Climbing Rainbows

Ocean

2012-01-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

“... because if grace is water, the Church should be an ocean” –Jefferson Bethke

Grace is the water which brought life
To the arid soil
Of my heart;
It is grace
That washes over the stains
Of my soul,
And brings me to the harbor
Of my Father’s arms.

I want the water to overflow the bounds
Of my heart,
To pour into the lives
Of those I love.
I offer my heart to you,
My friends,
But sometimes, as I stand here,
I feel more like an oasis
Than a part
Of the ocean
We were meant to be.

Where are the waves,
Oh Church?
Where are the rivers
Of mercy,
Unfathomable,
Unstoppable?
Where is a love
So deep
No wall could stand against it?

We should be the ocean.
The waves should swell
With grace,
Should roll
With grace,
Should roar
With grace.
May we drown the deserts,
Oh Church;
May we seal the craters we’ve created—
May we bring the life
They long for,
Filling, at last,
The hearts that thirst for love.

If My Heart Had Not Been Broken

2011-12-30T09:28:00.002-05:00

If my heart had not been broken
Would chains still bind my wrists?—
The perfect rules for a perfect life
The zealous heart enlists—

If I had not been pierced within
Could I have reached the sky?
Or would’ve the prison I once built
Kept me enclosed inside?

The bulwarks of my legalism
Have all been undermined
By the splinters of a shattered heart
Which love had left behind—

I’d rather not relive those months,
But, looking back, I know
The rainy days prepared the ground
For little seeds to grow.

Welcome to our World

2011-12-21T07:54:00.001-05:00

The inn was out of rooms,
And every single occupant
Was too selfish
To give up their room to a woman
About to give birth,
So you were born
In a stable—
Welcome to our world…

The people were too busy
To watch the stars,
So they ran from here to there,
Wrapped up in their calendars,
Unaware that God Himself
Has come to their little town—
Welcome to our world…

The king was jealous
Of a little boy,
So he killed thousands of beloved sons
To save his pride,
Leaving a wilderness
Of ungrace—
Welcome to our world…

But you have come
To change the tide;
God stooped down
To this broken world,
Becoming a man
Wrapped up in caring for others,
Bringing grace
To this wilderness:
Welcome to our world!

Broken Smile

2011-12-05T19:13:00.003-05:00

He received Mona Lisa
As a gift,
And never considered
That her smile
Was worth far more
Than he could even
Imagine.

He choose
To scar her beauty;
He used a knife to tear
The smile in two.
What drove his hand
I do not know;
Was it carelessness
Or stupidity,
Or did he break her smile
With selfish conceit
Just because he could?

Now she can’t be sold;
Even a thief
Would not touch her,
Because her broken smile
Hides the beauty
She once claimed.

But when a man sees past
The broken smile
And chooses to repair
The damage done,
He will find what was hidden
By the scars:
A treasure
Beyond measure.

Choreographer

2011-09-29T09:43:00.000-04:00

I watch the steps
Of the person next to me,
That I might have a clue
Of what I’m supposed to do,
But the steps they take
Do not align
With the signs
You show to me—

They twist when I pause,
They step when I spin,
And in the din
I wonder if I’m hearing right.

But as I follow where you show
I see that our individual moves
Weave a flow
Where beauty glows,
And I know that you’re the artist,
Guiding us where we should go—
As each of us
Has felt your touch,
We move in perfect time
To the song that you designed,
And every part that we each play
Is beautiful in its own way.

Roles

2011-09-13T06:17:00.003-04:00

The porcelain mold
Look gorgeous,
With a perfectly painted face
And a perfectly shaped shell
So perfectly designed
To hide
My weaknesses.

Standing in the perfect place
To attract the eyes of many—
All I have to do
Is slip inside,
To form my body to the shape
Of the perfect porcelain mold,
And I am guaranteed
The admiring looks
Of a broken world.

But inside the shell
I am not free
To dance
To the music
That stirs my heart;
I must stand
In rigid conformity,
Bound by the rules
Of a perfect life.

I choose instead
To cast off the image;
My weaknesses may look ugly,
But at least they’re real.
I would rather look the fool
Dancing free with Jesus
Than be the porcelain doll
Tightly bound
In a perfectly painted shell.

The Orchestra of Life

2011-08-02T09:44:00.001-04:00

Life is a grand performance,
Sounds blending
From souls here
And there;
The harmony of hearts
Who sing as they’re tuned.

Each instrument provides a voice
Unique and all its own,
A special splash of color
That shimmers in its place.

The strengths and weaknesses
Of every soul,
And the talents of each performer
Lend music to the show;
Each echo of the heart
Contributes to the choir:
Each one is a piece that adds to the puzzle;
Each one is a cherished jewel to prize.

The goals of education
Must not demand duplication;
We must not make each instrument
Sound similar, or sound the same,
But help each instrument
Make music,
Singing as sweetly as possible
How he or she was made.

Veils

2011-08-02T09:29:00.001-04:00

With a veil between us,
We could not see God
Nor could He speak to us
Like He longed to do,
And so He used His own blood
To rip it in two,
That we might approach Him
With boldness.

He died to give us the freedom
To talk to Him,
To walk into His presence
And bask in His love.

But we never felt comfortable
Talking to God,
And so we decided
To sew back the veil
Between us,
Once again setting up other men
As a wall to guard us.

His love continues to chase us,
Ripping veil after veil,
Breaking chain after chain,
But still we choose to spend our time
Sewing veils.

Cover

2011-07-06T10:53:00.002-04:00

You scorn the book whose cover is charred,
Disdaining every mark;
Not seeing that the streaks which spoil it
Are the markings made by scars!

You do not know the stories
A broken book may tell:
The days of pain she journeyed through,
Her little taste of hell—

Don’t judge the streaks you have not read
Until you know their cause,
Or you will trash the precious treasure
That hidden ’neath the flaws.

Da Da

2011-06-29T07:36:00.000-04:00

“Da da!” she exclaims,

As she embarks on an exploration

Of a new cupboard,

Or sets out to conquer

The pile of dirty dishes

With her Daddy.

“Da da!” she exclaims,

Sometimes, with a delighted smile

As she looks at me,

And sometimes not thinking of me

At all,

But merely expressing

An overflowing heart

Of joy.

Some fathers might have corrected her

To clarify the term,

To remind her that “Da da”

Means me,

The guy who loves her

Beyond what she can imagine.

But not I—

No, I merely smile,

Happy at the thought

That my name

Is synonymous

With inexpressible

Delight.

Captions

2011-05-27T09:37:00.003-04:00

We like to add our captions
To everything God says,
That we might speak for God Himself
And change Him as we please;

We use translations of His words
To put the sheep in chains,
So they must dance to our own tune
Within our favorite games.

But God’s infinity is larger
Than all the words we know—
And He will never play along
Or yield to our control.

He breaks the chains we’ve welded
And sets his people free
And takes our prideful hearts by hand
To learn humility.

Love Covers a Multitude of Sins

2011-05-20T09:18:00.001-04:00

In this broken universe
The fissures crack the windows
Through which we view each other,
And I, in my brokenness,
See you, in your brokenness;
The shards of glass
Give pain to each of us
Every day,
But somehow
We still dare to hold hands
In spite of the fog that blinds us.

Because of these cracks
You’ll never see my heart
The way you were meant to,
But I want you to know
(If you choose to believe it)
That deep inside this home
There is a love for you
So deep,
So rich
That it would trade the whole world
With all its riches
And glory
And pleasure unmeasured
Just to share life with you
Right here,
Even with
The broken shards of glass
That wound us each day.

Buyers

2011-05-10T09:36:00.003-04:00

We flock to the market by the thousands,
To see what’s being sold,
With vain attempts to feed our hunger
Or drown our thirst with gold.

From sham to sham we make our way,
To try each remedy,
But find no answers to our pain
For any given fee—

For love is not a commodity
That ever could be bought;
And those who leave the market find
’Tis freely given out.

Bubbles

2011-05-06T09:23:00.002-04:00

We build metropolises in bubbles
Where we invent the rules,
Pretending the sun revolves ’round us,
And wealth is won by fools.

The sky looks pretty, in our box,
It shimmers like a gem;
And we are happy in the safety
We find inside our dream—

But when the bubble finally pops
We’re bathed in harsh surprise—
The sun is shining, but he’s a foe
To unaccustomed eyes.

Bravery

2011-04-26T13:59:00.001-04:00

Our tales recount the bravery
Of heroes long ago,
The ones who stood against an army
And conquered every foe—

Their boldness fills our heart with courage,
And we desire their wages:
To have our deeds recorded, too,
To fill immortal pages—

But bravery is counted not
By deeds that give us fame,
But by the choice to give our blood
That someone else may gain;

And braver than the bravest heroes
Is he who gives his life
Without the chance of winning praise
For his noble sacrifice.

Bowdlerize

2011-04-24T20:15:00.003-04:00

Would you abridge the plan of God
To fit in your agenda?
Or whittle at the universe
Until you understand it?

We do not know the hidden blueprints
Describing how we blend,
But every piece must play its role
Within God’s perfect plan—

The souls that you’re condemning now
Will not be overlooked;
’Tis you who are the fool, as you
Try to rewrite the book.

Born Again

2011-04-19T11:49:00.003-04:00

I feel the pressure
To leave my comfort zone,
And I’m terrified.

Terrified,
Because darkness is all I’ve known,
Because this cage is warm
And I don’t know what is out
In the world beyond my cell.

But the time has come
And the pressure mounts;
I am forced to leave my home,
And dare the world.

The terrifying journey
Becomes more terrifying,
As I’m squeezed
And shoved,
And pushed down,
Down,
Through the ring of fire.

Then, with one final push,
I am cast into a whole new world.

Light bathes my face,
And for the first time
I breathe fresh air.

I hear a voice I recognize,
And look up;
I see two eyes filled with love,
I feel two arms that keep me safe,
And here with Daddy
I know I’m home.

A House for a Snowflake

2011-04-19T07:06:00.001-04:00

I knew someone who once
Built a home for a snowflake he loved;
He carefully modeled it to match his treasure,
Measuring every corner with precision,
And nailing every board by hand.

It was a perfect fit;
Every crystalline blossom flourished
And glistened with white beauty,
Like a bride with glowing cheeks,
With smiles radiating from her heart.

Satisfied with his results,
The builder had an idea.
He mass produced a blueprint
Of his perfect house,
Showing off his perfect snowflake,
And soon got rich.

But all of us who bought the blueprint,
Hoping for the guarantee that someday
Our snowflakes would glisten with the same beauty,
Found that shoving snowflakes
In a premade model
Breaks off the crystalline blossoms
Unique to each one.

Bookshelves

2011-04-05T10:53:00.000-04:00

I file ideas in bookshelves,
Each one is in its place;
My mind is like a library,
All perfectly arranged—

It’s all compartmentalized;
I find the facts I need,
Then when I’m finished, I return
Whatever I have read—

It seems so convenient
To catalog my brain,
But all these bookshelves split my mind
And make me feel insane—

I do not want my life to consist
Of jumping box to box,
Where careful watch is kept
Ensuring they aren’t mixed—

I want my thoughts to be connected,
So I can be myself—
I’ll weld each book into my soul
And burn the shelves.

Boggled

2011-04-01T11:31:00.001-04:00

We measure people by their skills
At having ducks aligned,
To have an answer well prepared
For any question designed;

We try to make a mold for God,
That he may be explained,
But sadly, he keeps bursting boxes
And will not play the game!

To follow all his different colors
Would be like counting stars;
We’re boggled by the multitude
And cannot reach the mark—

We cannot fit God in our rows,
And fail to read his mind,
But thankfully, ’tis he who’s God—
He has it all aligned!

Blemishes

2011-03-27T20:35:00.003-04:00

The blemishes you wear have hidden
The beauty you possess,
Like peeling paint which mars a house—
Your gifts concealed by the mess—

The blemishes have chipped your heart,
You fear the shame they bring;
They seem to you to loudly broadcast
Your weaknesses as king—

But if you open up your heart
I’ll strip them all away,
And one by one reveal your talents
To shine upon your face.

Asphyxiated

2011-03-23T11:53:00.001-04:00

You take oxygen for granted.

I’ve seen you running the rat race of your life;

You consume oxygen like you blink your eyes

Or shift your weight,

Partaking of God’s gifts

Without the slightest notion of gratitude.

Your chest rises and falls to the beat of a song

You have never listened for,

Dancing to a tune you have never searched for.

You have never questioned

When you will taste the life-giving stream again.

You do not know what it is like

To feel your lungs burning,

To feel fire coursing through your body,

And to wonder if you will live to take another breath;

You cannot even imagine what it is like

To see the air above you—

Yet know it is so far out of reach—

And to long for it with a passion

Beyond what words can describe.

The sharpest pangs of hunger don’t cut as deep

As starving lungs’ thirst for oxygen.

I am a whale.

When I consume oxygen,

I feast on it and celebrate,

For I know the blessings of every breath.

I know

What it is like to exist without oxygen.

I know.

I know

What it is like to take one last ecstatic breath,

And then to dive into the depths of the sea.

I know

What it is like to leave the oxygen behind me,

Not knowing if I will ever taste the air again.

I know.

Many of my missions take me

One thousand three hundred feet

Below air

(Yes, I’ve counted).

This is deeper than you can comprehend.

Light from the sun can barely reach here,

In the “twilight zone”,

Making this an eerie world

Full of darkness,

Unspoken fears,

And not a breath of fresh air.

And I go even deeper.

At times I have gone

Ten thousand feet below oxygen.

This depth is the midnight zone,

Where there is no light at all,

Only blackness so dark

I can’t see anything.

I can’t even see

The enemy that I tangle with—

Here I fight with squid fifty feet long,

Squid so huge

You would consider them sea monsters.

Here I fight the darkness.

I know

What it is like to have no light

And no air.

I know

What it is like to be here

In the land of midnight,

And despair.

I know.

I know

What it is like to feel my lungs burning.

Ninety minutes without oxygen.

You think ninety minutes of exercise

Is more than you can handle;

I spend ninety minutes fighting to the death

In the darkness,

Without the slightest breath

Of life’s richest elixir.

I know.

I know

What it is like to climb ten thousand feet

For a breath of oxygen.

Every single foot

Is a fight of torture.

I know

What it is like to finally

Get my first glimpse of light and hope,

But despair at the distance

That still lies before me.

I know.

I know

What it is like to finally reach the fresh air.
I know

What it feels like to burst

Into a celebration of relief.

I know

What it is like feast on oxygen,

The best buffet God has ever set before man.

I know.

I know

What it is like to hunger for oxygen,

But I have tasted, and lived.

There are those who never reach the surface,

Who die trying.

I have seen them, and I know.

I have seen orphans who crave love.

I have seen the raped young woman,

Terrified at the cage she is trapped in.

I have seen the young man whose life

Is broken in the darkness.

I have seen all these

And more,

Crying out for love,

Crying out for oxygen.

I know.

And I weep.

Berserk

2011-03-23T10:34:00.003-04:00

Your zeal for spreading truth is noble,
But passion unconstrained goes berserk,
And once the smoke is cleared away
You’ll be appalled by all your work:

The shredded hearts are scattered ’round,
Destroyed through you noble quest of pride,
But there are better ways to live
Than leaving millions here to die!

If you pursue a wiser cause
And love itself will fuel your zeal,
Your bloody sword will become a scalpel
With capability to heal.

Bellicose

2011-03-17T08:01:00.000-04:00

You puff your chest our like a rooster
To make yourself look big,
And raise your crest to signal war,
Just like a pirate’s flag—

You burn the hearts of those around you
And rape the countryside,
But all your prideful skirmishing
Is just a way to hide!

Is arrogance a mask to cover
Your insecurity?
Is it your weaknesses you guard
In vaults within your keep?

But if you tossed your sword away
And gave up your disguise,
I think you might find love at hand
And healing as a prize.

Smile

2011-03-09T09:16:00.003-05:00

In a room that’s filled with darkness
It just takes a bit of light
To make a difference in the room,
Enabling our sight—

In a world that’s full of hatred
It just takes a bit of love
To make a difference in the world,
A broken heart to save—

A little candle can change the world
Or lift a heart a mile—
So let your candle sparkle,
By offering a smile.

A Daughter's Heart

2011-02-08T10:06:00.002-05:00

This poem as written as a plea to parents who withhold unconditional love from their daughters. May they see how deeply they scar their daughters' hearts.

A Daughter's Heart

Don’t you know that she was entrusted to you
As the masterpiece of all creation,
A pearl more valuable than all the riches of the world,
A pearl so precious
He paid His own blood
To purchase?

Don’t you know that as a little girl
It was your love that brought her joy?
She danced in sunny fields
Confident
That your smiles would warm each day.

Don’t you know that as she blossomed
In a gorgeous rose of womanhood,
She treasured every compliment you offered
With an overflowing heart?
She spread her wings
With an eager smile,
Believing you were there
With open arms,
Each step she took.

Don’t you know that every critical word you’ve spoken
Have broken her spirit,
Clipping her wings and grounding her
In heartache?
Every ounce of condemnation
Shrouded the jewel of her heart;
No longer does she sparkle
In the radiance of your acceptance.

Don’t you know that more than anything else
She longs to be a little child
Who can crawl into your lap,
Feel your arms around her,
And know that you’ll love her
No matter what tomorrow holds?

Don’t you know that the gift of your love,
Unconditional, unrestrained,
No matter what she does,
Or where she goes,
Would warm her heart
Beyond anything else?
Don’t you know that it
Means so much to her
That she would shed her very blood
Just for a single smile
Of love, untouched
By those little stings
That carry her heart
To the grave?

Behemoth

2011-01-20T21:35:00.003-05:00

The nightmares of my imagination
Take form as giant beasts,
With bones like iron, limbs like trees,
And mouths complete with teeth.

Will they destroy the realms of beauty
And smash my sanity?
Will they wreak havoc in my soul
And cause my heart to flee?

No, they will graze in harmony,
As gentle sauropods;
The things I thought would ruin me
Display the love of God.

Confined

2011-01-18T09:02:00.001-05:00

I could tell the kids felt trapped
In the confinement of their shame,
Their disabilities form
Concrete walls,
With barbed wire
Twisted cruelly at the top.

They called the school a prison,
But the room denied the claim,
Decorated with the posters and pictures
Made by hands gripped tight with anger
Or fear.

No, I can see it in their hearts;
It’s not the school that is a prison,
But the chains of their own weaknesses,
And the wounds of a broken heart.

The world has cast them off as failures;
No longer are they viewed as humans,
But the refuse of society.
They could not fit into the scheme;
Their brokenness denied the pattern
And so they were tossed off the assembly line,
The defective outcasts
Of the perfect machine.

Now what do they have left?
A profuse knowledge of obscenity?
An anger which acts like acid,
Eating at everyone around?
The fears of a hopeless heart
Trapped inside a prison?

But still the room denies the claim,
Decorated with the posters and pictures
Made by hearts that long for love,
Creative hearts that sparkle faintly
Like gems
Which wait inside the rock.

The Shire

2010-11-13T13:05:00.001-05:00

The dreams of Heaven we have formed
I doubt I would feel cozy in;
With stately mansions and pristine paths,
The glories of Lothlorien—

A haven for the weary,
The trees present a golden dome
Which keep us safe inside a bubble,
But isn’t what I could call home.

Lothlorien is beautiful
With all the magic in the air,
But Heaven couldn’t be like it;
’Cause it would not feel homey there…

No, Heaven must be like the Shire,
And filled with rolling hills of green;
Where beauty fills your heart with love
And souls are happily whistling—

Lothloriens are nice as havens
When balrogs in this life attack;
But when the adventure’s finally over
I’ll enter heaven with a song
And give my girl a smile, and a hug.
Then I will whisper,
“Well—
I’m back.”

Warmth

2010-11-06T10:08:00.000-04:00

I began this poem in my imagination as I held my sleeping daughter in my arms. She is growing up too fast...

Warmth

Why do I try to hold the threads

Of ethereal delights?
I try to weave a quilt of memories
To treasure in the night,
But it is like attempting to
Entwine the rays of light…

But if I cannot weave a quilt
To warm a heart grown cold,
I still can bask in rays of love,
Which tinge my heart with gold!
I’ll cherish every moment
Instead of grabbing hold…

The sunshine that I cherish now
Is not forever mine,
But love that saturates my heart
Will stand the test of time;
Wherever God may take you,
My love is by your side.

Do you really know that tree?

2010-10-24T15:49:00.003-04:00

Do you really know that tree?

You have seen a trunk
And thought you knew him.
You saw his steadfast loyalty
And the promise that would never change,
And maybe even touched his bark
When you played hide-and-seek
When you were a little boy,
Or cursed when you cut your finger
Running by
In the “tag” game of your social life.

What if you dared to look up?
What if you saw the flaming hues
Of a million sacrifices,
On fire, ever so quietly,
Burning from a love for you?
What if you chased a drifting leaf,
Running and laughing like a child?
What if you lifted your arms
With eyes that brim with wonder,
And let it float into your hands?

Opened

2010-09-25T08:58:00.001-04:00

Erecting walls makes far more sense,
So flowers don’t get trampled;
But if I dam the sunlight out,
How will the crumbs be ample?

’Tis safe to cage the eagle in,
And safe to harbor the ships,
But eagles die with a broken heart
Whenever their wings are clipped.

And so, I’ll open up my garden
And let the sunlight flood my soul,
Then maybe, even when I’m pierced,
The sky will fill the holes.

Calculations

2010-07-30T09:40:00.000-04:00

I’m the guy who measures every step,
Using mental calculations
And weighing risks and balances
With my careful estimations.

I would never move an inch
’Til concerns were safely weighed;
Then I’d move with strict preciseness
By the calculations gauged.

Now I’m leaping, half insane,
On the paths where God has lead,
What is this? – This isn’t me—
I should tread with care, instead!

But my calculations missed
The safety of God’s loving hands,
I can leap wherever He beckons—
I’ll be safe in His perfect plans.

Jellyfish

2010-06-27T08:25:00.000-04:00

A life without a purpose
Is like a floating jellyfish,
With tentacles that dangle, waiting
For fairies to fulfill each wish—

A buoyant soul upon the sea
Who drifts wherever the water flows
May live a life of lazy ease,
But where he ends up, no one knows.

Family Ties

2010-06-24T08:18:00.001-04:00

Love weaves us all together,
With pulsing threads between, like nerves
Which flash with pain or pleasure
As each within your heart occurs—

And now the bond of love is formed,
There’s nothing that can break the thread!
My heart will pulse as one with yours
Through everything that lies ahead—

The nerves may flash with fiery sparks
If you should choose a life of pain,
The charring flames of sin will scar
But still the living threads remain,

And you can run away, or hide,
And raze the tunnels you’ve gone through,
Or you can taste of hell itself,
Through everything – I’m here for you.

Barricade

2010-06-22T08:42:00.001-04:00

When the floods of darkness ooze through cracks,
When the dike has sprung a leak,
When evil, like a black cascade,
Comes tumbling o’er the mountain peaks,
Use your thumb to plug the hole
To hold to the barricade—
To be the barricade.

When the dike has failed, and all is lost,
There’s hope, as you have breath—
If you will stand against the parade
Your love can conquer even death!
Use your love to dam the flow
To be a barricade,
To build a barricade.

When darkness swirls about your legs
And threatens to consume,
Let the compass guide you as you wade,
With courage you can face your doom!
Use your faith to change the tide
To be a barricade,
To form a barricade.

Your sacrifices make a dam,
The sandbags which will stop the flow—
Over darkness love will have his way,
He forces back his every foe!
Make the choice to win the day,
To be the barricade,
To live a barricade!

Abnegation

2010-06-10T07:46:00.000-04:00

Do people wither, parched and broken,
Who abnegate their passions?
Do people find their nourishment
Through acts that sate their own desires?

Or do they blossom when they choose
To abnegate their passions,
Their acts of giving an oasis
Which will create a better world?

The withered stalks of dying dreams
Are compost, nurturing the soul,
The temporary death required
To build a future full of life—

And so I choose to give my passions,
A sacrifice upon the altar,
And let the ash bear fruit of love,
The greatest prize that life can offer!

Color White or Color Black

2010-06-08T08:32:00.000-04:00

Graphite scribbles mar the pages
And blur the stories of the soul;
Every blotch a mark of sin,
The smears of worries dark as coal—

Each of us makes choices daily,
Our legacy upon the plaque—
Written on the souls around us,
We color white or color black.

Holding a pencil and eraser,
You have to choose what you will do:
Darken life with selfish choices
Or erase them – it’s up to you.

Connect-the-Dots

2010-06-03T10:33:00.000-04:00

I gaze into the starry sky
And play connect-the-dots;
Within the pictures that are formed
Unfolds a regal plot!
From dot to dot a message forms,
Proclaimed to all mankind:
That we are loved beyond our dreams,
By Him who made the sky!

Azure

2010-05-27T10:45:00.001-04:00

Daddy, may I take a spoon
And dip it in your sky?
I want to know the taste of blue,
And I think your supply
Could surely not run dry!

Daddy, may I sprinkle it
In all the rooms I play?
I want cerulean fantasies
To flavor every day
And take my breath away!

Daddy, may I take a brush
To color days gone bad?
In stormy days, beneath the covers,
Are sapphires to be had?
And could they make me glad?

Daddy, may I take a swim
In the bluest of your seas?
I want to feel your loving touch
And taste infinity—
Oh, Daddy, may I, please?

Auto-da-fé

2010-05-26T10:07:00.000-04:00

You seat yourself upon the throne,
Your own autocracy,
And damn your brothers, as if you
Are holding Hades’ keys!

The merest hint of heresy
And he is sent to trial;
You torment ’til he grovels
And judge him with a smile;

If he does not submit to you,
The king in you awakes—
You shame him with the laws you wrote
Then burn him at the stake!

Oh listen, king, before too late,
To innocent appeals,
For you usurp the throne of Christ,
And stand where you should kneel—

You judge as if for God—but look!—
He died for those you kill!—
I fear, if you don’t abdicate
You’ll taste the flames of hell!

For Viviana

2010-05-24T12:17:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday I became a father to a beautiful little daughter. This one was written for her...

For Viviana

Like violets growing unobserved,
A love for you grows out of sight—
Until it bursts in brilliant bloom
When the time is due,
When all is right.

The amethysts once smuggled in
Now conquer me with shameless ease—
Unveiled, my heart is swept away;
This is meant to be,
This masterpiece.

Just days ago, I did not know you,
Now you’re a queen who I adore—
You wear your purple like a princess;
I clearly see
I’ll love you, Vivi,
Forevermore…

Ripple Effect

2010-05-12T09:55:00.001-04:00

A soul dips out of sight
Like a pebble in the lake,
But we still see the ripples
Who waltz within the wake;

The ripples laugh, and run,
And skip from heart to heart;
The love she left behind
Now echoes very far!

Burning Strength

2010-05-12T09:23:00.000-04:00

What is strength that burns for self,
Squandered on the worst desires?
’Tis but toxic fumes that kill,
Burning like a house on fire—

House to house, it wreaks its havoc,
Maiming all conflicting lives,
Growing like a monster’s hunger,
No one in its path survives…

What is strength that burns for love,
Given to the best of dreams?
’Tis a sun that shines on others,
Sharing mercy’s brightest beams—

House to house, it spreads its beauty
Warming all connected lives,
Reaching like a gentle hand,
Everyone it touches thrives…

Heaven's Physics

2010-05-11T14:19:00.001-04:00

It takes a mathematician
Who knows infinity
To peek into the outer rings
And guess at what will be;

And there are theologians
Who theorize the end,
But mysteries are plentiful
Which they can’t comprehend—

A scientist can calculate
Dimensions mind can’t grasp,
But Heaven’s rules of physics
Is something he can’t clasp!

It takes a child to understand
The truths the best don’t have:
That everything in Heaven is
Revolving around love.

Brick by Brick

2010-05-10T11:41:00.001-04:00

I don't have any answers to the divisions in the Church. All I have to offer is my love...

Brick by Brick

I cannot build the bonds—
A brick can’t build a house—
I cannot bridge the canyons
A million miles across!

I offer all I have,
My love, and all of me,
And brick by brick by brick
We’ll build a family.

Flickering

2010-05-07T10:57:00.001-04:00

A lonely heart is like a torch
That glimmers in the night,
Peering through the turbid fog
For another flame that bears her light;

But what that heart can’t see
Is that his luminosity,
Despite his flickering with doubt,
Has carried hope to downcast eyes.

Haggling

2010-05-06T09:17:00.001-04:00

I barter prices like a merchant,
As if my haggling will bring them down;
But he, the vendor, smiles just so,
And shakes his head without a sound.

I see now - love is like a pearl
I give my life to buy;
And then it lives within my heart
Beyond the reach of miser’s eyes—

But why pay for such a treasure
Which I will never hold?
Ah! – “This pearl will light your heart,” says he –
Instead of wearing chains of gold!

To sacrifice myself for love
Will free my heart to fly;
It hurts to satisfy the cost
But ’tis a prize which I must buy!

Boxed In

2010-05-04T13:57:00.000-04:00

A short little poem about not putting God in a box...

Boxed In

To fold up angels
And put them in a box
Would be like capturing the sun
To put it under lock!

The legal titles
We place upon our will
Do not go far in taming God
When He is on the bill—

Judicial edicts
Don’t reach the heart—
Why don’t we play upon the grass
And leave the court?

Bending

2010-05-04T10:24:00.001-04:00

I wrote this poem as an imagery-rich picture of how deep God's love is - so deep the human heart can hardly contain it!

Bending

What if I should take a star
And place it in my pocket?
Or if I should steal the sun
And plug it in a socket?

Was the heart designed to bend
That love could fit its boundaries?
Was the soul made tough enough
To be the site of foundries?

Hearts respond in colored echoes
To words our Father’s spoken—
In the burning of its beauty,
I bend, but I’m not broken!

Unspoken

2010-04-22T09:47:00.001-04:00

What kept your mouth from opening?
The treasures of infinity
Were yours to share with those around you;
You could have laid the blueprint out
To smash the accusations
And dam the daggers from their mouths…

Was your heart scarred worse than your back?
They called you names to paint you black,
And yet you would not draw your sword
And did not even speak a word
But took their daggers like a king
Who need not prove the throne is his…

It hurts the way they taunt you,
It hurts to not defend yourself,
It hurts to let the lies be spoken
And not let truth commend yourself,

But I will take this heavy cross
And let my pride be counted lost…

Aromatic

2010-04-16T09:12:00.001-04:00

The scents of heaven tantalize—
The aromatic fragrance of love
As hearts touch hearts and souls are bound,
And peace is queen of all affairs;

But here I stand with dirty hands,
And try to wipe the stench off me—
The stench of walking through the streets
Where hearts are broken, no one cares;

I add more to the malodor
As I crush others with my pride,
Each smell adds horror to each other
And fills the senses with despair—

But if I follow sweeter smells
And chase aromas to their source,
The perfume overwhelms my heart
And love extracts the stench I wear!

The scents of heaven stain my life,
A heart that has been touched by God,
And in the streets I bring the fragrance
The love of God to share…

The Tastes of Heaven

2010-04-14T10:59:00.000-04:00

After Emily Dickinson

“’Tis beggars banquets best define”—
But I have prayed for riches;
“’Tis thirsting vitalizes wine”—
But I have washed myself in scum;
If tastes that heaven has prepared
Are savored ’Cause of trials we bear,
Then why do I beg for release?

“’Tis beggars banquets best define”—
May I take joy in poverty!
“’Tis thirsting vitalizes wine”—
So let me wait for feasts to dine;
I shall embrace the dancing flames
So deeper life is mine to claim,
And in the pain I’m finding peace…

The Wind

2010-03-16T13:23:00.000-04:00

Like Mercury, a messenger
With wings upon his heels,
A herald to announce the storm
With flashing blades of steel;

The wind, who brings bad tidings,
Should not be met with joy,
And yet, I meet him like a kite,
I take the strength to fly;

I know the lightning will attack
And surge my life with pain,
I know the clouds will wrap the sun
And flood my heart with pain;

I choose to greet the wind with smiles,
I will not bend in fear,
’Cause I can’t shake this wild conviction
That God is with me here…

Arable

2010-03-04T11:55:00.001-05:00

I sift the dust through hungry fingers,
The stalks of dreams lie about like rags;
My parched throat cries to a cloudless sky,
But I hear nothing in reply…

Woe is me! I’ve built my life
Upon the dust of empty hopes;
I’ve planted crops in rocky soil
And I’ve gained nothing by my toil…

My soul is bankrupt—all is lost—
’Cause I can’t turn this dust to bread;
Nothing turned out as I planned,
I cannot pay my debts with sand…

But if I give this land to you
Can you transform my dusty soil?
Can you make crops grow out of pain,
And make the cloudless skies to rain?

Can love make barren ground produce?
Can grace now make me arable?
Can you, my God, turn dust to bread
And can you even raise the dead?

Anesthetic

2010-02-04T11:26:00.000-05:00

Pain.
And then the fight to numb it:

The blind search for an anesthetic
To kill the pain without killing you—

Pain.
The hurting soul uses pain
To numb the pain,
Which causes more pain,
An endless spiral
Of pain
To pain,
Looking for answers,
Longing for the numbness
Of death.

From pain
To sex
To drugs
To violence
To hell,
It’s all an endless spiral
Of darkness,
No anesthetic anywhere…

But maybe
The only anesthetic
Is love.

If pain
Meets love
If it’s hounded by love,
Surrounded by love,
Drowned in love,
Then pain will die
A sweetest death—
Not numbness,
But healing…

Then the task is ours
To stop the spiral
And meet pain
And sex
And drugs
And violence
And hell
With love.

Amulets

2010-01-27T13:28:00.001-05:00

We wear good works like they are charms
To ward away the wrath of God;
And act like if we give enough
Our bribes will pay for opulence…

Since God made man, we’ve sacrificed
And tried to earn a life of ease;
But amulets can’t win God’s favor
Or quench the burning of His love.

So I will fling away the charms
And live by grace among the pain;
Through every trial God’s teaching us—
We’re in this place to be refined!

The amulets can’t win God’s favor,
He gave the gift of endless love,
So I will let it burn the dross
And let Him sift through all I am—

And when the flames have done their work
I see the pain has brought me home…

Allegro

2010-01-19T07:25:00.000-05:00

Picture a fast-paced, happy song that makes you want to dance with joy... :-)

Allegro

Sunlight hops across a rippling stream
Like fingers dance on ivory;
Each droplet sparkling like a jewel,
Each note goes prancing as it sings…

A small girl skipping through a field,
The cutest dress I’ve ever seen—
I hear birds singing, sweet with joy,
When I am blessed with her bouquet!

Frisky sunlight flits through meadows,
And I am sprinting to the tune!
The butterflies are frolicking
And each one’s hinting of its bliss:

The song that dances in my heart
Is the dulcet melody of love—
The ecstasy that waltzes ’round
Is here to tell me I am loved!

AI (Artificial Intelligence)

2010-01-15T11:59:00.001-05:00

We’ve built ourselves a world of our own,
Where people move of their own will;
With some intelligence we’ve crafted
They live and die and fight and kill…

It’s artificial, all invented
Within the confines of their stage;
And we all know it’s make-believe
Through every war the puppets wage…

Today, we’ve built another world,
Where people think that they are god,
With some intelligence we’ve crafted
We have evolved against the odds;

We think that wisdom comes to life
When God is filtered from this age,
And we can live like programmed puppets
Flung here and there around the stage—

It’s artificial, all invented
Within the confines of our minds;
But it is all just make-believe,
A game whose point we hope to find…

Agoraphobia

2010-01-14T10:06:00.000-05:00

A poem written about the religious rules that we set up for ourselves...

Agoraphobia

We humans love our boxes;
We need to feel the cardboard walls
To trick ourselves in thinking we are safe
And in the shelter we won’t fall…

We crave a set of strict constraints
Which tell us where we cannot go,
And how exactly we must serve
To swim the way the waters flow…

But God has blown apart our boxes,
That we might learn to dance and run
Among the breezes He created,
Beneath a glorious summer sun!

And yet, in spite of all our freedom,
And all the beauty of God’s plans,
We let ourselves be ruled by fears,
Deciding to heed their every command…

So we then build ourselves a new box,
That we might feel ourselves secure
Inside our flimsy walls of cardboard
And all the rules that we’ve procured.

Adequate

2010-01-05T07:21:00.001-05:00

I wrote this poem while praying for a friend with a broken love story, but I think it can reach to the heart of anyone dealing with feeling inadequate...

Adequate

In marble halls where moonlight danced
We once wrote ballads full of love,
Composing poems made of stardust
To melodies our hearts would sing;

But now the poems are fading away,
For I was inadequate
To give you all the words you wanted…

In verdant hills where sunshine rippled
We once built cabins made of dreams,
Each room a story of its own
And each one furnished full of romance;

But now the cabins are eroding,
For I was inadequate
To bring to life the dreams we had…

A little hell, a heart on fire,
Now fears and doubts assail my soul;
You are not here to ward them off,
You broke the trust I kept in you…

I’m living in a world of pain
’Cause I was inadequate
To be the princess you required…

But in the postscript of a broken love story
I do not read a tale of failures;
Could there be hope for broken hearts,
An ending like a fairy tale?

I see the dawning of the sun,
’Cause I am adequate
For bottomless love that never ends,
For boundless grace to heal my scars,
For sweet compassion never failing;
And I am adequate
For my perfect place in the plans
That my Father crafted just for me…

Abolition

2009-12-03T14:05:00.002-05:00

A poem looking forward to the greatest abolition the world will ever know...

Abolition

The proclamation was made years ago,
But now the day is finally here
For all the slaves to be redeemed
Now that the way is fully cleared…

The tyrant, Death, will be enslaved
And banished from the universe…
Then all his captives are set free
Since Christ’s abolished sin’s curse.

Now we partake in the greatest party
That history has ever known;
The chains of death are smashed forever,
And God has claimed us as His own!

Sky

2009-10-27T09:50:00.000-04:00

I soar through trails that were blazed by wind,
A walk by faith through paths of blue;
I traded grass for brilliant sky,
I’m wearing wings instead of shoes.
I see below the world of green
And all the battles I once knew…

I am an eagle, living life
Within the open, endless sky;
Vivaciousness will be my strength,
And faith will be my present guide—
For this is life, which I embrace,
And it’s my Dad to whom I fly…

I soar with ease on thermal columns,
As grace lifts me to richer heights;
I stretch my wings and breathe in deep
And drink the love which holds me tight!
I see so much God’s done for me
As I gaze down at all the sights…

I am an eagle, living life
Within the open, endless sky;
And when the past has called my name,
I will not listen! No, not I!
’Cause I find life in being a child
Who’s resting in Dad’s lullaby…

I soar in freedom given me,
Exploring each day love anew;
With wings of faith I climb toward God
And fly with joy in paths of blue.

New blog

2009-04-23T08:09:00.002-04:00

Brianna and I started a new blog at http://fountainlove.blogspot.com

I'll still post poetry on this blog when I get the chance...

Tension

2009-03-27T11:20:00.000-04:00

“God uses tension to make music”

The trials in life have pulled you tight,
You feel like you are going to break;
You fear you’ll trip and never rise,
Or hope will sleep and never wake…

But in the tension, love arrives,
And plucks the strings that hold you tight;
The melodies will lift your heart
To higher realms of love’s delight…

Roméo’s Song

2009-03-24T09:54:00.001-04:00

I tossed my sanity aside
To duel with time and race the days—
I wrestled with a hundred nations
To keep a civil war at bay…

Time is running out,
Does anybody care?

To keep the peace I built an army,
But apathy held me like chains;
Who cares for small Rwanda,
Who held no wealth in her domain?

Time is running out,
Does anybody care?

I fought for peace within the storm
While hatred brewed behind the masks;
I cried for peace and looked for answers
But no one gave me what I asked…

Time is running out,
Does anybody care?

And when perfect time had come
The murderers revealed their scheme:
The Tutsis fell beneath their blades
Their blood becoming crimson streams…

Time is running out,
Does anybody care?

I needed help to save the others,
I cried to all the world for aid,
But no one cared enough to help,
Their charity a big charade…

Time is running out,
Does anybody care?

No one could gain from saving lives,
So no one stopped the genocide,
And when the storm had cleared its course
Eight hundred thousand Tutsis died…

Time had run its course,
And no one seemed to care…

Roméo Dallaire was the force commander of UNAMIR (The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda). He was directly involved in saving the lives of about 20,000 Tutsis and Hutus through the Rwanda genocide, but was unable to get the U.N. to send more troops into Rwanda to stop the genocide until 3 months after the genocide began.

Sacrificial Love

2008-11-14T12:03:00.003-05:00

I'm going to post a more personal poem that I wrote for my girl. I'm sharing it because I want to encourage everyone, married, single, or committed, that true love is expressed by sacrifice, giving of yourself for someone else...

The rugged silhouette stands black
Against a sky becoming dark;
A broken man on an ugly cross—
Where all the eye can see is hate…

But if your heart looks at the scene
Perhaps you’ll see there’s something more—
It was for love this man has died
To set men free with love and grace…

Beloved, though the sky is dark
And it is pain that rules this day—
It is my love that pays the price
So I abstain from my desires…

Because I love you, I will give
The sacrifice I make with love;
I’ll give whatever’s best for you,
And pay the price that love requires…

I’ll lay my life down at your feet,
With love so deep it gives it all—
And then, dear, when the sun returns
I know we’ll reap love’s fruit of joy…

Pages

2008-06-06T10:02:00.003-04:00

It's been too long since I've posted here - I've been too busy to spend much time writing! :-) God has been very good, and has blessed me far beyond my dreams...

This is a poem I wrote in May, about leaving behind a legacy of love and grace instead of one of bitterness and pain...

Pages

Each time a page in life is turned
We leave the ink of yesterday,
A legacy of broken hearts
Or love we’ve shared in any way;

The book we write with every moment
Is penned by everything we do,
Ambition will not make the mark
But every way that I’ve served you…

I pray that grace will guide my steps
And kindness colors every mark;
I long to leave a legacy
Of love that’s written in your heart…

The Abyss

2008-04-21T10:46:00.002-04:00

For the children in Liberia, lost because of the sins of many generations... All they need is love, true love - the sacrificial love of Christ...

The Abyss

The scars of sin have cast you into darkness,
The great abyss compassion cannot pierce,
There’s no way in but by a power greater,
The sacred kiss of sacrificial love…

The world declares there is no hope for you,
That all is lost where your soul is concerned:
They say that prayer can’t break the walls apart—
The power of the cross is sacrificial love…

The great abyss is breached through love and grace,
The power of hell can’t hold back its advance…
You will find bliss beyond the sin that traps you
Once you have dwelt in sacrificial love…

Father

2008-04-18T07:44:00.002-04:00

God relates to us as a Father, in the most intimate way. The earthly fathers he gives us are imperfect but real representations of God's love for us, and the ways He gives Himself for us in so many ways...

Father

God wanted to show what He’s like,
And so He gave men His own name:
He called them “Father”, gave His love,
And gave great strength a smile could tame…

The men He gave His image to,
Will often stumble, often fall;
But still, when you look past the scars,
You see their love shine through it all…

And though they fail so many times
It’s God we read between the lines…

Come Forth!

2008-03-12T09:18:00.001-04:00

Maybe when we think our dreams have died, and all hope is gone, God is just waiting for the perfect time to reveal His perfect plans, which are so much more amazing than our greatest dreams!

Come Forth!

The night had chased the sun away,
And as the silence reigned inside
I feared what morning’s light would show,
I thought my dearest dreams had died!

When hope had gone to hibernate
I feared the snow had spelled his doom,
And buried deep within his den,
I thought he lay within his tomb!

I feared the silence spoke of death,
Where is my Father as I weep?
Was He unfaithful to His plans?
But no, God’s dreams were just asleep…

I sat in darkness, waiting,
My tears displaying my despair…
“Oh Jesus, why weren’t you here sooner?
You could have saved him with a prayer…”

But He had greater plans than mine,
Revealed as I laid down my pride—
“Come forth!” He shouted in the tomb,
And out came dreams I thought had died!

My darkest moments were redeemed,
God’s promises cannot be shaken—
Whenever night will come, I’ll still believe
God’s dreams will someday be awakened…

One Cup

2008-02-22T17:11:00.002-05:00

Brianna and I have been praying a lot about how we might be able to share the love of Christ with those who are hurting around the world. This poem is an expression of both our feeling of insignificance and our determination to help as the Holy Spirit open doors.

One Cup

The sight of broken bodies tears my heart,
The smell of smoke inflames my nose,
The screams of anguish echo in my head,
Surrounded by so many woes…

What can I do to heal the shattered lives?
I cannot fight the tide alone!
I’d drown if I withstood the tragedy,
Lost amid the raging foam…

One cup of water is all that I have…
I know one cup can’t fight the tide,
But it can quench the thirst of one who’s hurting,
So I will bring it to his side;

Though one can’t make the fighting cease,
One can show the path of peace…

Inexorable

2008-01-22T08:54:00.000-05:00

“Nothing is inexorable but love. Love is one, and love is changeless. For love loves unto purity. Love ever has in view the absolute loveliness of that which it beholds. There is nothing more eternal but that which loves and can be loved, and love is ever climbing towards the consummation when such shall be the universe, imperishable, divine. Therefore, all that is not beautiful in the beloved, all that comes between and is not of love’s kind, must be destroyed.” —George MacDonald

Inexorable

To halt the stride of grace is like
Dethroning mountains with a stick;
To conquer love in all its power,
Is like blasting Rome with just a kick—

We can run into the night
But Father’s love will find us there;
We can hide within a cave
And be discovered by a prayer—

We cannot stop the flow of love
Just like we cannot stop the tide;
It’s just as foolish to try to stop the day
As it would be to run and hide—

Instead of trying to flee from love,
Will you surrender to His embrace?
You’ll find pure bliss in every day
Unwrapping gifts of grace…

The Choice of Every Moment

2008-01-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

Too often I allow the failures of the past or the fears of the future dictate the present. But I wasn't meant to live that way, and by faith through the assistance of the Holy Spirit, I am working on living every moment to the fullest.

The Choice of Every Moment

I choose today to live not in the failures of the past:
For dawning love with rays of grace
Have shown me mercy shines new every morning…

I choose today to live not in the fears that bar the future:
For steps upon a liquid lake
Have shown me faith can conquer whatever comes…

I choose to live in joy that’s mine this moment:
For life takes on a brilliant hue
As every second’s claimed for love and God’s amazing plans…

Adios

2007-12-10T12:07:00.000-05:00

The saga travels on,
But pieces of our hearts are left behind
As last goodbyes are said
And we’re called to new chapters in time…

The saga travels on,
Tears speak our pain as we must turn the page—
Our last goodbyes are said,
As we are carried to a different stage…

The saga travels on,
As dying hopes give way to our despair,
Our last goodbyes are said
And followed by our broken-hearted prayers…

The saga travels on,
The night is long, but at dawn new hope is born,
Love tells a different story,
It sews together hearts that once were torn…

The saga travels on
Revealing what God’s planned through all the ages:
Redemption for mankind;
His grace and love are told through all the pages…

The saga’s perfect ending
Will speak the wonder of what God has penned;
Our last goodbyes were said
But we will someday see his face again…

When happiness becomes my daily bread

2007-12-10T08:05:00.000-05:00

I pray that I will never take the happiness God's given me for granted...

When happiness becomes my daily bread
Will blessings granted be assumed?
Will thankfulness meander far
While others starve in slums of gloom?

Nay, I pray that every day I live
I’ll count each gift with gratitude,
Each smile from her I love a jewel,
Each moment thanking God for food…

A generous banquet is prepared for me,
Where bounteous love and joy is served;
So I’ll be thanking God each day
For every taste, so undeserved…

Redemption...

2007-12-06T10:36:00.000-05:00

There are so many ways that this world needs a savior... What is incredible is that God has supplied a Savior who reaches all these needs...

Redemption…

The silent rooms of an empty home—
How can the shards of a broken heart
Be pieced together again?

Vivid memories haunt the present—
How can the stains of a sinful past
Be purged from who I am?

Deep crevasses divide our lives—
How can our hearts, frozen in bitterness,
Be knit together as one?

But Jesus came to redeem us—
He conquered death itself:
His love is large enough
To wash the past away…

Thanksgiving

2007-11-14T11:12:00.000-05:00

Last Thanksgiving was a difficult day as I was asked to give thanks in the midst of heartache, and even give thanks for the trials themselves... Now so much has changed in the year since - I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams! I have so much to be thankful for!

Thanksgiving

My memories build a faded portrait
Of shadowed valleys, life at night,
When gratitude became a choice
Because my pain had dimmed my sight,

But that depression has opened to
A sunlight field with butterflies,
Where counting blessings is as hard
As measuring the width of sky…

Here in the field the pain’s forgotten;
I dance with joy for all God’s done,
I thank Him for each blade of grass
And for delicious drops of sun!

Color Blending

2007-10-23T08:25:00.000-04:00

Knitting our hearts together is not always an easy or comfortable process, but we can only display the love of Christ to a world that badly needs it when we are unified ourselves.

Color Blending

I am blue, with hopes and dreams
Inspiring me to new heights each day,
Flying to new sights revealed,
I chase the sea, and dwell in the sky—

You are red; your actions drive you,
You march with passion in each day,
You’re ahead in zeal and fire,
Your life a flash that gets things done;

When we meet we clash with friction
For you and I were made so different—
But when we seek to merge in love
And choose to die to our desires

We will blend and love will shine,
A hue of purple is designed—

He is green, with steadfast peace
A solid oak who will not bend,
Quite serene through all that comes
He will not choke in times of trouble;

When we meet we clash with friction
For he and I were made so different—
But when we seek to merge in love
And choose to die to our desires

We will blend and love will shine,
A hue of teal is then designed—

Different shades of different lives,
We’re quick to fight and soon divide—
But when we’ve laid our conflict down
We reflect God’s light in novel ways:

We will blend and love will shine
All hues God’s made are then designed…

Threads

2007-10-12T09:17:00.000-04:00

As my heart has been being bonded as one in love with my wonderful bride-to-be, it has been amazing to see how love covers so many faults and failures...
I believe that our fellowship together as believers should do the same thing, as we grow together into a love of Christ which has washed away our sins.

Threads

I am a thread
of moments touched by God
Spun together
as a cord prepared for use
And yet alone
my life cannot be used for much…

But other threads
of moments touched by God
Join together
with hearts that flow with love;
As we are one
we see how love can change the world…

My life is woven
into the lives of others;
We’re knit in love
our lives become a blanket
To cover over
a multitude of sins…

White

2007-10-05T08:21:00.000-04:00

Isa 1:18 (ASV) - Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

White

My life was speckled by the past,
The ashes of my sins made marks
Which mingled with the crimson dots
Of blood that fell from a broken heart,

And over all, a dismal gray
That fell like fog since hope had died—
All this reminding me each day
The failures that have chained my life.

But in the midst of clouds of gray
Six-pointed crystals fell like rain,
Before my eyes I saw each one
Enveloping the specks of shame—

My heart transformed by a sheet of white,
The gloom was broken by the light—
My failures lost forevermore
As mercy reached me in my plight;

My life was speckled by the past
But now there’s not a mark to show—
Your love has healed my heart and soul
As my life became as white as snow…

Drenched

2007-10-03T10:07:00.000-04:00

I have been blessed far beyond my wildest dreams...

Drenched

The blessings fall and drench my heart
With love beyond my wildest dreams—
And in the rain I see a part
Of how God’s grace has washed me clean—

For as I’m washed my fears now fade,
Replaced by mercy’s fragrant scents—
And in the rain I’m newly made,
Adorned in life which love has sent…

Success

2007-09-20T09:47:00.000-04:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything - I've been having problems with my Blogger account lately for one thing, and for another, most of the poetry I've been writing lately is a little too personal to share on a public blog... :-)

I wrote this poem thinking about how we tend to search for significance, and often measure that feeling of significance by numbers - the number of games we've won, the number of friends we have, even the number of people we've led to Christ. But instead we need to find our significance in Christ, in living as He calls us to, even if it doesn't look significant in the world's eyes.

Success

We measure our success in numbers,
As if we’d build ourselves a staircase
To reach the throne of God itself,
But life is filled empty hearts:
It takes a heart that reaches out
And makes a bond with just one other
The world is changed for each forever,
Success beyond what we have run for…

We fill our resumes with boasting,
But we are losing what’s important—
To see, to hear, to touch, to love,
When we will choose to sacrifice
Our own desires, which pull us down—
We’ll find success as a seed which dies,
In letting go of all we dream of
And finding blessings unexplored…

Blending

2007-08-20T08:32:00.000-04:00

On Friday, August 10, I became engaged to the most wonderful young lady I have ever known (in my biased opinion ;-) ). I have been amazed over and over again at the grace and love of God, who was the one who brought us together.
This poem was written in celebration of what God has been doing in our lives.

Blending

I’ll never fully understand
The mysteries that shroud the heart,
When two hearts blend as one forever,
Each given the keys to doors once sealed;

I stand here as a life that’s changed,
I now explore a whole new world;
My dreams once built a land of fairies,
But so much more is now at hand…

Farewell to Days Gone By

2007-08-05T22:29:00.000-04:00

Thinking about how our lives change as Father leads us to new paths, there can be a sense of missing something in the days gone by... But Father is always bringing us to even better places in His wonderful plans for us. I do not regret the change, but enjoy what God has given...
My sister is getting married in a week and a half. We will miss our everyday interaction with her, but know that our times with her in the future will be even more wonderful.

Farewell to Days Gone By

Farewell, you pleasant days of old,
I leave you in the hands of God,
For He’s revealed new plans for me,
New mountain views for me to see;

Farewell, you trails I once held dear,
I’m called to newer paths to clear,
For by my Father’s perfect scheme
He’s brought me to a newer dream;

Farewell you moments now moved on,
I’ll miss you, but God’s brought the dawn—
Our tears forgotten in the morn
As countless blessings now are born…

Relief

2007-07-25T22:54:00.001-04:00

For a friend...

Relief

I wish I had a healing balm
To soothe the burning barbs of pain
Which tear your heart and snag your spirit,
For my heart yearns to ease your hurt;

But somehow, though it all seems wrong,
God’s using it to make you strong…

I wish I had a miracle
That I could use to change your world;
But all I have is a heart of love,
And so I choose to pray for you;

Engulfed in peace, God answers prayer—
I know you’re safe in Father’s care…

Jackpot

2007-07-23T09:26:00.000-04:00

I wrote this poem/article for the "happy" challenge on FaithWriters. I tried something new; I tried to use a mix of poetry and prose. Let me know what you think!

Jackpot

Too often I’ve treated life like a casino, throwing minutes into slot machines with the vain hope of hitting the jackpot of happiness;

Too often I’ve searched for ecstasy like a prospector seeking gold, fueled by the dream of striking it rich, but finding that in spite of all my efforts I was only chasing down the wind;

Too often I’ve languished in the desert and prayed for rain to fall, when all the time I waited an oasis stood before my unseeing eyes—

For happiness is not a hidden treasure, which we must sell our souls to find; it’s the shadow under every stone, which we must look behind;

It is not the lack of darkness, but the stars that shine throughout the night;

It is not the calming of the storms, but in the midst of turmoil finding peace in Father’s arms;

It is not the prize at the finish line, but the joy of every step we take, as each becomes a revelation of our Father’s love for us…

Wall of Fears

2007-07-17T08:21:00.000-04:00

I’ve struggled a lot with natural fears of rejection, because of former wounds. But the Holy Spirit gave me the strength to persevere... And now... I’m free...

Wall of Fears

Each scar of old became a brick,
All formed together in a wall
Which strived to hold me back in fear;
A barrier of former tears—

But Christ called me to live in freedom,
And so He beckoned me to come,
To raze the wall of all my fears,
Forgetting days of former tears—

So I extended wounded wings,
Then pushed my way up towards the sky,
Ignoring pain caused by my fears,
Instead, I’m strengthened by my tears!

The walls below are gone from sight,
Now I taste freedom in the heavens,
Forever gone are all my fears,
Forgotten are my former tears…

Let Me Love

2007-07-09T09:21:00.000-04:00

The Holy Spirit has been helping me let go of the fear of rejection over the past couple of months. This poem is a prayer for the ability to continue to grow in this.

Let Me Love

Lord, let me love with pure abandon,
To touch the man who needs my aid
Ignoring scorn from Pharisees
Who shackle me with fear today;

Lord, let me love with fervent heart,
To reach when customs hold me down,
To snap the ropes of past rejection
Which I’ve allowed to keep me bound;

Lord, let me love with childlike faith,
To run to any need I find,
To step with mercy as my guide
Forgetting all I leave behind…

Homecoming

2007-07-06T22:01:00.000-04:00

Father called Grandma home this afternoon.

Homecoming

Silence deeper than an untouched lake,
Serenity beyond that of a sleeping baby,
Stillness far exceeding an open field
At the darkest moment of the night…

The tears that shake our hearts
Speak volumes of the legacy
She left as a single candle
Shining in our lives…

Shattered hopes leave gaping holes,
But in the chasm light has dawned—
The vision of a celebration,
A daughter welcomed home;

We cling to hope…

Heartcry

2007-07-03T09:10:00.000-04:00

Seeking answers for the deepest cry of the heart: the desire to be loved and accepted for who you are.

Heartcry

I ran to daisies for an answer
But they were smiling just the same,
And couldn’t offer any guidance
To fight the fears which call my name—

So next I sprinted for the sea:
I read my tears within the waves,
And knew that though it cried with me
It had no power which could save—

But then I saw a hand held out,
And suddenly free from all alarm
I found the answer I had sought
Enveloped in my Daddy’s arms.

Rhythm of the Tide

2007-06-26T11:58:00.001-04:00

For Grandma...

Rhythm of the Tide

We will not see the tide go out,

Its movement on a scale too grand
For human minds to understand…

We reach for shells it left behind,
Each one a treasure that we find,

And cherish every moment…

We will not see the tide go out,

But as it moves we see God’s plan,
And just begin to understand

We reach for shells it left behind
But you’re the treasure on my mind,

We cherish every moment…

Compassion

2007-06-25T08:48:00.000-04:00

If you haven't noticed yet, I often write several poems in a few weeks time that have a similar theme as the Holy Spirit is working on a spcific area in my heart. Here is another poem about compassion.

Compassion

His hands touched broken bodies
And soothed the pain that scarred their days;
The words he’d spoken did more yet,
It smashed the reign that sin had held—

Today his balm still heals their souls,
His hands still heal the world with love;
Come see the calm break through the storm
As he reveals his love to all—

As we are serving as he leads,
In any fashion he has planned,
The world observes that He’s alive,
His own compassion in our hearts.

Petal Pieces

2007-06-22T12:59:00.000-04:00

The Holy Spirit has been working on composing more compassion in my heart over the past few months...

Petal Pieces

The final ray of hope drifts by
Unnoticed, like a wind swept petal—
The rose now faded, yields to death,
But none awake to mourn the loss…

Our hearts are lost in the race of time;
Our grasp at speed leaves dying petals
Now sprayed with frost by our careless wake,
We cannot see they crave our love…

What will it take before we see
The hearts that long for our compassion?
Today I wake and pray for love
To heal the wrongs which tear the roses…

Chipped and Cracked

2007-06-20T09:42:00.000-04:00

“The Lord said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” —2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Chipped and Cracked

Chipped and cracked,
Fragile in my humanness;
A worthless shape of clay
Fit only for the fire—

Filled with treasure,
Precious gems and gold,
This worthless form of clay
Now fit for palaces—

Chipped and cracked,
But in my weakness see
The gems are shining
Through the fissures,

This is the Spirit’s work in me…

#1 - Insurance

2007-06-19T09:53:00.000-04:00

Well, this is the last one. I hope everyone has enjoyed these 25 poems that have been an inspiration to me, and I pray that they've been an inspiration or encouragement to you as well.
I've saved for last the poem that I have printed out or sent to others more than any other poem. I really like the idea in this poem of not needing to fear the future because Father is taking care of each of His children.
He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it! (Phil. 1:6)

Insurance

I wish I could invest my savings
In some insurance I can’t buy:
The guarantee that life is good
In all adventures that you try;

But I can’t make a blueprint
To cast your troubles in the sea,
Nor will I seek magicians
To change what trials come to be;

I know at times you’ll trip and fall,
At times your life may come to harm;
But everything works for your good—
Our Father holds you in His arms.

#2 - The Flame of Sacrifice

2007-06-19T09:48:00.001-04:00

I wrote this poem for a friend who died to his dreams for the sake of another. Having gone through something similar myself, I was able to understand what he was going through, so I wrote this for him and anyone else who has given up their dreams.
It has been an encouragement to me many times since...

The Flame of Sacrifice

I feel as if I walk on holy ground:
The path is paved with yellow, crowned with red,
The blanket of a thousand dying dreams—
’Tis here the sacrifice of love is spread;

I lift my head and see the glowing fire
And marvel in the glory of the pain;
The leaves are dying, but they shine the more,
Their sacrifice a greater good proclaims!

Oh, friends, I know it hurts; I taste your tears,
But through the autumn color love is proved:
The flame of death is light to all the world,
For they will know that we are Christians by our love.

#3 - Fate

2007-06-18T13:18:00.000-04:00

This poem contains some thoughts about some of the difficult questions in life, such as “why would a loving God allow evil in the world?”
The picture of stepping on water and handing God my fate is one of my favorites.

Fate

My mind is often vague
I don’t know where to go;
But if I walk in faith
The way begins to show—

But why did You create
So wide the path that’s wrong?
Why shall I find a pit
If I just go along?

Too many fall in traps;
Too many follow crowds—
Why is the road to death
Unguarded and allowed?

But maybe it’s because
There’s nothing near as great
As one who steps on water
And hands to You his fate...

#4 - Looking to the West

2007-06-18T10:15:00.000-04:00

“Maybe when the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.”

This poem has been an inspiring reminder that God still has unexpected blessings planned for me in spite of the times when doors have closed...

Looking To the West

I saw the sun flee in the west,
And so I followed with my eyes
Like puppies chasing after it
As if somehow they’d reach the sky.

With eyes attached to the horizon
I’d wait, a faithful hound bereft
Of so much happiness I cherished,
And watch the place where it had left—

But once a door has closed in life
It seldom opens any more—
Though we are often blind to it
God brings us joy through different doors—

And once again, so foolishly,
My eyes are looking to the west,
But when the sunlight taps my shoulder,
I know God’s answered my request.

#5 - Hundredfold

2007-06-16T08:13:00.000-04:00

This is probably my favorite poem about dying to your dreams for the sake of Christ. I wrote this last year after reading John 12, where Jesus said “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Little did I know that only two weeks later God was going to call me to the most difficult sacrifice He's ever called me to, and this poem would provide a large source of encouragement through the process...

Hundredfold

What solemn dirge is this I hear,
This mournful wail within my heart?
The flames will purge the dross I see,
The whips will flail my selfish dreams;

The seeds will die, the darkness come
And overwhelm my fragile heart;
The dreams will lie within their graves
But life still dwells in death’s regime;

Why do the tears run down my face?
Why can’t I see the dawn of hope?
The dreams held dear are fading now,
So I must free them from my heart;

The seeds are dying, darkness comes,
But through their death springs greater life;
The tears I cry will water joy,
The dark’s a path that leads to light;

What is this sprouting dream I see?
I thought they died, the tomb was sealed!
What is the shouting in my ears?
Has God provided victory?

The seeds have died, the darkness came,
But look! The tomb is empty now—
For life’s defying death itself,
The seeds have bloomed a hundredfold…