Stumbling along the sidewalk

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.

Somehow,
It just doesn’t seem right
That a loving person
Should go to hell.

How can a person
Be loving, anyway,
Unless God dwells
In their heart?

For someone who is
Compassionate,
Sacrificial,
Pure of heart.

We all know
People in our lives
Who do not call
Their self a Christian,

But they have more
Love in their heart
Than most Christians.
Would God condemn

Their souls to burn?
And if we believe
That it is the choice
Of the individual,

Whether or not
To ask Jesus into
Their heart,
Would God exclude

Someone who rejects
Christianity
For all the hypocrisy
And corruption

That exists in its
Institutions?
Surely God recognizes
Their heart is in

The right place.
They are not
Rejecting God.
They are rejecting

Hypocrites.
If God does not
Look upon the outside
Of a person,

But rather the inside,
I would contend
That many people
Whom the church

Rejects
Will be in heaven,
And those “believers”
That do not love others

Will go to hell.
If that’s the case,
It is possible
That there will be

Jews,
Muslims,
Hindus
And even atheists

That Jesus welcomes
Into the heavenly gates.
Perhaps,
Jesus did, in fact,

Die to save everyone.

Who knows?

Sitting, dreaming,
Thinking of you.
Laughing, crying,
Hoping I’m through.

Want to be
With you soon.
Want to climb
Up to the moon.

Want to break out
From this hell.
Want to ring
My freedom bell.

Wishing that I
Could be free
From all the things
That imprison me.

Tired of crying
All the time.
Ready to be redeemed
From my crimes.

Don’t you want
To come with me?
Won’t you be the
Friend I seek?

It’s so easy
To be sad.
It is harder
To be glad.

I don’t care, though.
I am ready.
I will give up
All my teddies.

I’m a man
Who wants the best.
I desire
To take the test.

Heaven is here,
Ready and waiting.
Free for all,
For the taking.

Let’s all be
Our better selves.
Let’s put our sins
On the shelves.

We’re forgiven,
After all.
We can go out
And have a ball.

Let’s celebrate
This life with each other.
You are my sister
And my brother.

Now is a new day,
So take and eat.
Lay your burdens
At God’s feet.

Laugh when you can.
Yuck it up!
It is only in those
Brief moments

That we obtain relief
From our frustration.
Being human is
Being with limits.

We have time and space.
We have each other,
Which in a perfect world
Is a very good thing.

But in our world,
A fallen world,
Things are different.
Except in extraordinary

Circumstances,
It is every person
For their self.
In those times

When we can
See the humor
In our crazy situation,
We get a break

From all the drama.
When we find
The strength
And the motivation

To look past
Our own misery,
And to see our
Brothers and sisters

In need,
These are special
Moments that
We should treasure.

When we see past
Our own problems,
And appreciate
The presence

Of each other,
It is in those times
That we are truly
Blessed.

Tainted soul,
A ghost of a man.
Can he catch
The witch that ran?

Screaming succubus,
Following me.
In reality,
She wants to be free.

In the day
I run from truth.
Sort of like
I run from you.

Is there a clue
For me that’s true?
Do you ask me?
I ask, too.

What will be
The next death trap?
Can you show me
On the map?

Test me now.
I want to know.
If you like me,
Tell me so.

If you do,
It can’t be true.
Do you know
If I am who

You think I
Am today?
I can’t tell you
What to say.

I can’t tell you
If I’m gay.
I don’t really
Give a hey.

I don’t know
Myself what’s true.
Maybe if I
Try to sue.

Sue myself,
I should do.
Please, you tell me,
When I’m through.

Below is where
The dreams come true.
Behind they grill you,
Whatever you do.

What do you think
I should try?
Really, I’m not
That kind of guy.

Tainted soul,
A ghost of a man.
Can he catch
The witch that ran?

Screaming succubus,
Following me.
In reality,
She wants to be free.

In the day
I run from truth.
Sort of like
I run from you.

Is there a clue
For me that’s true?
Do you ask me?
I ask, too.

What will be
The next death trap?
Can you show me
On the map?

Test me now.
I want to know.
If you like me,
Tell me so.

If you do,
It can’t be true.
Do you know
If I am who

You think I
Am today?
I can’t tell you
What to say.

I can’t tell you
If I’m gay.
I don’t really
Give a hey.

I don’t know
Myself what’s true.
Maybe if I
Try to sue.

Sue myself,
I should do.
Please, you tell me,
When I’m through.

Below is where
The dreams come true.
Behind they grill you,
Whatever you do.

What do you think
I should try?
Really, I’m not
That kind of guy.

Happy death,
Happy death,
Come for me.

Come and hang me
From a tree.

Angel come,
Angel come,
Come for me.

Put me out of my
Misery.

Will you kill me,
If you please?

Do you see
My knocking knees?

Is there hope
For someone like me?

Death come,
Death come,
Come for me.

Tired of wanting
To be free.

Will you take me
To the sea?

Will you drown me,
If you please?

Will you take
My life from me?

Do it now,
Do it now.
Set me free!

Crying inside,
But the tears don’t come.
Is there still hope
For someone like me?

Dark clouds
Hover above my head.
Is it a wicked storm,
Or the rain of forgiveness?

Serpents slither
Around my feet.
Do they come
To teach me a lesson?

Are they listening
To my thoughts?
What if I say
The wrong thing?

A raging inferno
Burns beneath me.
Am I in hell?
Or is the rage

Coming from
My own heart?
Fear and suspicion
Dog my footsteps.

Who can I trust?
Who is my friend,
And who,
My enemy?

There are voices
Coming from
The room beside me.
Are they discussing me?

Is this all
Narcissistic blather?
It’s not about me,
Really.

People have better
Things to do
Then worry about me.
But am I hiding?

Who am I, really?
Do they know?
Do I know?
Secrets follow me

Everywhere.