Walking along,
the present melts into
a patch of life
previously lived and stuck
between rewind and play...
grasping for the root,
I catch the thought by the tip of the tail;
losing my grip on it as
the last attempt is made to take it captive...
familiar winds and flashes of lightning
move in to manipulate the landscape of my soul.
In my hand is the sword I will use to fight back
the descending cloak and pray for the Spirit to rain once more.
"It is written" worked for Jesus...
A song arrives to empower my will;
lifting my spirit to the
remembrance of coming joy.
Hold on...Hold on..."this too shall pass"..
"...though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.."
"Rejoice in the Lord always..."
"Jesus wept."
Time passes...
I am still here.
...and I hear the echoes in my mind of those who have travelled the time warp before me.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Breathe...
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always,Pray without ceasing,in every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Psalm 89: 15-17
Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted. For you are the glory of their strength, And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
I Breathe...
and celebrate the work of His hands.
I stand upon the rock
and feel the ocean spray tickling my skin,
and the breeze rushing into my lungs
to rejuvinate flesh and spirit after the fire burned
... Breathe...
and look up to the night sky with the brightness of eye
that is ushered into the spirit by the promise of night passing.
the cloak of nightfall has its' purpose in the Father's hands.
I breathe..
and know that He is God. My maker and re-creator when I bring Him my pieces
in anticipation of His willingness to put them back together again.
...Hands lifted to heaven reflect the loosened grip of clay on that which
rightly belongs to the Potter.
I breathe a prayer,
breathing in forgiveness...
...and pushing out the debris of self-seeking and pride...
He whispers His word in my spirit and writes upon the tablet of my soul. Images of freedom and elegant grace enfold me as a purple cascade of Spirit rain...
The imprints remain for now of fishing hook scars and memories of cloak and
claws...yet the fragrance of grace lingers and binds up the wounds that have bound me
to the edge of blackness...
He breathes His spirit on me again and makes the dry bones to rise again;
they rise in triumph,
they rise in joy,
and they rise in fresh anticipation of eventual wholeness for His purposes.
He rejoices over me with singing, and the sound is sweeter than honey.
Rejoice always,Pray without ceasing,in every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Psalm 89: 15-17
Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted. For you are the glory of their strength, And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
I Breathe...
and celebrate the work of His hands.
I stand upon the rock
and feel the ocean spray tickling my skin,
and the breeze rushing into my lungs
to rejuvinate flesh and spirit after the fire burned
... Breathe...
and look up to the night sky with the brightness of eye
that is ushered into the spirit by the promise of night passing.
the cloak of nightfall has its' purpose in the Father's hands.
I breathe..
and know that He is God. My maker and re-creator when I bring Him my pieces
in anticipation of His willingness to put them back together again.
...Hands lifted to heaven reflect the loosened grip of clay on that which
rightly belongs to the Potter.
I breathe a prayer,
breathing in forgiveness...
...and pushing out the debris of self-seeking and pride...
He whispers His word in my spirit and writes upon the tablet of my soul. Images of freedom and elegant grace enfold me as a purple cascade of Spirit rain...
The imprints remain for now of fishing hook scars and memories of cloak and
claws...yet the fragrance of grace lingers and binds up the wounds that have bound me
to the edge of blackness...
He breathes His spirit on me again and makes the dry bones to rise again;
they rise in triumph,
they rise in joy,
and they rise in fresh anticipation of eventual wholeness for His purposes.
He rejoices over me with singing, and the sound is sweeter than honey.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Of Words and Phrases...
There are those folks in the world that don't feel passionate about expressing themselves. They don't see the point in writing or creating something to enjoy and share with others. There are those souls out there loose in the world that decry the act of artistic expression as a waste of time. Why does anyone feel driven to write, paint, take photos, or do anything creative? If it doesn't return a paycheck, then what is the motivation behind it? I have heard it said that there is a certain temperament of the artist that breeds a form of insanity...
Let me stand up and wave my hand and identify with those who get bitten by the desire to be creative. As for the temperament issue...I will simply say that I do not suffer from insanity...I enjoy it. Just kidding...the men in the white coats haven't caught up with me yet...Ok, ok...I will get serious and lay it out the reasons why some people have a passion for being creative.
Creativity, I believe, is a reflection of the divine spark within us. We were made in the image and likeness of God. What did God do in Genesis? He created the heavens in the earth. Then, he created man...and He has had His hands full ever since...ok, ok...back to the subject at hand. I think those of us who are engrossed with experiencing the process of creating just like to fan the flames a bit more. Some of us are pyros(figuratively speaking, of course...). There is something exciting about bringing a concept out of the depths of your being and putting a "face" on it. It should be listed in the DSM-III as an addiction, but I am not going to formally submit it. I think it ties in with my earlier comment regarding the men in white coats...alright...I will go back to my point.
I do believe that there are some of us who just have to create whether we ever show another soul what we do or not. I have written letters to God on many occaisions and then destroyed them. He saw and understood, and that is what mattered. Other times, it is an absolute hoot to show what has emerged from the abyss of the soul to another person. A new part of the adventure of creating/writing is embarked upon when another human being experiences what I write through their eyes. It can be a good thing to climb out of your own head once in a while. The spirit of man shrinks and whithers when outside contact is not made periodically. There is only so much room in there for growth. Creating something in that room is necessary; and sometimes sharing it is even more necessary. It is similar to a small child drawing a picture and wanting to show someone what they did.
Creating is a joy. I can only try to imagine how God felt when He created the universe. While I do not think he sat back in a lounge chair and had a nice cold glass of iced tea; he must have felt some sense of accomplishment. Doesn't the verse in Genesis say, "And God saw that it was good"? I like to think that could be a way of saying, "Alright!". Sometimes the journey of creating something brings new revelation and insight that did not originate with me. Sometimes I don't know where I am going with a piece until I get to the end. (I can sense the cracks coming on now...I promise I will make a coherent point with this soon. I haven't kept you that long now...)The phrases and images mix altogether with old memories and concepts to form my word choices and mold what ends up on the screen. I feel as if I am talking to someone as I write.
We are all parts of the body of Christ. Some are feet, some are knees, etc. Every one of us has a place value; a value high enough for Christ to have died on the cross for us. I think God knew that we would get bored with ourselves if we were all the same. Variety is good because it makes the journey that much more fun. There is comedy in the body of Christ that counts my ribs. There is amazing ability that ushers us into the presence of the Lord. There is also an endless adventure in getting to know each other. Sometimes when I start thinking that I have a corner on weirdness; the Lord brings someone into my life who shows me their patch of oddity and I feel alright again. God bless the nuts. Make this a "be kind to nuts day" and you may just be blessed...
In returning to my point(and I do have one...), I want to say that creativity flows out of sticking with this habit of breathing in an earthsuit. It flows out of every spiritual gift and ability given to us by our creator. Some of us just have a few extra quirks in the works planted(or impaled)in us that make creating/writing almost an RDA for finding fulfillment.
I hope I have made a few coherent points. I ask for your mercy and a generous dose of grace if you feel that I have not done so. Come back another time anyway and let's see if I can nail down a topic then. I think we will both have fun either way.
Have a cup o'joy
and a dose of peace...
Lynne
Let me stand up and wave my hand and identify with those who get bitten by the desire to be creative. As for the temperament issue...I will simply say that I do not suffer from insanity...I enjoy it. Just kidding...the men in the white coats haven't caught up with me yet...Ok, ok...I will get serious and lay it out the reasons why some people have a passion for being creative.
Creativity, I believe, is a reflection of the divine spark within us. We were made in the image and likeness of God. What did God do in Genesis? He created the heavens in the earth. Then, he created man...and He has had His hands full ever since...ok, ok...back to the subject at hand. I think those of us who are engrossed with experiencing the process of creating just like to fan the flames a bit more. Some of us are pyros(figuratively speaking, of course...). There is something exciting about bringing a concept out of the depths of your being and putting a "face" on it. It should be listed in the DSM-III as an addiction, but I am not going to formally submit it. I think it ties in with my earlier comment regarding the men in white coats...alright...I will go back to my point.
I do believe that there are some of us who just have to create whether we ever show another soul what we do or not. I have written letters to God on many occaisions and then destroyed them. He saw and understood, and that is what mattered. Other times, it is an absolute hoot to show what has emerged from the abyss of the soul to another person. A new part of the adventure of creating/writing is embarked upon when another human being experiences what I write through their eyes. It can be a good thing to climb out of your own head once in a while. The spirit of man shrinks and whithers when outside contact is not made periodically. There is only so much room in there for growth. Creating something in that room is necessary; and sometimes sharing it is even more necessary. It is similar to a small child drawing a picture and wanting to show someone what they did.
Creating is a joy. I can only try to imagine how God felt when He created the universe. While I do not think he sat back in a lounge chair and had a nice cold glass of iced tea; he must have felt some sense of accomplishment. Doesn't the verse in Genesis say, "And God saw that it was good"? I like to think that could be a way of saying, "Alright!". Sometimes the journey of creating something brings new revelation and insight that did not originate with me. Sometimes I don't know where I am going with a piece until I get to the end. (I can sense the cracks coming on now...I promise I will make a coherent point with this soon. I haven't kept you that long now...)The phrases and images mix altogether with old memories and concepts to form my word choices and mold what ends up on the screen. I feel as if I am talking to someone as I write.
We are all parts of the body of Christ. Some are feet, some are knees, etc. Every one of us has a place value; a value high enough for Christ to have died on the cross for us. I think God knew that we would get bored with ourselves if we were all the same. Variety is good because it makes the journey that much more fun. There is comedy in the body of Christ that counts my ribs. There is amazing ability that ushers us into the presence of the Lord. There is also an endless adventure in getting to know each other. Sometimes when I start thinking that I have a corner on weirdness; the Lord brings someone into my life who shows me their patch of oddity and I feel alright again. God bless the nuts. Make this a "be kind to nuts day" and you may just be blessed...
In returning to my point(and I do have one...), I want to say that creativity flows out of sticking with this habit of breathing in an earthsuit. It flows out of every spiritual gift and ability given to us by our creator. Some of us just have a few extra quirks in the works planted(or impaled)in us that make creating/writing almost an RDA for finding fulfillment.
I hope I have made a few coherent points. I ask for your mercy and a generous dose of grace if you feel that I have not done so. Come back another time anyway and let's see if I can nail down a topic then. I think we will both have fun either way.
Have a cup o'joy
and a dose of peace...
Lynne
So Many Words...
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart,
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Psalm 51:15
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
I have been thinking about the words that have come out of my mouth lately. While there has been a great deal of prayer passing my lips;there has also been a few jolts of complaint. Something will startle me or disturb my peace; and then I erupt into spurts of volcanic activity. I am honestly sorry afterwards; but I confess that it feels good to just let my inner Krakatoa let loose. Thankfully these breaches of peace do not continue beyond short spurts, and those bursts of color pass and fade as I recall the mercies of the Lord. I am hoping that I lose my way on the way to the sea of forgetfulness; as I feel my hand reaching for the pole as I speak...
I have been so brash to suggest to God that He can let up for now because I must be half-way to becoming a diamond. As soon as I let those words pass my lips I feel a twinge of regret and a flood of repentance. What right have I to complain when my comfort zone has moved to where I am not? The patches of unrefined dross in my soul show themselves when these snippets of my inner conversation leak out. The Lord has said in Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun. That means that what I experience cannot be unique to me. I am banking on that as a source of comfort...
In long for the contents of my mind and the words that I speak to be acceptable in the Lord's sight. I can walk towards this goal by focusing on what is pure and lovely as much as I can. When those nettling thoughts sneak in through the back door and whisper their little nasties into my mind, I can pray for the light to shine on them and show them out of my inner room. I am instructed to take every thought captive; to look at what I am thinking about and evalutate it in the light of scripture. My success in doing just that at any given moment can make the difference between a handle on joy or taking a digger.
The longer I live the more firmly I believe that praise makes everything beautiful right where it lives. Each day I can choose to "sing with grace in my heart to the Lord(taken from Colossians 3:16)." My burdens are eased as I shift my gaze towards Jesus and away from the distressing issues. The benefits of praise don't stop there, either! The emotional atmosphere around me changes as I praise the Lord. Others are blessed with a patch of sunshine and replentish both their joy stash and mine. Praising God is good for us; and opens the door for God to do more than we could even hope for. In that spirit of praise, I will be more likely to please my creator in both thought and speech. Torment does not ultimately triumph when praise is present; as it wages warfare on that which is dark.
There is something glorious and beyond my understanding that happens when I praise the Lord. His presence floods my soul and shines His light on that which is dark within me. His Word comes alive in me in a fresh way as the Spirit whispers into my ear. My hope for transformation into who I was destined to be is renewed as I stay open to what His word says about the issues of life. It is indeed a glorious journey, in spite of the valleys.
Let the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart,
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Psalm 51:15
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
I have been thinking about the words that have come out of my mouth lately. While there has been a great deal of prayer passing my lips;there has also been a few jolts of complaint. Something will startle me or disturb my peace; and then I erupt into spurts of volcanic activity. I am honestly sorry afterwards; but I confess that it feels good to just let my inner Krakatoa let loose. Thankfully these breaches of peace do not continue beyond short spurts, and those bursts of color pass and fade as I recall the mercies of the Lord. I am hoping that I lose my way on the way to the sea of forgetfulness; as I feel my hand reaching for the pole as I speak...
I have been so brash to suggest to God that He can let up for now because I must be half-way to becoming a diamond. As soon as I let those words pass my lips I feel a twinge of regret and a flood of repentance. What right have I to complain when my comfort zone has moved to where I am not? The patches of unrefined dross in my soul show themselves when these snippets of my inner conversation leak out. The Lord has said in Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun. That means that what I experience cannot be unique to me. I am banking on that as a source of comfort...
In long for the contents of my mind and the words that I speak to be acceptable in the Lord's sight. I can walk towards this goal by focusing on what is pure and lovely as much as I can. When those nettling thoughts sneak in through the back door and whisper their little nasties into my mind, I can pray for the light to shine on them and show them out of my inner room. I am instructed to take every thought captive; to look at what I am thinking about and evalutate it in the light of scripture. My success in doing just that at any given moment can make the difference between a handle on joy or taking a digger.
The longer I live the more firmly I believe that praise makes everything beautiful right where it lives. Each day I can choose to "sing with grace in my heart to the Lord(taken from Colossians 3:16)." My burdens are eased as I shift my gaze towards Jesus and away from the distressing issues. The benefits of praise don't stop there, either! The emotional atmosphere around me changes as I praise the Lord. Others are blessed with a patch of sunshine and replentish both their joy stash and mine. Praising God is good for us; and opens the door for God to do more than we could even hope for. In that spirit of praise, I will be more likely to please my creator in both thought and speech. Torment does not ultimately triumph when praise is present; as it wages warfare on that which is dark.
There is something glorious and beyond my understanding that happens when I praise the Lord. His presence floods my soul and shines His light on that which is dark within me. His Word comes alive in me in a fresh way as the Spirit whispers into my ear. My hope for transformation into who I was destined to be is renewed as I stay open to what His word says about the issues of life. It is indeed a glorious journey, in spite of the valleys.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
The Echo of Singing
"The Lord your God is in your midst,
The Mighty One,will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."
-Zephaniah 3:17
Sometimes I think I can almost hear the echo of singing coming to me over the wind. The creation around me gives me the melody;and the Spirit provides the lyrics from the Word. The above verse in Zephaniah evokes such a sweet image in my mind:of Jesus lifting an ear to listen to His creation make symphonies. His whispers of encouragement,correction,and love quiet my mind as I look at the instruments of this orchestra. Leaves,birds,grasses blowing in the wind;they all sing together to bring the Lord into remembrance. I love to think of the Lord rejoicing over me with singing.
Releasing the gifts that He has given us is much like releasing a bird to soar after it has been in captivity. The sense of freedom that grows out of sharing a taste of just how good God is seems to me to be as a pianist pressing down on the keys of a grand piano;skillfully pressing and releasing the keys to produce the music whispered into the ear of the pianist. I can imagine the vision of bars,notes,and latin phrases enveloping us all as we follow the leading to make something to present back to Jesus.
There is an exquisite joy that emerges from us as we sing our songs back to God. The sacrifice of praise that God speaks of in Hebrews 13:15 pushes back discouragement and crestfallen brows to gaze upon the glory of God. I think God created us to praise Him in part because of the beauty it inspires. Our worship brings us into His presence;where beauty and creativity flourish as a continual spring.
The Mighty One,will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."
-Zephaniah 3:17
Sometimes I think I can almost hear the echo of singing coming to me over the wind. The creation around me gives me the melody;and the Spirit provides the lyrics from the Word. The above verse in Zephaniah evokes such a sweet image in my mind:of Jesus lifting an ear to listen to His creation make symphonies. His whispers of encouragement,correction,and love quiet my mind as I look at the instruments of this orchestra. Leaves,birds,grasses blowing in the wind;they all sing together to bring the Lord into remembrance. I love to think of the Lord rejoicing over me with singing.
Releasing the gifts that He has given us is much like releasing a bird to soar after it has been in captivity. The sense of freedom that grows out of sharing a taste of just how good God is seems to me to be as a pianist pressing down on the keys of a grand piano;skillfully pressing and releasing the keys to produce the music whispered into the ear of the pianist. I can imagine the vision of bars,notes,and latin phrases enveloping us all as we follow the leading to make something to present back to Jesus.
There is an exquisite joy that emerges from us as we sing our songs back to God. The sacrifice of praise that God speaks of in Hebrews 13:15 pushes back discouragement and crestfallen brows to gaze upon the glory of God. I think God created us to praise Him in part because of the beauty it inspires. Our worship brings us into His presence;where beauty and creativity flourish as a continual spring.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Evening's Song
This time of day seems to be an especially intimate time of day in terms of how close I feel to the Lord. Mornings have their unique joy;but evening has the added foreboding of night being imminent. Another day is closing out its' alotted time;forcing me to reflect upon what the day has brought. A bittersweet mixture of regrets,joys,victories,and new adventures greets me as I view the darkening skyline. In a way,I don't know whether I want to laugh,sing,cry,or just tune out.
I remember my grandmother's funeral about 12 years ago. The church was packed. I don't recall the words my uncle spoke on her behalf;but I do remember the hymn we sang.
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
just to take Him at His Word
just to rest upon His promise
just to know Thus saith the Lord
The atmosphere of the church was laden with that sweet ache of loss that is softened with the knowledge of the joy ahead for those who trust in Him. Images of my grandmother being in heaven on streets of gold danced through my mind. The memories that I had gathered over the years were precious.
I recall that evening after the funeral. The family had begun to scatter and had said their goodbyes. Our bonds had been strengthened,and our resolve to continue seeking the Lord had been given some extra backbone. The promise of glory was held up in remembrance and in expectation amid so many of the day's conversations. Lucy Watrous had gone home to be with Jesus, and we had gathered together to celebrate her life: it was a "home-going" celebration(the expression that my uncle used in the eulogy I hear...).
That evening was rich with emotion and a palpable yearning for heaven. The world would be different,but would retain the fragrance of her life. It was enough to bring that sweet ache to the doorstep of rejoicing.
I remember my grandmother's funeral about 12 years ago. The church was packed. I don't recall the words my uncle spoke on her behalf;but I do remember the hymn we sang.
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
just to take Him at His Word
just to rest upon His promise
just to know Thus saith the Lord
The atmosphere of the church was laden with that sweet ache of loss that is softened with the knowledge of the joy ahead for those who trust in Him. Images of my grandmother being in heaven on streets of gold danced through my mind. The memories that I had gathered over the years were precious.
I recall that evening after the funeral. The family had begun to scatter and had said their goodbyes. Our bonds had been strengthened,and our resolve to continue seeking the Lord had been given some extra backbone. The promise of glory was held up in remembrance and in expectation amid so many of the day's conversations. Lucy Watrous had gone home to be with Jesus, and we had gathered together to celebrate her life: it was a "home-going" celebration(the expression that my uncle used in the eulogy I hear...).
That evening was rich with emotion and a palpable yearning for heaven. The world would be different,but would retain the fragrance of her life. It was enough to bring that sweet ache to the doorstep of rejoicing.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Leaving Myself Behind...
I don't know about you,but I have a habit of leaving things behind wherever I go. I left my keys in the grocery store this afternoon. I misplaced my keys a few days before that. I couldn't find a paycheck in my purse for a few days because I took it out and forgot where I put it. I leave traces of myself behind me as if I were leaving a trail.
There are other ways to leave pieces of yourself that don't involve this type of embarassment. One way is to share the gift that is within you. There is usually more than one gift in question,too..."No man is an island"is now seen as a trite and overused expression. Still, it can be argued that each person who lives touches those around them. Each one of us has an impact for good or for ill on those in our primary and secondary social groups. When you see a friend or an aquaintance,how do you feel about them? What was the last conversation that you had with them? Have they ever challenged your viewpoints or prodded you to follow one of your dreams? It may be the case that they have been as a grains of sand in your bag of oysters. It may take a long time, but those grains of sand that irritate you may be producing pearls of great value within your spirit. Only God sees what the final outcome of our relationships with others will be. Scary,isn't it? In the least,it is thought-provoking...
Ultimately,I pray that I leave behind traces of what the Father has done in me as well as through me. I long for my children to say of me one day that they really knew me as a person and not just as their mother. It would be great if something I wrote paved the way for someone to come to Christ. I am looking forward to hearing from someone who has been drawn to the foot of the cross through the Spirit working through me. It is going to be beyond imagining when we get to heaven and see from the other side what God was doing in our circumstances of life. I want to leave behind the fragrance of Jesus and the memories of joy that I brought to their lives.
If the whole duty of man is to follow after and know God, then leaving ourselves behind will not be such a bad thing. The next generation will be blessed by our obedience to the leading of the Spirit. Here's to leaving ourselves behind the way we were destined to do so.
Have a cup o'joy...
Lynne
There are other ways to leave pieces of yourself that don't involve this type of embarassment. One way is to share the gift that is within you. There is usually more than one gift in question,too..."No man is an island"is now seen as a trite and overused expression. Still, it can be argued that each person who lives touches those around them. Each one of us has an impact for good or for ill on those in our primary and secondary social groups. When you see a friend or an aquaintance,how do you feel about them? What was the last conversation that you had with them? Have they ever challenged your viewpoints or prodded you to follow one of your dreams? It may be the case that they have been as a grains of sand in your bag of oysters. It may take a long time, but those grains of sand that irritate you may be producing pearls of great value within your spirit. Only God sees what the final outcome of our relationships with others will be. Scary,isn't it? In the least,it is thought-provoking...
Ultimately,I pray that I leave behind traces of what the Father has done in me as well as through me. I long for my children to say of me one day that they really knew me as a person and not just as their mother. It would be great if something I wrote paved the way for someone to come to Christ. I am looking forward to hearing from someone who has been drawn to the foot of the cross through the Spirit working through me. It is going to be beyond imagining when we get to heaven and see from the other side what God was doing in our circumstances of life. I want to leave behind the fragrance of Jesus and the memories of joy that I brought to their lives.
If the whole duty of man is to follow after and know God, then leaving ourselves behind will not be such a bad thing. The next generation will be blessed by our obedience to the leading of the Spirit. Here's to leaving ourselves behind the way we were destined to do so.
Have a cup o'joy...
Lynne
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