Is anybody’s guess.
“Nobody knows
The trouble I feel.

Nobody knows
My sorrow.”
But with a little help
From my friends,

We can work it out.
So, what’s next?
Just wait and see
Where life takes you.

Eventually,
We all go home.
Somewhere along the line,
We come full circle.

It is then
That déjà vu sinks in,
And we wonder,
Haven’t I been here before?

It is the same face,
Same place,
Same time,
Same station.

We have sung in this key
Many times before.
It is an oh, so familiar tune.
And it’s good to be home again.