Simple Words

Sometimes simple words are all I need,
When I feel my heart begin to break.
So, will You speak to me
in a whisper, in the wind, in the fire, or in the quake?

I know that You have so much to say,
But could You sing a familiar song to me?
Please remind me of Jesus' love
And the grace that set me free.

The world will surely seek my demise,
And I may weary in the fight.
But I am assured of this one thing:
You will never abandon me to the night.

So, speak to me the simple words
That I desperately need to hear.
"Jesus friend of sinners"
And I will have no fear.

The Spark Now Flames

The spark now flames brightly,
Lighting our hands--held tightly.
The whisper erupts with calling,
Encouraging those who are falling:

“Awake, O sleeper! Awake!
For the Light is shining, and we are alive.”

Upon Their Pages

Oh, how they mold you
Into someone that I have never heard nor seen.
I looked upon their pages
But I did not find You.
Instead I found a mere man,
Speaking in whispers with no double-edged sword in sight.
Where did they take your healing hands and thunderous voice?
Why did they remove Your bloody body and try to hide Your Resurrection?
You would not be held by the grave,
And you will not be held by them.
We will tell them to put away their stones of red, black, and white.
And we will burn their pages day by day
As we proclaim, "Jesus Christ is Lord!"

Haiku and Hospitality

The table is set
Wine is flowing all around
Come and sit with us

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Good friends and family
Gather around the table
Holding hands in prayer

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A labor of love
Aroma rising to Him
Food fills each stomach

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Feasting is so fine
Joy, laughter, and grace mingle
Worry falls away

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Now it is your turn. Go to the comments section and add your own haiku about hospitality.

Crane vs. David

In his poem, "A Man Said to the Universe" Stephen Crane writes:

A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."

Yet, this worldview (naturalist) stands in stark contrast to the Christian worldview. For instance, read God's inspired Word as it comes to use from his servant David in Psalm 8:

"O Lord, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants,you have established strength because of your foes,to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him,and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,whatever passes along the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

With the Eyes of My Child

I walked across the yard
But I did not notice
The orchestra of crunching and crackling leaves
That played beneath my feet.

And I did not stop to admire
The patch of cloves that quietly gathered
Beside the blooming Bradford Pear

I walked without notice or regard
For the beauty that called out to me
Until she grabbed me by the leg
And held the flower to my face.

I could see amazement sparkling in her eyes
And hear joy singing in her voice.

So, I stopped and looked out
Into a world that spoke of its Maker.
Yet, I did not see with my own eyes.
Rather, I watched the world with the eyes of my child.

Sunrise, Sunset

Good morning My Beauty!
You have awaken me from sleep.
The brightness of your beauty has filled eyes,
And the darkness no longer has a place to creep.

While laying beside you this morning,
I brushed my hand across your face.
I felt the warmth of your skin,
And thanked God for the embrace.

Three years and counting,
We've been together as one .
Our love is deep and hearts are true,
And we'll continue until our lives are done.

So, as long as the sun continues to rise and set
My Love, you can always be sure,
That I will be here with,
Striving always to be faithful, true, and pure.

The Landscape

"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so taht you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed' So Abram went, as the LORD had told him..." (Genesis 12:1-4).

"In hope he believed against hope, that he should be the father of many nations, as he had been told, 'So shall your offspring be'" (Romans 4:18).

The landscape is new and vibrant today.
I find it to be beautiful and aluring as it sprouts with hope and promise.
Yet, the sun will soon settle below the horizon,
And the landscape will fade into the darkness.
Then, the moon will take its place in the sky
And cautiously shine down upon the earth.
And I must confess--
The night is frightening, and I do not know the way.
But I do not despair because I remember Your promise,
And I know that Your word is true.

Silent

Her womb is silent and bare.
The flickering heart has been removed,
And I feel that mine has as well--at least for the moment.
Yes, Darkness has quietly wrapped itself around me
And Sadness and Uncertainty have become my companions.
Yet, I will not fear.
For I know that You are sovereign, wise and good.
I am certain that even this Darkness has a perfect place in Your plan--
And in my life.