A Poem For My Husband

A Poem, You Want?

How can a cloud write

A poem to the sky?

A reef write

Lyric to the ocean?

As a cloud isn’t made by the sky,

But water;

And a reef not made of the sea,

But bone;

So I am in you,

Not of you

And I am made alive by you.

You.

My place.

My purpose.

My potential.

Only you and no one else.

In you I am the me intended.

For, could a cloud fly under ground?

Could a reef be a home, a refuge for so many

Anywhere but the ocean?

And you,

How empty would be the sky without clouds?

And dead the sea without a reef?

You may not ‘need’ me

But are made whole and delightful, and life-giving

With me - and no one else.

I delight in you and am made alive

Only in you.

You delight with me and are made alive

because of me.

Bringing renewal to each other each day;

Yet enduringly, everlastingly steadfast;

We are always the same

To those who gaze up with squinting eyes and awe;

And to those who smile down and wow

Through the glass bottom of a boat.

We are us in this world

Because of you,

Because of me,

Because we love.

And for that I am forever in love with you.

A poem, you want?

Don't we live in one?

'Tis The Season

There comes a time when you hit a season of life where realizing commitment means putting your nose down and pressing forward...to not reacting but moving on...realizing that you don't need to add your two cents because the truth will be made known anyway...a time to suck it up and lean in... to show love no matter what. 

Church Is The Mission. It's Not Irrelevant

The more I deepen my faith, the more I realize that 'the church' is the mission field.  To give up on it, to abandon it, would be like a soldier abandoning their post; like a mom abandoning her child, like a spouse abandoning her marriage; like an artist abandoning their canvas; like the Colorado River abandoning the Grand Canyon.  The church exists so that we can do our work glorifying God and we exist to be a church that glorifies God.  The things that arise from that work...that are forged from that work, are beautiful and messy, pristine, and complicated, perfect and chaotic: on both the worker as well as the subject, the two of which are indistinguishable at times.

What Kind of Person are You?

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can get going without energy pills,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can overlook it when those you love take their troubles out on you,

If you can take criticism without resentment,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can face the world without using lies and deceit,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no 

prejudice against social status, handicaps, race, color, religion or politics,

Then, my friends, you are almost as good as your dog.

given to me by my good friend and fellow dog-lover, Eric

Gotta Love Ben

What's the significance of Benjamin Netanyahu using one of Jesus' analogies in reference to the new President of Iran, Rouhani, calling him a wolf in sheep's clothing? From historical account we know how Jesus coined this analogy when he explains how to watch out for false teachers and prophets saying, "They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them."  

At his UN speech yeaterday, PM Netanyahu said, "Now I know: Rouhani doesn't sound like Ahmadinejad. But when it comes to Iran's nuclear weapons program, the only difference between them is this: Ahmadinejad was a wolf in wolf's clothing. Rouhani is a wolf in sheep's clothing, a wolf who thinks he can pull the eyes -- the wool over the eyes of the international community."

Thank you  PM Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of Israel, for referencing OUR Messiah!