God

Walking Around

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Lord, do you think it’s breaking?
Can you confirm the sound?
They say when you have children
it’s like your heart out there
walking around.

Walking around out there in the world,
a boy, a girl, or both.
Forever young though years may pass,
the cord feels like a rope.
Lord I know you’ve been there,
so I won’t waste words complaining
it isn’t fair.

Lord I know we can be
a little melodramatic,
and parents throughout the ages
have been correctly described as frantic.
But since you gave us each a heart,
perhaps share the reasons,
and as long as we’re going through it,
help us survive the seasons.

Walking around out there in the world,
an evolution of trust.
A joy and burden all wrapped up,
though we try not to fuss.
Mentioned in our prayers often,
if not more.
A wise parent focuses on the gratitude score.

© Joel Tipple
307

That

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When you see the biggest waterfall
you’ve ever seen, and its size and noise transports you to somewhere amazing…
That.
When you endure discomfort and put forth more effort than you thought you could,
and finish the race, because you said you would…
That.
When the young lady you respect and love says she loves you too
and wants to spend her life with you…
That.
That’s what it is to ask God to please use your gift to make a real impact for Him
and for Him to make that dream come true. It really is
that.

© Joel Tipple
305

A Man

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John Q. Person, have you considered
what it means to be a man,
since the time someone told you
you were one?
Have you just been placing
one foot after the other,
but without a genuine plan, son?

I can tell you a man isn’t passive.
He refuses to trust to luck.
He knows the size of the heart in a man
isn’t measured by the size of his truck.
He knows the best leaders are followers too.
He knows about God’s reward.
He has an almost desperate desire
to find genuine ways to serve.

He knows each man has a talent
unique and given by God.
He strives to find and develop his own gifts
while not chasing after laud.
He never stops learning.
He values laughter
and tears.
He remains forever grateful
and cherishes every year.

© Joel Tipple
302

300

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Taking into account a couple of times when I’ve reblogged someone else’s post on “Write here, Joel” in addition to my own for that day, today marks blog number 300. The official beginning was Jan. 1, but I already had a few things written so I had something of a running start. The daily blogs will continue through the end of December. I have an idea of what will happen at that point, but you’ll have to wait until then to see just what that something will be.

I promised at the beginning that I was going to experiment a lot. True to my word, I’ve tried all sorts of stuff. All kinds of poetry, short stories, jokes, social commentary, devotions. I’ve been all over the place. While we bloggers have access to, and probably watch too closely, the myriad of statistics about what we’re doing, I’ve tried not to be a slave to the numbers. By now I have an idea of what will do well and what won’t. However, I try not to let that drive what goes into this blog. This has been a learning experience and you can’t learn by always playing it safe.

I’ll say it again, but I want to say thank you now to everyone who has taken the time to read and comment. I never take for granted the opportunity to express myself in print and the spoken word. My overriding desire is that God is glorified through my expression in words. Towards that end, some exciting things are brewing that I’ve prayed about for some time. Thanks be to God for grace and for truth, always.
Joel

© Joel Tipple
300

God’s Show-offs

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Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luke 12:27 ESV

They’re just a bunch of show-offs,
a pretentious bunch with no modesty at all.
Given license to reveal,
with no incentive to conceal,
they come forth winter spring and summer,
even fall.

While plain hued plants are quite content
showing greens and browns for their rent,
flowers put petal to the metal all they can.
That it runs in the family is the truth,
and they yearly offer proof.
I’m bedding they continue with
scentsational demand.

© Joel Tipple

“How beautiful are the feet…”

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And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Romans 10:15 ESV (English Standard Version)

Blessed are
the feet of those
who bring good news
and a light to shine in the darkened places.

Blessed are
the hands of those
who labor tirelessly
for those with weary faces.

We don’t always see
the ones spreading hope
of a destiny
many thought went missing long ago.

Sometimes thinly disguised,
contained within caring eyes,
and conversations that go beyond
the surface,
to communicate the saving message
for both kings and vagabonds.

© Joel Tipple

The Fire in Your Heart

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If the season you’re going
through seems cooler,
and small is the fire
in your hearth,
abide in the Lord,
make Him your refuge.
Stoke the fire
in your heart.

© Joel Tipple

Ego

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I opened the door one day,
to the room
where I had decided to keep God.
It was a nice room
I thought,
decorated lavishly
but tastefully.

To my dismay,
revealed
where I believed
I had left God
was
instead,
my ego.

It was then
that I realized my mistake.
I had built a special room
for God,
while allowing my ego
full roam
through the house
of my life.

In that moment
of clarity
I realized I had managed
to get it all
quite backward.

© Joel Tipple

23 But Jesus didn’t swerve. “Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works.”

24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
Matthew 16:23-26
The Message (MSG)

the human race

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It’s a good thing God has a plan
for the human race.
Left to our own devices
I’ve no doubt where we’d place…
all left behind,
none in front of the pack,
making ourselves the god we aren’t
turning our face
from the one we lack.

© Joel Tipple

fun

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sometimes when i take the time to be quiet
i feel as though i could float all day
stopping by each of the world’s beaches
to steal a few moments of play
at some point for far too many
growing up and old means we stop
enjoying those breaks
in between oceans of work
and perfecting our frown all day
people notice
in case you hadn’t
whether you don’t smile
or if you do
so pay attention
find a way
to make life fun
even if
fun is new to you

© Joel Tipple