A Place to Lay her Head

A Place to Lay her Head

(Adapted from Away in the Manger)

By Dale Cupo

There in the corner crumpled she lays

Tossed to the side told she must stay

Tis Christmas, time to be someone’s treat

Begging and praying this time she’ll not be beat

To find safety and love, the longing so great

But where to go, should she escape?

To dream of having her very own bed

A Safe place in which to lay her sweet head

A home that will tell her she’s treasured

 Not just a place to be sheltered

“Be near her Lord Jesus”, making a way

Blessing and guarding her as she lay.

We “love thee Lord Jesus look down from the sky”

“Keeping her safe till morning is nigh”

Open the doors for the ones that are lost

Give us the courage to not count the cost

“Blessed all the dear children in thy tender care”

Help us to give them a home to “live with thee there”.

This season as we sing “Away in the manger” and picture a sweet little baby “asleep in the hay “let us not forget the many who also have nowhere to lay there head. Here in Berks County we have many homeless teens who are very vulnerable to being turned out /trafficked in exchange for a place to lay their head. There is also a great lack of resources for women who want to leave “The Life”, those who have been traumatized, trafficked, and end up looking like “just another prostitute. This season of Christmas is a reminder of God’s great love and sacrifice.  Here at FREE (Freedom and restoration for everyone enslaved) we have begun to raise funds for opening just such a place. A place for women to go and find the beginning steps of freedom from the path of abuse and destruction. Will you consider giving a gift or donation towards this?

Let this begin a tradition of not just sleeping in our snug little beds and to awake to  presents under the tree but  building a lifestyle of generosity towards those who have not only been  kept out in the cold but are daily used and abused with no place to lay their heads.

 Donate here   https://www.freefromht.org/donate/

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

 “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33)

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

do you hear it

Do you hear it, can you hear the sound of the beloved calling to his bride. The preparations, the stripping away of all that is frivolous, our satin and lace, bangles and bobbles, and ribbons and bows to be laid aside. To bathe in his presence and have the oil of his spirit poured upon his church. A bride that desires to know him more fully and intimately, that no longer hides behind the walls of man's designs but in surrender, allowing herself to be ministered to and formed in his image. Let us go forth in nakedness offering the only things we have, our faith, praises and obedience




                               Re-post from 9/29/16
                        A New Garment for His Bride

Cloaked in finery and frills

Twirling in its own delight

Robed in wordy scrolls

Restricted so tight

Draped in gossamer gown

No weight or depth

Clothed in traditional garb

Where half the body is oppressed

Gown ripped and soiled

No longer able to hide behind

The Bridegroom washing,

Bathing all cuts, bruises,

Filth and grime.

A new Garment white and pure

Righteous, holy,

Offered up to his bride.

The choice is ours,
Donning in humble attire

 Our churches to be transformed,

Or clinging to our remnants, be cast aside.

whose rider is called Faithful and True.

Rider affixed on alabaster steed

Swift and fierce

Scooping up in strong arms

Mounted with the King of kings

No rearward glances allowed

Onward through the battle

Going forth towards homecoming

Strong arms surround me

Keeping me in place

Breathing deeply

Learning to keep pace

Riding briskly

Fiery arrows deflected by pure righteousness

stopping for the wounded

Doling out shield,living water, and sword

No fear for the present

Simply press on with the one who is faithful and true

Revelation 19:11 “there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.

Revelation 19:11-16 11 Then I saw heaven opened, and suddenly a white horse appeared. The name of the one riding it was Faithful and True,[f] and with pure righteousness he judges and rides to battle. 12 He wore many regal crowns,[g] and his eyes were flashing like flames of fire. He had a secretname inscribed on him that’s known only to himself.[h] 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title is called the Word of God. 14 Following him on white horses were the armies of heaven, wearing white fine linen, pure and bright. 15 A sharp sword came from his mouth with which to conquer[i] the nations, and he will shepherd them with an iron scepter.[j]He will trample out the wine in the winepress of the wrath[k] of God. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he had inscribed a name: King of kings and Lord of lords.

Bull in a china shop

Bull in a china shop

Careening in uninvited

Fragile items on display

Oh to touch and share in these dainty’s

One step further, too late

Soon the crashing sounds

Banging, stumbling, crunching

Broken pieces spewed about

Thrashing to escape

Damage done

No more bulls in the china shop

 Like Oxen to be  yoked 

restraints welcomed

led and guided on straight paths

stepping in tandem with eternal purpose

James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
Proverbs 15:1 a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Colossians 3:12-15 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Quilting us together

Quilting us together

His church

Solids, Prints and patterns,

How can they ever go together?

The quilter stitching one next to the other

Two maybe three that might match

Or maybe opposites attract

So many differences

  And too many preferences

Old leather butted up against delicate chiffon

Wild calico positioned near practical flannel

Sensible corduroy sliding in next to stained taffeta

Sophisticated Velvet nestled with Practical polyester

 How quixotic and unrealistic for all to find a space

And yet the stitches keep coming adding another in place

Together forming comfort for wrapping others up

A covering for shade and to protect

A hammock to carry the broken

A banner to declare they are chosen

The church in all its colors

Must embrace sister and brothers

And know they are a perfect fit

Accepting the maker of the blanket

1 Corinthians 12:12-27  (ESV) For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[a] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts,[b] yet one body.

Matthew 18:20 (ESV) For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Ephesians 4:16  (ESV) from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love

Leather, rugged, stretched, durable

Velvet soft, luxurious, impractical

Chiffon light plain sheer

Taffeta crisp, soft shiny

Organdy sheer stiff crisp

Calico plain, colorful simple 

 Corduroy Linear, textured soft

Flannel twill soft cozy

Polyester stretchy wrinkle resistant, wash-and-wear

The knowledge of good and evil

The knowledge of good and evil

 

The apple bitten

Now starts mankind’s upheaval

 The knowing of good and evil

The judging right from wrong

Separating weak from strong

Who are we to measure,

Refuse verses treasure

Valued verses worthless

Deserving of freedom or to be oppressed.

To be cast aside or thrown a life vest

Smaller or bigger transgress

This knowledge of good and evil

To see with eyes before the fall
To see with eyes that know it all

To look and not judge

To extend grace and not begrudge

Oh to love like Christ,

All worth the sacrifice.

The purpose to call out sin

Only so we can begin again

Not to set the scales against

But to allow grace to be dispensed

Lord forgive us our violations

Comparing of others and self-categorizations

Losing sight of God’s declarations

Utilizing human evaluations

 Limiting Jesus’s blood rectification

Holy Spirit teach us your interpretations

How to have true discernment without discrimination.

James 4:12 (ESV) There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

James 4:11-12 (ESV) Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.[a] The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 

2 Corinthians 5:10  (ESV) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Worth/ F.R.E.E. BLOG

http://www.freefromht.org/worth/


This months Blog On Freedom and restoration for everyone enslaved

Worth

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. .( Matthew 10:29-31) 

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15). 

Unwanted, a burden, another mouth to feed

Left out, fed up, searching for more,

Lies in your head, you’ll never succeed.

Hollywood glamor, MTV hype

Grasping for smoke and mirrors,

Or something telling you you’re worth the fight.

Promises whispered in sultry tone,

New shoes, new identity, his sugar girl.

Trading all that is precious for rhinestone.

Bate, hook and line,

The lure lowered down,

Offered by a sheep covered swine.

Sight can only see right now

To be desired and offered love

Unaware of plans to become his cash cow

The treachery so slow and slick

Showered with attention,

But tomorrow asked to turn trick.

The slippery slope getting slicker still

The rapes and beatings the start

Climbing out like going backwards uphill.

Free will to do only as he pleases

No money, no escape, plenty of fear

Life stolen, tattered to pieces

If only someone were to care

If only, the whisper of hearts

If only there was help from this nightmare.

We all have been designed with eternity set in our hearts, to be part of a larger picture, to be swept up in strong arms, known and loved. And yet somewhere along the way the story gets, fuzzy, cloudy or sometimes ripped away. So many young ladies (and boys too) have become prey to “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Not all sex trafficking victims stories are as pictured in the poem above but many times it is the most vulnerable that are lured in. We as the body of Christ can be the “someone’s to care”. We are commanded as believers to love the least of these, to set the captives free. And those who are being Sex trafficked are the captives.  So what are we to do, how do we stop a multibillion dollar industry?  We become more aware and stop seeing child Prostitutes and begin to see victims, we begin to use our influence and educate our communities, we reach out to the marginalized, speaking life and hope into the least of these, building relationships that can speak true identity.  Those who foster and adopt with the love of Christ can become a new landing place for many. Working with youth and offering honest hope and relationship can become another landing pad to stopping the vulnerable from sliding into treachery. We the body can become advocates against pornography, an insidious way of life, that has taught our boys to become detached and void of empathy for our girls, we can mentor and come along side our young men and talk about true manhood. But what about the ones it’s “too late “for, the ones who have been lured in and sold a false narrative only to wake up to the realities of being told they are worth less than nothing? We can support local organizations that are currently advocating for victims, we can raise money for safe houses where those that are rescued could go and find help and safety.  We can be on our knee’s praying that sex trafficking is stopped and that our vulnerable youth will know their true worth. We cannot just sit by but must rise up as the church in action.

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Below are some statistics and interesting reads as well as links to places to lend your support for funds for a home here in Berks County PA

https://www.gofundme.com/dashboard-restoration-home

https://www.coablog.org/home/2017/1/19/now-more-than-ever-we-must-declare-that-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-child-prostitute

  “Studies estimate that at least 60 percent of victims of child sex trafficking come from the child welfare system, and the majority of them have extensive histories of sexual and physical abuse prior to ever being trafficked. Seventy-eight percent of all prostitution arrests are girls, and 52 percent of all juvenile arrests for prostitution are African-American girls. Instead of being recognized as victims of crime and given the services and support necessary to heal from their trauma, these children are neglected, dismissed, ignored, and—in the worst cases—criminalized.”

http://www.wfmz.com/news/berks/reading-man-charged-with-human-trafficking/301514918

https://cseinstitute.org/new-study-shows-food-insecurity-leads-survival-sex-cse-american-teenagers/

http://humantraffickinghotline.org/training-resources/referral-directory

https://northstarinitiative.org/engage/

What is light?

What is light?

Photon, Wave or Particle?

 Energy all around

Only a fraction observable

Where it shines, life abounds

If contained a mighty force

 The power to annihilate

Zero time to earth from heavens courts

Millions of years for man to propagate

Ever present

Eternal in existence

Even darkness cannot circumvent

To Objects, Bending in refraction

Always moving never still

 Impacting our world in micro transactions

Light through all and in everything

To absorb the light and pour it out

 our act of worshipping

1.     John 1:5 NLT The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

- Genesis 1:3-5 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Job 38:24 (ESV)

²⁴ What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,
    or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?

Psalm 36:9 (ESV)

⁹ For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.

Psalm 74:16  (ESV)

¹⁶ Yours is the day, yours also the night;
    you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.

Psalm 139:12  (ESV)

¹² even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

Isaiah 45:7  (ESV)

⁷ I form light and create darkness;
    I make well-being and create calamity;
    I am the Lord, who does all these things.

John 8:12  (ESV)

I Am the Light of the World, Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Ephesians 5:13  (ESV)

¹³ But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible

Revelation 21:23-24The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. -