September 26, 2006

I liked this poem. I've lived its meaning.


Broken Rose
By Ashish Joy

Broken rose…rise up
Broken heart…sing forth
For you are but an offering rising

Though undone you are yet one
Treaded over…watched from afar
Though bloodied…Though torn
Remember Christ…Remember His love

I will watch you…and hold you deep within my heart
I will gather your broken shards…in admiration and respect
For your love is precious to me and yet
Though it seem I let you go…just know
I will hide my face…and turn my eyes
And wait patiently for your call

Until then…hold on dearly
For life will come at you more and more quickly
Your brokenness is but an offering
Poured out dreadfully for all to see

Yes…all do see…but they respect
Your willingness to be spent
In love and admiration they applaud
Your life and all you’ve ever lost

You’re a light…bright…strong…courageous
Such words speaks dimly of who you really are
You’re a hope…a star…a flame
And though all you say may one day be
Just know that I’ll be watching…and waiting
For the day you will reach out for me

September 21, 2006

A principle for life... for my life

The Northwest fall is here. As I look out my bedroom window, I can see the small drops of rain falling down... obedient to the will of the Father- gravity; and as I open my window to witness such event live, the wind swiftly blows down causing me to close my eyes and sense the smell of rain. The scented smell of wetted dirt, the fresh smell of drenched lavender- all obedient to the will of He who has submitted all things under His feet, and that yield to their Designer’s tenacity and creativity. The carefully orchestrated seasons come, and go; as summer leaves, the burgundy color of the once green leaves indicates that fall has arrived.

I see the leaves beginning to fall, and though to some, the withered trees appear as death; this only marks the beginning of something new. A type of death that symbolizes life. All things made new. I see our latest acquisition to the family running through the temporarily disabled strawberry leaves, as he cautiously digs around to hide the nuts I had set out for him to eat earlier this morning. This little new friend incites me to think about his innate nature, and again I come to the conclusion that, he's following only the orders that he had been set out to follow, as he worships his Creator by performing exactly what he was meant to do. All of nature, obedient to the Will of God.

I've come to accept His perfect will for my life. Though I don't know the “whys” of many situations, I have made it a principle in my life, to not ask, to not question, and to willfully submit to such perfect plans. I am choosing to stand firm, and accept His will even if I don't understand (necessarily) everything that has happened, is happening, or will happen. I end with E.B. Pusey's exhortation, and hope that it will sink into your heart as well as it has in mine:
This, then, is of faith, that everything, that very least, or what seems to us great, every change of the seasons, everything which touches us in mind, body, or estate, whether brought about through this outward senseless nature, or by the will of man, good or bad, is overfuled to each of us by the all-holy and all-loving will of God. Whatever befalls us, however it befalls us, we must recieve it as the will of God. If it befalls us through man's negligence or ill-will or anger, still is, in even the least circumstance, to us the will of God. For if the least thing could happen to us without God's permission, it would be something out of God's control. God's providence or His love would not be what they are. Almighty God Himself would not be the same God; not the God whom we believe, adore, and love.
(Taken from Mary Wilder Tileston's Daily Strength for Daily Needs)


Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.

Psalm 62:5

Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous hand.
Isaiah 41:10

September 12, 2006

Prayer Insights

by Steve Swihart

“Everything is possible for him who believes” (Mk. 9:23). One of the most positive words in the entire Bible is this one: POSSIBLE. Here is identified the atmosphere of successful prayer: believing firmly that everything in God’s will is POSSIBLE. And the secret of a POSSIBILITY ATMOSPHERE in prayer is discovered when we
come to embrace a POSSIBILITY ORIENTED GOD –– “with God all things are POSSIBLE” (Matt. 19:26). When an ALL-POSSIBLE faith locks arms with an ALL-POSSIBLE God, good things are certain to happen.

The great enemies of prayer are (1) forgetting that with God all things are POSSIBLE, and (2) forgetting that with faith in God all things are POSSIBLE. Resist these enemies every time they appear. Never accept a “No” from circumstances when God has given you a “Yes!”

September 04, 2006

"A man can destroy with
his character what he builds
with his gift."

-Ern Baxter