Taking Sides

Taking Sides

Taking Sides

Tension pulling, who’s Right and who’s wrong

 Each view praising their own song,

 Black, white, native, refugee’s,

LGBT, Men, women, babies.

 Each one so precious

Gift of life each breath.

Not we, who are to place value

We are too flawed and skewed.

 By His love we gain significance,

All to display, His exquisiteness.

Arrogance to crush one for the other.

Kingdom truth pushed aside, smothered,

Both “sides” lost in lies.

So hardened unable to sympathize.

Break open your hearts,

Back to basics we start.

Only one side speaks with honesty,

One common genealogy.

From Jesus receive gift of salvation,

Our s to speak good news of his love for creation.

Living closely, clinging to the vine,

He to direct the boundary line.

Our souls being tugged and led astray

Instead of eternal vision distracted by the news of the day

Enemy lines drawn in the sand

On God’s promises where we are to stand

The Cross, The tearing of the veil

Communion with God will prevail

But here and now we get to choose

Into our communities let his love be infused

or take our sides and refuse.

little one

Little one

Little one stuck in the cross fire,

Adults broken and lost

Dragging the innocent into the quagmire

Anger, violence, abuse now on child, their albatross

Splintering, splitting, and burying the pain.

To the world pretending all is well,

But day by day the enemy adding chain

Child becoming hollowed out, empty shell.

Relationships so un-trust worthy.

Confusion and chaos swirling round,

So tired, starving and thirsty,

Numbing the only place solace is found.

Religious shackles thrown on for good measure;

Should’s and shouldn’ts, rules and regulations.

The truth and love of Jesus, buried treasure.

 Hurt upon hurt, Pile on more violations.

But God in his great Mercy

Revealing his gift of salvation

He sees you little one as worthy

Now begins the transformation.

Stripping way of lies and iniquity

Removing the heritage of pain

Restoring original dignity

Heavenly sacrifice clearing all stains.

Not your fault, not your load!

Rest now sweet one in His loving arm,

Releasing of anguish won’t implode,

He the great physician will cause no harm.

Survival, each part learned its role;

Pain bearers, organizer, parent, and child.

Dissociating so as to save the whole.

 Fear not new territory, now to reconcile.

Healing his heart’s desire

You journey not alone

He dresses you in righteous attire

His spirit with you and in you, his home.

Safe to trust the trust worthy one

Safe to give all memories too

Safe is God’s only son

Safe to bring to light and rest in truth.


Dedicated to my mom and Ruth

First Choice

First Choice

Waiting, crowded together, self-conscious tweens,

Which would it be, 
third draft or picked and coolness redeemed.

Never last choice but somewhere lost in the throng

Regular Joe, kinda ok, not the troubled one, but not the lead in the play.

Words infiltrating, invading, seeping and swirling

True identity getting lost in the churning.

Mediocre      Average             Moderate

  Second rater       middling        Soso

         Unimpressive       Lackluster

            fair                 Run of the mill

Smashing down the not enoughness under feet

Spirit inviting to gaze at place card near heavenly seat

Chosen to be His before the foundations set

Not a liability but a kingdom asset

My thinker rejoiced over, my fast pleasing

With joy and pride Papa is beaming

Picked first to dance with the king

He exalts me as I worship him.

 I am The Joy set before

Exclusively loved and adored

Exquisitely formed in the image of

Nothing average about his love.

No thing lacking in luster

No working for or need to muster

Created by the master

First rate crafter

Prayer for ashes to beauty 2016

                                              Painting by Yoli Mendoza

Ashes Prayer2016

Dear Heavenly father we thank you for another year of life, we thank you that though darkness may surround, your light overcomes the darkness.

Lord Jesus we thank you that though we sin and continue to miss the mark, your love and sacrifice on the cross is More than enough to cover our shame and guilt.

Lord you created each and every person here in your image. You created us to love and be loved and yet our broken world has twisted and distorted this truth.

We pray Lord Jesus, that you, by the power of your Holy Spirit would minister, heal and renew our minds so that we can receive that truth, that we were meant to bring you Glory, meant to live a life of purpose…the purpose of loving you and others and to tell of that love.

Lord Jesus I ask a restoring of hope this year and that the spirit of hopelessness would be bound up. I ask that your light would shine brightly in even the darkest places especially here in Reading. I ask all here to become Bearers of that light, to be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord.

May we, here and now exchange our ashes for a crown of beauty, and be robed in garments of praise instead of despair, may we receive the oil of gladness instead of mourning.

Abba father we ask you to remove our hardened, hurting, hearts of stone and turn them in to loving, feeling, alive hearts of flesh.

Jesus you are our deliverer and hope, come help us to walk in truth and see Abba Fathers heart and have a wider understanding of his great love and our great need for the savior. We ask in Jesus name Amen