Unity

A piece of cloth

Is many threads

'Til brought together

By the hand of the weaver

So also many lives

Are intertwined

Into a tapestry

To grace the walls

Of the palace of the King

And none loses 

Its color or texture

But each being different

Enhances the beauty of the whole

Morning Glory

The morning glory twines its way
Untamed around every plant in the bed
Offending the sense of order in the garden
But do we not long for
A wild and untamed grace to 
Wind around our hearts and reach into
The very essence of existence?
Then the glory of God
Will twine around the destructive 
Order of our lives
And cover it with the beauty
Of abandonment.

A Good Life

There are good and bad days
Today was one of the good
Days before and days to come
Will once again be bad
But a good life is not measured
By weighing the good against bad
Rather by enjoying the good
And discovering purpose in the bad.

Uncertainty

Uncertainty,
The very word brings disquiet
And I can feel the lead weight of fear
Then I remember 
The promise of God
And I move on
Lightly burdened, unforsaken
and still uncertain
But free

A Drink

Brilliant drops of crystal

Slide slowly down the sides

the summer sun refracts

And bursts into a chorus of rainbows

On the wall

After passing through. 

The icy curve almost

Numbs the fingertips

As you raise it to you lips

And your thirst is quenched 

With a glass of ice water.

Resistance is Futile

In the middle
Of what I hate
Feeling bound to do
What I don't want
I can feel the
Cold burn of iron
As chains bind my heart
The light fades as I
Cease to resist

Then I remember
The chains were taken
Cast off long ago
They only bind when
I take them willingly
So I lay them aside with
The keeper of the light
That I will never
Need to resist

Fire and Water

Fire and water are
Opposites, they tell me
Yet I see a paradox for
Every time I drink 
From the river
Of life
A fire ignites within
My soul.

Weekend

It's time to empty my head
Open up the stress compartment
Shake until empty
Fill it up with Music
Sit back and
Let the weekend begin

Thanks

Just a kind word
A "thanks for being you" word
Not for when you're down
But when I want you to know
The place you have
In my heart

Dreams

They all drift away
One thought at a time
Like restless leaves
Carried on a current
Of forgetfulness
Then sleep overtakes
and they re-assemble
In random patterns
Called dreams

Able

Able
Able to do more
Able to do immeasurably more
Able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine
According to His power in us
So that we can do more
Immeasurably more
Than we are
Able

(from Ephesians 3:20)

Rest

It's the end of a long day
To sit and rest is all you want
A chance to ease your weary feet
But how do you rest a weary soul?
What chair can soothe a tired mind?
"Come to me and rest" the Savior gently says
Rest in my love and all is well.

Tell What You Have Seen

You don't have to be a preacher
To tell about God's love
You don't have to be a teacher 
To share what he has done
You can always tell a story
Of a place where you have been
You can give God the glory
For the miracles you've seen
'Cause the most effective sermon
Isn't on a TV screen
The best thing in the long run
Is, just tell what you have seen.

The Bookstore

The bell clanks against the door
Head ducking under the lintel
I enter the world of possibility
Eyes travel across cracked and aged spines
Opening the cover I can smell, feel and almost taste
The buried treasure of knowledge
Waiting to unfold inside my head
In an old book.

Music

Is it just....
A collection of tones
Assembled in groups
Black dots gathered up
And marching across a page
Vibrations of strings along with
Air blown through metal tubes
More than the sum of its parts
Music reaches inside
To color the fabric
Of our very souls

Camping

Ticks and mosquitoes
Sleeping on hard ground with
Roots in your back
Biscuits are burnt
Smoke is in your eyes and
Sunburned necks and noses 
Exhaustion setting in
Finally back home and then
Barely recovered and 
Plan the next one.

Transformation

Into the cocoon a caterpillar
Out a butterfly
Into the ground a seed
Out a sunflower
Into death a beaten man
Out a victorious servant of God
Transformed.

Back in town after camping this weekend, I will resume the poems today.

Sabotage

It starts so small
Just a little digging
Undermining the foundation
Then comes the stress
The timbers move
They creak and groan
Joints are weakened
The bridge collapses
Under it's own weight
All because of sabotage.
Just a lie believed.

I Remember

Help me remember, beauty forgotten
Music once heard clearly, now so faint
Help me remember, joys of childhood
The simple pleasure of carefree abandon
Help me remember, the cool mountain stream
That cooled tired feet and washed ears with soothing sound
Help me remember, sunset colors washed across the sky
Reflected glow rising like the scent of evening
Help me remember, love coming down like gentle rain
Washing away fears with sweet peace
...I remember

The Gift (4 parts)

She hesitantly came through the crowd
Uneasy in her tattered rags
Following a wealthy merchant prince
With his offering in heavy money bags
Murmurs if wonder turned to disdain
As two tiny coins she offered
But the master turned to us to explain
Her gift was more than he proffered.
I wondered at this as I turned away
The present she gave was so small
Peter, I seemed to hear a voice say,
What if you gave all?

The thought continued to echo through my mind

Peter, what if you give all?

As we began to prepare for the feast

I was ready to answer the call

I'll go with you Lord, even to death

I confidently gave my vow

He looked at me with eyes so sad

Three times you'll deny, just hours from now

I couldn't accept it and I tried to defend

When they arrested Him at nightfall

As the rooster crowed and He looked at me

I new I had not given all.

Then despair set in and the darkest of nights
Was brighter than the blackness in my heart
Time seemed to slow and pass at a crawl
I needed renewal, didn't know where to start
Then Mary came running and told John and me
That Jesus was gone from the tomb
John took off running and I followed behind
We peered through the dark and the gloom
But no one was there just the empty clothes
And in hope I began to recall
The words that He spoke just a few days ago
Maybe I still could give all.

We sat and listened as the two told He walked along
How their heart burned as he talked with them
Then suddenly the Lord himself stood in our midst
Peace He spoke but everyone shrank back away from Him
I'm not a ghost he said and asked us for some food
remember all I shared with you, My Spirit I will send
You'll witness for me filled with power
Go where the Spirit leads from now until the end
I've preached the Word now, since that day
Wherever I could,and stood tall
Now the end I've reached, and here I hangThankful I finally gave all.

Psalm 139:1-5 23-24 Revisited

Lord you have examined me and known me
        (Search me O God)
You know when I stand or sit and every thought
        (Know my heart)
You know all my ways and where I rest
        (Lead me in Your paths)
Every word is heard before I speak it
        (Know my thoughts)
You go before and follow after and bless me
        (Lead me into everlasting life)

The Gift (concluded)

We sat and listened as the two told He walked along
How their heart burned as he talked with them
Then suddenly the Lord himself stood in our midst
Peace He spoke but everyone shrank back away from Him
I'm not a ghost he said and asked us for some food
remember all I shared with you, My Spirit I will send
You'll witness for me filled with power
Go where the Spirit leads from now until the end
I've preached the Word now, since that day
Wherever I could,and stood tall
Now the end I've reached, and here I hang
Thankful I finally gave all.

The Gift (continued)

Then despair set in and the darkest of nights
Was brighter than the blackness in my heart
Time seemed to slow and pass at a crawl 
I needed renewal, didn't know where to start
Then Mary came running and told John and me
That Jesus was gone from the tomb
John took off running and I followed behind
We peered through the dark and the gloom
But no one was there just the empty clothes
And in hope I began to recall
The words that He spoke just a few days ago
Maybe I still could give all.
                                             (to be continued)

The Gift (continued)

The thought continued to echo through my mind

Peter, what if you give all?

As we began to prepare for the feast

I was ready to answer the call

I'll go with you Lord, even to death

I confidently gave my vow

He looked at me with eyes so sad

Three times you'll deny, just hours from now

I couldn't accept it and I tried to defend

When they arrested Him at nightfall

As the rooster crowed and He looked at me

I new I had not given all.

                                   (to be continued)

The Gift

She hesitantly came through the crowd
Uneasy in her tattered rags
Following a wealthy merchant prince
With his offering in heavy money bags
Murmurs if wonder turned to disdain 
As two tiny coins she offered
But the master turned to us to explain
Her gift was more than he proffered.
I wondered at this as I turned away
The present she gave was so small
Peter, I seemed to hear a voice say, 
What if you gave all?
                              (to be continued)

Happy Man

You gave me all I ever wanted
A reason to start again
A home, love and family
Yes, you made me a happy man


The little things that I gave up
To fit into your plan
Once were so big, but now seem small
Now you've made me a happy man


Now we walk together side by side
I'm holding to your hand
Right here's where I'll always stay
'Cause you made me a happy man

Family

What is Family?
It is more than blood
More than genetics
It is a bond
Forged from shared struggles
The heat of the furnace of pain
Then quenched in the river of life
Made so strong
To transcend all other bonds.

Just Imagine

What if we all walked with God?
Just imagine
What if we all gave everything?
Just imagine
What if we all looked for ways to serve?
Just imagine


Wait,what if I did?
Just imagine.

The Fourth

Horseshoes and squirt guns
Burgers and watermelon
Good friends and good food
Thunder and lightning
The grand finale by God

Freedom

It's not just a July word
Or a bumper sticker phrase
Sung about before the game
Or in ads for Chevrolets
It didn't just come about
Because a declaration was made
We're living in the land of the free
And it's only because of the brave.

Forgiveness

Beneath the ground
All is silent, dark
Pain is gone
Fears departed
Everything that hindered
Under the last shovel of dirt
As on feet as light as wings
I walk away from my grave.

The End

Complete
        Perfect
               Mature


Three unattainable words
Yet worth striving for


Puzzle pieces going in place
        Rough spots being smoothed
               Emptiness being filled

Why?

Why the defensiveness
Why The struggle without end
Why the walls
Why the pain, old friend?


Peace is waiting
Peace outside the door
Peace can be reached
Peace and so much more,


Love bears the load
Love ends the pain
Love breaks the walls
Love dances in the rain.

Strong Enough

I want to be strong

Not just for me, but for you

I want to have faith

To always know what to do

But sometimes my strength

Gets in the way

I push on forward

And forget to pray

Bring me back to your word

Where truth is revealed

Help me to have strength

Strong enough to yield

Email

Two unread emails
Distract me from my work
Ready to delete
And get on with my day
"Hi Grandad" catches the eye
I read, and travel to
A four year old's playground


"I love you Grandad"
"I love you too Gracie"

The Garden

A bent white head
Bobbing above the tomatoes
Gnarled fingers collecting beans
Neat, orderly rows
Without a weed to be seen
A lifetime of experience
Yields a bountiful harvest.

Strength

I don't have the strength

The trial is too deep

My strength is all gone

Yet I can't even sleep

My burden's so heavy 

The load hard to bear

Then a friend steps beside me

And the trouble he shares

I never thought I'd have

The strength for this trial

But the Savior walks with me

Mile after mile

He promised I would never

Bear my burdens alone

He'd be right beside me 

With strength yet unknown

Without this dark valley

I would never have needed

The strength to walk through it

When my faith was depleted

I would never have known

How He'd answer my prayer

How the refuge that before wasn't needed

Would be there.

Saturday Evening

The end of the day
All the tools are put away
Time to sit in my chair
Relax and let down my hair
Work is done.

The Goal

We never know what day

We'll take that final step

Be joined together with our Lord

Complete in Him at last

So let's walk together 

Side by side and

Reaching toward the prize,

His will,our common goal

As we grow close to Him

We are nearer to each other

And the final step we take

Will only be a small one

Change

Change is all around us
Lilies bloom and fade in a day
The slow change as rot creeps 
Down the boards of my porch
Birth, growth, then decay and death
Only one change is different
Changed by God
Means changed for good.

Seasons

Life is a sequence of seasons

Planting, cultivation and harvest

But what about the cold?

As plants need the dormancy of winter

So cold hard times

Make the harvest of life

So much sweeter

The Swimming Hole

Four sets of bare feet running
Down a dusty cowpath through the fields
Through the cooler dappled shade
Toward the murmur of the creek
The sounds of four belly-flop splashes
And summer has begun.

The Middle

The excitement of new birth
The hope at the final door
The beginning and the end
But what about the middle?
That's where the joy comes from
And the pain,
And the peace that is its own reward.

What is the next step

Which way should I go

I need help to decide

How to choose between

The spirit of the Lord

The wisdom of a man

Then clarity

The spirit of the Lord

Creates the wisdom of a man

Saturdays

Mornings on the porch
Coffee and conversation
Time with the woman of my dreams
Always ends too soon
But we'll do it all again
Next Saturday

Freedom

Released from the leash

At no ones beck and call

Free from the clutch and grasp

Escaped from the invisible bonds

I turned the cell phone off

Overload

Ten things need doing now

Time for only one

Everything demands attention

One has priority

Myriad thoughts swirl about

Time for only one

People seek importance

One has priority

Lesser things fall away

Time for only one

With a vertical focus

One has priority

Morning Light

Not my best time of day

Late nights beg for more sleep

Dark and bitter, coffee stirs awakening senses

My friend beckons, spend time with me

Communion through the word

And it was good

One

What attracts us to a heart of surrender

Not the beauty of the jar of clay

The vessel has cracks and flaws

Through which the Spirit light shines

And the light from many fractured jars

Becomes a tapestry of brilliance

To light the world