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