Like the Moon...

Established Forever- 

Like the Moon,

A faithful witness

In the Sky.

This yellow moon

That orbits the earth.

This yellow moon,

That mounts the

tides.

This yellow moon,

With craters deep

And wide.

Established forever-

Dependable, inescapable

As David’s line. 

(From Psalm 89)

Good Soil

Humility like

A seed planted-

How small we are…

How Big He is!

Nothingness-

This empty Pot,

Holds

Good soil

Of the heart:

Fertile, palpable,

Receives

Word of God.

Brings me low,

Lifts you up!

Goodness,

Growth,

Receptivity

Starts with

Humility.

Knowing

Your place,

Knowing

Your need-

Needing

Your God!

To be Free People

Henri Nouwen writes an article-From Solitude to Community to Ministry.

My prayer is for us together to hear the voice of God that dwells within us and calls us, “Beloved Daughters and Sons in whom His favor rests.”

My prayer is for us together,  to continually utter the words, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” And allow these words of contentment to descend from our minds to our hearts. 

My prayer is for us together, to form community around us that empowers us to proclaim, “I am not Afraid.”

And my prayer is for us together,  to seek to reach out to others in gratitude and compassion; Gratitude for others, as a good gift, and compassion to meet others in their place of pain, and allow Father God to heal and reveal Himself there. 

Out of Solitude, Community, and Compassion we become free people.

Search for Significance

"Henry David Thoreau famously stated in Walden "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." He thinks misplaced value is the cause. We feel a void in our lives and we attempt to fill it with things like money, possessions, and accolades." (miketuritizin.com)

This void experienced by men and women is evident in the endless search for significance, worth, and value.

Many of us experienced loss at an early age. This loss left a void and an ache that we attempt to desperately fill. But what do we fill it with? And what purpose does it serve?

I believe the answer is found at the Cross, where all suffering, pain, and woundedness left its mark.

The Cross is what fills the void. It is through the Cross that we find our true redemption.

All of our misguided attempts to search for significance, value, and worth is uttered there in Jesus' 5th words, "I thirst."

Jars of Clay

Today, a 4 year old student of mine brought in two boxes to school.  He placed them up above his cubby.  The box on the bottom was plain looking and unimpressive.  The box on top was beautiful and colorful.  The little boy said to me, “Miss Cathy, I want to show you something that I have for you.”  I put the little boy off to later, because it was time to clean up.  But he didn’t forget and again he reminded me with great enthusiasm that he had something for me.  I finally looked at the two boxes and he told me mine was on the bottom.  I opened the plain and unimpressive

box and there were pieces of paper that he colored in there for me.

  

Then I asked him, “Who’s the other box for?”  He said, “Miss Melinda”, the other teacher.  

At first I felt slighted, “What? She got the beautiful box, she must be the favorite.” Then I felt as if maybe God was trying to tell me something.

I was reminded that Paul said, “We have this treasure in jars of clay…” (2nd Corinthians 4:7) Thanks to a persistent, unassuming, 4 year old boy that reminded me of this today.  

Compassion

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”  Isaiah 54:10

This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible.  It is full of God’s hope and promise for us.  Hope that his unfailing love and covenant of peace will not be removed from us, and the promise of experiencing His compassionate heart towards us.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that God’s first response to our heart’s cry and our daily battle is one of compassion.  He looks at us tenderly-full of compassion, and longing for us to know Him as He truly is. 

I think of the Prodigal Son, who came home after squandering all of his Father’s wealth, and his Father responds to him not with harshness or criticism,  but with compassion- running to his son, embracing him, cloaking him, inviting him in, feasting and celebrating with him.  The Father saw His Son’s true heart condition and was moved to act on his behalf.

Truthfully, so few of us know this kind of response from others.  We are accustomed to the harshness, and “I told you so’s of life.”  But we have to believe in our trials, the compassionate heart of God sees us, is reaching out to us, and longing for us to know Him and ourselves as completely loved, chosen, and blessed by Him.

Small Victories

Every time you reach out to bless someone, you may just find that they have a blessing in disguise for you.

Mother Teresa said that through serving the poor she found, “Jesus in his most distressing disguise.”

I wonder what it would be like if every time I reached out to someone, it would be as if I was reaching out to Christ; His hands, His Feet, His Eyes, His Smile. 

  It was Christ alone that I was truly serving.

Perhaps the face of Jesus is hidden in each one of us, and in the myriad of disguises we wear.

Jesus says, “Whatever you did to the least of my brethren, you also did unto me.” Matthew 25:40

The Secret Place

"Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in the secret place.”  Psalm 51:6

The Secret place;

Where you formed me,

The Secret place

Where you danced around me,

The Secret place,

Where you whispered my name.

I, first formless and empty,

Needing breath of God

To fill me. 

Needing seed of God

To move me.

Needing growth of

God to develop me.

All that I am, All

That I ever was...

Is through the womb

Of God that held me,

Through the womb of

God that released me,

At this moment,

Through the womb

Of God that birthed me-

This Great I AM!

Crossing over-

        into

The Promise Land...

Empty

Empty I stand before you.

Would you fill my cup?

With your Holy Presence

In every touch.

You are my source,

My strength, and my

Supply.

Empowered by

Your vision

From on High.

The Train is

Coming,

Get on board

Everyone.

Jesus is proclaiming-

The Holy One, The 

Son!

A Dance of Freedom,

A Wave of Light,

In every season,

Not by power, nor by might.

Tender Trinity

“Because of the Tender Mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven.”  Luke 1:78

Brilliant in Mercy,

The Father, the Son,

Pouring from heaven,

To hearts, everyone!

Radiant in Power,

Cloaked from on high.

Not in Temple, nor

Tower, but as passerby.

He walks with the

Wounded, the outcast,

In muck and in mire.

He remembers the orphans

The widows, the fatherless child.

A friend to the friendless,

My God are thee!

A Helper, A Helpmate,

A Tender Trinity!

The Answers

We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be? John Keating


The Answers
come in
like the tide;
The Great Wave.
It threatens me,
but then
recedes into safety.

Just like sand
at a beach,
I can't
hold onto it
for long.
It slips through
my grasping fingers.

And washes
away into
the deepest
darkest
sea of reason.

I stand and wait.
Pulled out a
little further
by the current
wide.

Here am I.
Seasoned, and
Tried.

I cast my line.

Beyond the Calling

Pink Horizon,

Beauty deep,

Beyond the borders

Dare we speak?

Sunset building

Space unknown,

At distant shores

Where lovers roam.

Beyond the Calling

The faithful few

A bed of roses

Waits for you.

This dance may

Linger, slow

Then quick.

A sweet surrender,

A strum, A pick…

A Life of Mercy

A life of Mercy is the highest call, when we are able to see with the eyes of Jesus another’s struggle, another’s flight.  We are all standing on Holy ground when the merciful savior enters in..

Heads Bowed, because mercy triumphs over judgment.  That’s why he came, to offer Living Water to the little ones he raised.  The mercy of the Father, Arms outstretched-He surrendered all, as a sacrifice, He gave…

Security

When you are secure in the Father’s Love, you don’t have to prove anything.  You don’t have to compete.  You don’t have to rush to complete the project.  God holds you in the palm of his safe, strong and secure hands.

You can rest in His Plan. 

Life has many lessons to teach, but if we don’t hold too fast to the words we preach, than God’s love and exciting life around us will birth something new in us.  He is the Eagle’s Wings. 

He knows our final destination.

Love is the only way.  It is the way of the Cross.  Love alone has the power to set people free!

A Heart of An Encourager

God, give me a heart of an encourager.

Let me bring someone light.

Let Love break through

The barriers, with a

Humble, Gentle invite. 

Where Grace is

Given, and faith

Is knocking at

Your door.

The Eagle’s Wings

Are waiting, so

Climb aboard

And soar.

Above the

Peaks of Mountains

And Oceans, valley's

Side.

Come away with

Me Beloved,

To a place where

Love Abides.