Saturday, January 28, 2017

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.



Wednesday, January 11, 2017

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



Thursday, January 5, 2017

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



Sunday, January 1, 2017

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