What Can I Say?

This poem was written in response to the question "if you found out you had a week left to live, what would you tell the world before you go?" Regardless of whether I have a week or a century left to live, the truths that I want to share with others of what it means to follow Christ are simple.

What Can I Say?

My days are numbered.

I see the bough bending,
I hear the snap that will come—

I wish I could toss
All that I’ve learned
Like a life preserver
To a drowning soul.

What can I say?
If I have a century,
Or a year,
Or a day,
Or a minute,

I would spend the rest of my life
Saying:

Let every step be seasoned with grace,
Every jump be made in faith,
Every touch guided
By love.

Beauty Is...

Often when we speak of beauty, we are referring to the physical appearence of something of someone. But really the most beautiful thing is the spiritual beauty of one who serves.

Beauty Is…

Beauty is the drops of water
Clinging to an open rose
After a storm.

Beauty is the rising sun
Chasing away the darkness
Of the night.

Beauty is your hands,
Turning everything they touch
Into blessings
As they serve
With love.

Today

I took some questions that I wrote up for self-examination and converted them to a poem. I hope they will inspire you to follow Christ more closely as much as they have inspired me...

Today

In what ways have I served today?
Has love been pouring from my fingers?
Has grace been sprinkled from my tongue?
Are souls now soaring from my sacrifice?

Has joy been radiating from
The smiles that dance across my face?
Have all complaints kept distant from
The bold advance of joy across my life?

Has peace consumed my fears today?
Has worry flown far from my soul?
Has every qualm been burned by faith,
So love alone commands my destiny?

Was patience crowned as queen today,
So every deed was governed by
The exhortations of forgiveness,
’Til selfish greed was banished from my life?

Did kindness lead the way today,
And goodness aid her in her choices?
Have hearts been touched by what I’ve said?
Is Christ displayed through friendships I have made?

Has meekness kept my pride at bay?
Have I been less so Christ is more?
Have I torn down the walls of self,
’Til I am blessed with airs of openness?

Has every step been made in faith?
Was Christ’s the voice I listened to?
When He had called me on the water
Was it my choice to follow even there?

Did I control desires today?
Did I spend time in what is best?
When all is measured at the end,
I pray I’ve climbed towards Christ today…

Carpe Diem

carpe diem: a latin phrase that means "seize the day"

Carpe Diem

They say to seize the day with folly,
To waste your life upon this moment,
That pleasures flee like frightened rabbits,
And time is rife with missed enticements;

But I say seize the day with wisdom,
With joy embracing every moment
As love decrees, each one a staircase
That builds with grace towards eternity.

Bloom to Last Forever

After having friendships die it can be hard to believe in “friends forever”. But in the hope of Christ's resurrection, if we are committed to each other, we can remain friends forever in spite of all the troubles that tend to seperate us.

Bloom to Last Forever

The flowers bloom and I am glad,
But doubts still linger in the shadows:
Will joy’s perfume stay here for good,
Or darkness fling her in the past?

I’ve seen the frost kill blooms I loved
And felt joy fading in the night,
’Til I was lost in loneliness,
My heart debating what was right—

But once a tomb was vacated,
To spell the doom of death itself;
This flower’s bloom can last forever,
If you have room within your heart…

Covering Scars

After being hurt by a friend in the past, it becomes a lot more difficult to open up to the next friend who comes along. These wounds can never truly be removed, but they can be covered by love. The more a friend is fathful, the easier it becomes to open up again.

Covering Scars

I see the scars that tell the tale
Of ancient gashes running deep
Into your heart—
They speak of how a friendship failed,
They speak of all the tears you weep
This very day.

I can’t remove the ugly scars,
I can’t dismiss the tears you cry
From deep within—
But I will reach you where you are;
The healing needed I’ll supply
Through the power of love.