relationship with God

The Inside

You’ve hit the gym.
You’re counting all the calories
that you consume.
You’ve got a walk-in closet
to get lost in, it’s bigger than most ordinary folk’s
bedrooms.
But at the end of the day
even though it all looks fine,
the only thing that could use work
is what’s not showing, it’s on the inside.
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They told you just work hard
and things will be fine.
But though you’ve made it
you’re not making it… You don’t know why.
Your friends are telling you to chill
but if you stopped paying their bills,
would they know your name?
All you know for sure… Something’s gotta change.
Give yourself to Jesus.
It’s in His Word.
Trying to avoid God is worse than absurd.
He’s always been around you, and He’s now knocking on your door.
Give it all to God and run
to a relationship, not religion.
For the first time in your life
it’ll all make sense, not just for the future
but in the present tense.
Give it all, give it all.
Give it all to Jesus.

Your Word

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So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11

Your Word
Lord
sustains me
without it my likeness is poorly drawn

Your Commandments
direct me
push me
to run on

let me hide your Word
inside my heart
may it fill me from within

let it soothe the ache
caused by this world and
expose the damage of sin

help your Word
complete in me
what You’ve seen from the start
a destiny not of this place
but kept safe in Your Heart

How will they hear?

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But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That’s why Scripture exclaims,
A sight to take your breath away!
Grand processions of people
telling all the good things of God!
But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: “Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?” The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ’s Word is preached, there’s nothing to listen to.
Romans 10:14-17 The Message

“Your actions speak so loudly, I can not hear what you are saying.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I need to hear of God.
I may not know I do.
I may not know His word contains the key
to a relationship I was made for before the world was.
My intellect, my will, my judgment, will be present.
But salvation speaks like a laser to the heart, to the soul.
I do not know yet the unvarnished truth of the gospel, how it will reveal something
so natural I’ll wonder why it took so long to become a reality in my life.
And why would He choose a human being to reveal this truth?
Why not send an angel, or a blinding light?
God could do that.
God chose you,
and others…
people.
For some reason, God is really about relationships.
Don’t think I need someone perfect to tell me about Jesus.
What I really need,
even though I may not know it yet,
is for someone to be authentic, warts and all.
Be real to me.
Care.
I’ll recognize that.

Well Met

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rise
child of God
as the sun rises
meet your Maker with meditation

quiet your mind
child as you meet Him
that the first steps
into your day
are blessed

sacred moments
bereft of discord
burnished bright
with praises
to birth
a joyous dawn

Thank You

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Just before or after last Christmas I decided to be more consistent with my writing by resurrecting a WordPress blog that had been dormant for quite some time. I had recently received a lot of encouragement and it gave me the incentive to write more poetry. While putting together the new blog I noticed a challenge put out by WordPress to post every day for 2013. I decided to give it a try and let everyone who read my blog know by putting the badge on my cover page. Today will be my 137th post. Accounting for a few days that I’ve posted more than once, that means I’ve posted over 130 days in a row. I’m looking forward to doing the whole 365.

There have been a lot of great things to come out of writing and publishing every day. For one, it has forced me to investigate different kinds of writing. I’ve explored poetry, song writing, devotionals, and humor. Along the way, I’ve gotten to know fellow bloggers who also believe strongly in writing, especially writing that moves them. I’ve had days when I thought I had written something relevant, only to get little in the way of results. But then I’ve had other days when I wasn’t all that thrilled with what I had put out, only to get lots of positive comments. It continues to be a fantastic learning experience and I just want to sincerely thank everyone who has read, commented, and shown me how fun and rewarding blogging can be. God continues to bless it. It’s my prayer that He is honored by what I write.

Expectations

Give ear to my words,
O Lord,
Consider my groaning.
Heed the sound of my
cry for help, my King
and my God,
For to You I pray.
In the morning, O Lord,
You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will
order my prayer to You
and eagerly watch.
Psalm 5:1-3

I wish I started out every day like the Psalmist.
The truth is there are way too many days
that are off to the races before I’ve really
given God a chance to be involved in my
plans. David wasn’t afraid to throw it all
on the table before God. My favorite part of this
Psalm is at the end of the third verse where he
says, “In the morning I will order my prayer to
You and eagerly watch.” For David, his God was not
cold, silent, and still. He put his prayers out before
God and “eagerly” waited to see what God would do.
God wants to be involved in your life, but your attitude
and expectation will greatly determine His degree of
involvement.

Devil’s Advocate

After some consideration, and for the following reasons, to name a few, I have determined to abandon the use of the phrase, “Devil’s Advocate.” : First, he has done nothing worthy of my fealty. Second, he clearly has no need for additional team members. Third, I am a devoted follower of his opposition.

“If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve, and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.”
Joshua 24:15 The Message

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12 NIV

More Than Just Contentment

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More than just contentment stole my heart that Summer day
when He took hold of all of me and settled in.
The certainty of being in
right time and place and will,
made it easy to surrender mine to Him.

You’re the notes for the song I’m singing, Jesus.
You’re the rhythm, You’re the key, and You’re the rhyme.
You’re the anchor that I hold onto, new colors when I’m feeling blue,
I welcome You this morning like the first time.

Although my world swings
out of orbit sometimes.
I’m not always sure
of what’s around the bend.
When my mailbox is full of bills,
my head is spinning and I’m ill,
I count on what dear Savior
You will send.

You’re the notes for the song I’m singing, Jesus.
You’re the rhythm, You’re the key, and You’re the rhyme.
You’re the anchor that I hold onto, new colors when I’m feeling blue,
I welcome you this morning like the first time.

It’s never mattered how frightening the storm,
never mattered how frightening the storm,
Jesus you are bigger than my storms!

You’re the notes for the song I’m singing, Jesus
You’re the rhythm, You’re the key, and You’re the rhyme
You’re the anchor that I hold onto, new colors when I’m feeling blue,
I welcome You this morning like the first time.
Like the first time.

“Do not let your heart be troubled;”

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

In the shadow of the cross you were
and yet you said, “don’t let your heart
be troubled.”

You took the time to prepare us on earth
and let us know there would be brighter days.

I believe.
I believe you went there for me.
I believe.
I believe in brighter days.
I believe.
You’ve already gone there for me.
There’s a place with my name on it.
Heaven’s ready glory days.