Refuse to Trade that Birthright

Jacob stood above the fire
Stirring a pot of stew.
Esau came in from the fields
Too hungry to think things through.
He asked his brother for a bowl,
Not considering what was at stake;
Esau sold his birthright
For some porridge's sake.

I stood and played with fire,
Toying with that bowl of stew.
I had a appetite for something
And didn't stop to think things through.
Victory was my birthright
Through the power of Christ's cross.
But I sold that birthright;
The battle I had lost.

I let that appetite rule me
Rather than choosing to reframe
The thoughts that I was having
By calling Jesus' name.
I missed out on a blessing
By failing to refrain.
Victory was my birthright
And a privilege I could claim.

But the truth I now am choosing.
I want God's best for me.
And I must control my appetites
To be alive and free.
As I stand upon that victory
And daily my mind renew,
I'll refuse to trade my birthright
For that measly bowl of stew.

Worthy

I want my life

To make sense

In the light of Your gospel.

Consume me, Lord;

Teach me to follow You!

To give up those things

That don't matter

To Your kingdom.

To leave behind those distractions

That will burn as

Hay and stubble.

To know Your heart,

Your passion!

Raise up my generation,

And start with me!

Lord, make me worthy!

I give you everything:

Heart,

Mind,

Actions,

Choices,

Hopes,

And dreams.

Holy Spirit, fall on me!

Cleanse me.

Light the fire in my heart for

Eternity.

Help me to see

Those things which truly matter

To You!

Make me worthy to call myself a

Christian--

To bear Your precious,

Holy name!

"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ...standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents" (Phil 1: 27-28).

Known by Name

Cold ground against my back

Night sky against my face,

I look up to the heavens,

Moon and stars hung in space.

Tears roll down my cheeks

As I view the celestial spheres.

I cry out to Jesus

With all of my fears.

"I feel so lonely;

I need a friend."

He says, "I'm dependable

Until the end."

"I don't feel like

Anyone really cares."

"He says, "I know the numbers

Of your hairs."

"I want someone

To speak my name,

To know my heart,

To be the same."

He says," I know

Your name and heart

Like I know the stars

And the galaxy's start."

"I am dependable to the end

And faithful to My own.

I'm with you in your best moments

And when you feel alone."

"Come, My child, look to the sky

And know that I know all.

If I know the stars intimately,

Wouldn't I hear you when you call?"

"I care so much about your life

That I've promised to see you through.

Nothing that happens escapes my eye

I have an all-knowing view."

"So smile, my child, and dry your tears.

My hand take a hold of

For nothing can take you out of My hand

Or separate you from My love!"

"Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. Why do you say...“My way is hidden from the Lord... Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength" (Isaiah 40: 26-29).

Counting Each Breath

The clock downstairs chimes midnight,

And I still toss and turn,

Worrying about my circumstances

And letting my stomach churn.

Forgetting that my Protector

And my Provider my life keeps.

I close my eyes and try so hard

To doze off counting sheep.

Breathing in and out,

Hoping for sleep;

But the restless minutes continue.

But wait--I'm breathing in and out

While waiting for sleep.

Each breath because of the Holy One.

Instead of counting sheep,

I count each breath

All part of His amazing plan.

His awesomeness takes my breath away;

My life is from His hand.

In peace, I sleep.

"Who among you does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind" (Job 12: 9-10).

Free and Fully Alive

Can circumstances define me?
Can peril, flame, or sword
Separate me from the love
Found in Christ my Lord?
Can the setting of my life
Choose who I will be?
Or will I choose to rise above,
Living fully alive and free?

Circumstances do not control,
Cannot define my life.
Nothing can separate me from the love
That I find in Jesus Christ.
The setting that I find myself in
Does not choose my destiny.
I will choose to rise above
And live fully alive and free.

For if I live that is Christ
As I proclaim His name.
While seeking to be more like Him.
And I die, that's gain.
Death no longer has a sting.
When I live free and fully alive,
In death, my life will still witness of Him.
It is not death to die.


"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain"
(Phil 1:21).

Christmas Gift of Grace

for Marilla K., whose FB status inspired me

Christmas Eve is here again
And Santa's hitched his sleigh
To bring the good little girls and boys
Their gifts for Christmas day.
Let's hope that they've most diligently
Earned the bearded man's favor
By being perfect, little angels
While on their best behavior.
To get the big man's presents
One must strive and one must do;
His gifts are not free of charge
Watch out! I'm warning you!

Christmas Eve is here again
And a baby's in the hay
To bring all the little girls and boys
A gift on Christmas day.
He's come as a symbol of the Father's love
And His unmerited favor
Even though we are not perfect
And we have sinful behavior.
To get this baby's present
One must only truly believe
In the gift that is free of charge
And Jesus' grace receive.

Christmas Day is here again;
Joy our Jesus brings.
But not only the reason for the season He is
But the reason for everything!

How Does Jesus Love You?

In the style of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Sonnet 43"

How do I love thee? Let Me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
Of all that is. You're never out of sight
Of My lasting Love and My endless Grace
I love thee and fully fill everyday's
Most quiet need; My Word shines as your Light.
I loved thee freely, sacrificed for Right;
I love thee purely, ask only for Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
Upon the cross. You must choose to have faith.
I love thee with My Life I seemed to lose
Until I rose—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all My Life!—and, if you choose,
I shall love thee in heaven after death.

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

A Definition of True Awesomeness

True Awesomeness (ˈtrü ˈȯ-səm-nəs) n.
1. a state of Being
That only One possesses;
2. astounding in power
With no failure, only successes;
3. boundless in wisdom,
possessing all knowledge;
4. exalted over all,
true greatness acknowledged;
5. matchless in glory
and no counsel needing;
6. sovereign in authority,
no higher one heeding;
7. faithful to One's Word
no matter the cost
Even if that's taking
Another's cross;
8. dependable to the end
Never forsaking
Those that One loves,
No promise breaking;
9. an inspiration of awe
At the sound of One's name;
10. possessing the title:
Always the Same.
Related forms--Almighty, Most Holy God p.n

A Renewed Perception of Christmas

for Derek S., whose testimony inspired me

Especially during busy times:
Complaining,
Grinching,
Forgetting the meaning
Of this Christmas season.

Grumbling,
Muttering,
Rambling through the days,
Thinking I've got it so bad.
But is it really
About me?

And then I heard the Christmas story again...

Had I ever thought
About the busyness of traveling to Bethlehem?
About the difficulty of laboring in a stable?
About the conditions that Jesus was born into?
About Mary's pain?
Is my life really that bad?
Is it really
About me?

Had I ever thought
About the struggle of growing up as the Son of God on earth?
About how much energy it took to lovingly heal people daily?
About how much effort Jesus put into teaching His disciples?
About Jesus' tired body?
About the hurt He experienced while being "rejected by men"?
Is my life really that bad?
Is it really
About me?

Had I ever thought
About the sweat Jesus shed over dying on the cross for my sin?
About the agony He endured at the hands of others?
About the ridicule He endured without an unkind word?
About His pain?
About His crown of thorns?
About His humiliation?
Is my life really that bad?
Is it really
About me?

Had I ever stopped my busyness and just pondered
His incredible love,
His matchless grace,
His unending forgiveness,
His precious peace,
His blessed hope,
Or His holy name?

My life isn't that bad.
I have a reason to celebrate this Christmas season:
It is all about
Him.

He Does Not Totter

The Israelite man gave the workman a task,
An idol to carve and fashion.
He wanted an idol consistent
That he would worship with passion.
But he had one condition:
It must sit flat
Never tottering. For what
Would people think of that?

I gave that thing so precious
To me the highest place
But that thing was not the One
Who saved me by His grace.
I had one problem:
My idol was of my own making:
Always tottering, inconsistent.
And forever, always shaking.

But then I saw His glory
And realized I'd been mistaken.
For an idol could not be firm
And would be by everything shaken.
But I had one certainty:
When I my life arrange
So that God is highest within
He does not totter or change.

"To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto Him? The workman melts a graven image, and the goldsmith spreads it over with gold, and casts silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he has no oblation chooses a tree that will not rot;
he seeks unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not totter... To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who has created these things, that brings out their host by number: He calls them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one fails." (Isaiah 40:18-20)

They Chopped Down a Tree...

We chopped down a tree
And decorated it with shiny metal
Ornaments.
And underneath it we placed
Gifts that would
Delight the hearts of the receivers.

They chopped down a tree
And decorated it with shiny metal
Nails.
And on it they placed
The Gift Who would
Delight the hearts of the receivers.

That Gift
Who would be as a Fruitful, Gracious
Abundance
In a broken, sinful world.

They chopped down a tree
Not knowing
Of the promise of God's restoration:
The Tree of Life
In a formally barren wilderness of thorns.
That Gift
Becoming the Hope of the world,
The Everlasting Promise
Of God's Love.

They chopped down a tree
And placed on it Jesus--
Emmanuel--
That Gift
Who would redeem our souls.


"So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree... and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off"
(Isaiah 55: 11-13).

Behold Your God!

The mountain stands
Next in God's plan
For my life.

I complain
And fill my heart with pain
And strife.

Mountain so large.
I take charge
With fear.

And then I cry,
"Why, God, why?
Why here?"

And in His glory He speaks with power,
"I am your Comfort and your Strong Tower.
But you will not see My majesty
While viewing the mountain's enormity.

Clear your head of all those lies;
Trust My Word, child; lift your eyes
To My face, My very Being
Not the mountain high that you are seeing.

See that river? That waterfall?
The waters of the earth? I hold them all
Without a flinch within my palm.
Behold your God! Be calm.

See the stars, the moon, the sun?
I know their number every one.
In My hand is the universe's span.
Behold your God! Trust My plan.

See that mountain you worry about?
Why do you fear? Why do you doubt?
I know how much that mountain weighs.
Behold your God! Yield your days

To My will.
Be still.
Cease your strife.

That mountain stands
Next in My plan
For your life.

But think of My power;
Do not cower
At what you see.

Take comfort; your mountain tall
Is incredibly small
In comparison to Me.

Behold your God!

“Behold your God! ... Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?... Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength." (Isaiah 40: 9, 10, 12, 28, 29)

How the Profs Stole End-of-the-Semester-Joy...

In the style of the beloved Dr. Seuss

All the students liked End-of-the-Semester Joy a lot
But the profs who had lots to grade, did NOT!
The profs hated the semester's end--all the ungraded craze;
Don't ask me why--they assigned those essays!
It could be their heads weren't screwed on just right;
Either way, all the teachers were crazy that night.
And while all the profs were evilly typing
All of the students were feverishly hyping.
"And their playing on Facebook," the profs snarled with sneers.
"End-of-the-Semester Joy--it's practically here!"

And the more the profs thought about this "It's-Over Joy" fling,
The more that they thought, "We must stop this whole thing!"
Why, for fifty-three years they'd put up with this now!
They must stop Happiness from happening! But HOW?
And then they got an idea. An Awful Idea!
THE PROFS GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!
Yes, those profs were so smart and so slick
That they thought up finals and they thought them up quick!
So they took a paper and a pen that was red
And they put a big raincloud over their students' heads.
Then they sat back and chuckled; now they wouldn't be alone
When going through the last-days' groan.
For tomorrow, they knew, everyone in the college
Would be frantically praying for wisdom and knowledge.

The students would have the stressfulness, too;
Although I'm not sure those profs thought it all through.
'Cause no matter what they decide to do,
They'll always have to grade far into the night
The finals we take or the papers we write.
We will still finish first on this whole finals thing,
And because of this reason we can sing, sing, sing, sing!
Although finals stress us out for hours

And though the thought of diligence sours,
The very last laugh will always be ours!

Welcome, finals, while we stand
Heart to heart while trying to cram.
End-of-the-Semester Joy will always be
Just as long as we have we!

Before I Even Know

for Brandon E., whose FB status inspired me...

Before she even knew
She would eat the fruit and sin,
God knew of a plan to save us all
From her actions and the resulting Fall.
Redemption would win.

Before he even knew
He would lust for Bathsheba and fail,
God knew he'd send Solomon to the people;
He'd know wisdom and build the temple.
Integrity would prevail.

Before he even knew
He would run the other way,
God set the skies to show His power;
They were on course for the very hour.
Truth won that day.

Before he even knew
He would deny his Friend,
God knew he would have a story to share
And because of it for the gospel dare
Much. Fear would end.

Before I even know
The rebellious path I will chase,
He knows what He'll do to bring Himself glory,
Even through the weak moments of my story.
Though merit I lack,
He brings me back
Through incredible grace.

"But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold." (Job 23:10)

The Word of God

The Word of God

Thoughts of worry

Thoughts of fear

Thoughts of Satan

Or carnal peers

Thoughts of foolishness

Thoughts of lust

Thoughts of anger

Or gossip’s dust

Thoughts of bitterness

Thoughts in disguise

Thoughts of selfishness

Any lies

~~~

How does the title fit this dictation?

Look at this poem as an illustration

Of bad thoughts' subordination

To the Truth.

In the Tongue

An ugly word's a nasty thing
Not retractable once you've said it.
And such a word has left many a sting
And many a friendship beheaded.

Those unkind syllables thoughtlessly uttered
That leave behind their painful lies.
Those terrible thoughts carelessly muttered
The moment patience dies.

So easy to slip in your frustration
And let the bomb descend.
Gone are all forms of wise filtration.
How easily words can offend.

The tongue is said to have the power
To give others death or life.
To give hope or to hope devour,
Tear down or build up strife.

That I would learn to tame my tongue
And make my words like His.
A word in kindest manner sung
In season, how good it is!

"The tongue has the power of life and death..." Proverbs 18:21

"To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!" Proverbs 15:33

To the God of Steadfast Love and Faithfulness...

To the God of steadfast love and faithfulness
I lift my soul in praise.
For Assurance of salvation,
That Blessed hope that stays
Within my heart since Christ
Has died; Death is overcome;
Everlasting life is mine!
Through Faith in God's own son
Grace is greater than any sin.
The Holy Spirit lives within.
The Word of God is Infallible
Jesus is the Truth for all men.
I can Know Him, call Him Abba.
His Love will always be the same.
Endless Mercy is always shown
To those who trust His holy Name.
I rest in His Omnipresence
And His Peace that passes understanding.
Quietness engulfs my heart,
Rest although life is demanding.
Security in His sweet promises
For He is Trustworthy in all.
My life shows His Undeniable Hand.
He gives me Victory when I call.
I have the freedom to publically Worship
And eXplain how Jesus set me free.
I have confidence that Yahweh is good.
And He is Zealous over me.

To the God of steadfast love and faithfulness,
I lift my soul and boldly sing,
Filling my heart with shouts of glory
And pure adoration and thanksgiving.

"To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul...For all the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies." (Psalm 25:10)

Butterfly House

for Denise Ray, who shared my pre-presentation anxiety...

Inside the butterfly house
A dim, worrisome silence
Screaming
With a giddy cry
For relief.

The butterflies' batting wings
Brush against each other
Roughly.
Begging to be let out
And know peace.

The walls that held them in
Feel their tension.
Pressure.
Causing the house to shake
With fears.

Words tumble out of the chimney
Of the haunted house.
Terror.
All the other houses in the neighborhood
Are watching.

And then the moment ends--
The butterflies rest,
Again.
The house settles down
To recover.

Inside the butterfly house
A bright, peaceful silence.
Singing.
The student's form relaxes--
Presentation complete.

In the Name of the Lord of Hosts

They jabbered fearfully about the hoots

Of Goliath. Shaking in their boots,

They didn’t care to lose their heads

That day I came to bring them bread.

It had been forty days without relief

Still I listened to their chatter in disbelief.

They focused on Goliath’s might

And not one man volunteered to fight.

I looked at them and said, “Wait, wait.

I think you’ve made a grave mistake.

It’s not your skills or your resources

Or the size of the Philistine’s giant or forces.

I will fight this Philistine

For my God will be with me.”

First I was unjustly charged

With pride, then given armor large

Enough for the Giant. I said, “No.

You don’t understand. It’s the God I know.

Not the armor of Saul or a shield or a sword

But the power of the Lord of Lords!”

I grabbed my sling and five smooth stones

And asked for help from God alone.

The giant laughed, thought he had won,

But I went in the name of the Mighty One.

As the giant fell so fell the scales

Off the Israelites' eyes. Their faith had failed

For their faith was found in the strength of man.

But now, they’d seen the Almighty’s hand.

They knew the truth: We only boast

In the powerful Name of the Lord of hosts.

"Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand... that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel..." (I Samuel 17: 45-46)

Myrrh

for Ariel and Rosie G., who first coined my nickname

Myrrh--
Bitter to the taste.
Hard brown stems
On small, scrubby bushes.
Not fit to give the King of Kings.

My heart--
Bitter with the flavor of sin.
Hard, cold, heavy.
Hypocrisy at its finest.
Not fit to give the King of Kings.

Myrrh--
Fragrant and Beautiful
When cut, broken, or crushed.
Perfect to be
That gift brought to Jesus.

My heart--
Fragrant and Beautiful
When cut, broken, or crushed
By conviction;
I brought it to Jesus.

He turned the bitterness
Into Joy
As I chose to forgive those who hurt me.
Songs flowed out as my heart
Shed Grace's fragrance.
Healing.
Peace.