Persistent, Patient Savior

(Knock) "I'm desperately alone."
(Knock) "Distracted on the phone."
(Knock) "Mind's confused, unclear"
(Knock) "Overwhelmed, filled with fear,"
(Knock) "Guilt destroying me."
(Knock) "Sin blurring what I see."
(Knock) "Unstable, consumed with doubt.
(Knock) "I want escape, freedom, out."

(Open)
I have hope
I Repent
I Believe
I have forgiveness.

By Curtis G. Audet, © 2013, All rights reserved.

→ Show additional poem info

Author notes

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:15-22

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Ripton's Roar

Winter's cold,
but not cold enough to stop the flow
of Ripton's river old.

Out of sight,
still I can hear the water singing
as it runs with might.

Rocks abound
and liquid chords are played
as it flows around.

Sudden falls
great heights drum Ripton's roar
in nature's melodic calls.

Parallel road
runs down and along the river
hearing all that's told.

Ears hear
river ever telling of creator's glory
quelling my lonely fear.

 

________________________________

 

 

Route 125 is the state highway connecting Route 7 on the west side of the mountain and Route 100 on the east side of the mountain. Ripton, Vermont is the tiny town at the top of the mountain, just south of an area known as "Robert Frost Mountain". Middlebury River is a beautiful mountain river running along the road.

http://www.riptonvt.org/

www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Ripton&state=VT

Face Flush As Drinks Rush (Haiku)

 

 

 

face flush as drinks rush
down throat; bitter bites and stings
like an asp in end

______________________________________________

Wisdom from Proverbs 23:29-35

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
Those who tarry long over wine;
those who go to try mixed wine.
Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.
Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter perverse things.
You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.
“They struck me,” you will say,[i] “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I must have another drink.”

Aquarium Lives (Haiku)

Aquarium lives

bursting with colors orange

illumines my life

Father?

As I have received the call to father my four growing boys;
I have listened to tales by my precious wife of many years
With shaking soul she's often told me through her hurting tears
As an innocent child, wretched men treated her as their toys.

Some men she did not know, but they were not the first
They came along as she tried to find meaning in this life
In the beginning her trust betrayed, found shattered strife
Those called to protect her; treasonously were the worst.

As a man, I know about the sexual passion and the drive;
But I cannot fathom or accept the raping of a precious girl
Blindly selfish, tipping and turning upside down her world.
like disjointed verses of poems I observed in my lady's life.

Cinema often tries to tell the story, but may just fuel the fire
showing to our eyes the core level pain through bitter eyes
the sensuality and rawness, may entice the lust in selfish minds
boring deeper the desperate trouble in which our world is mired.

A father's calling is greater than an ocean, redwood or eternity
A calling, an appointing, a charge that cannot be lightly used
Will this man hold and love and care? Or will he hurt and abuse?
Who called you, O man, to love your girls and women you see?

God is our Father; revealed In His Word: loving, tender and kind.
Meant among His innumerable qualities to model for us a man;
And show us how to love, to protect, to value the best that we can.
Who among you men will embrace the call; courage and honor find?

Heart Presenting In (Haiku)

Heart presenting in
an odyssey begun with ring
no start and no end

The Seven Sons of Sceva

1. There were seven sons of Sceva who went from place to place,
Appealing against demonic spirits, commanding evil face to face!
"We command you by the name of Jesus, who is preached of by this Paul:
Depart from the lives of these helpless ones, leave one and all!"
And the spirits answered simply, for they knew Christ and Paul,
"Tell us who are you sons of Sceva? We don't know you at all!"


Evil is he who after your soul; evil is he who won't let you go!
But greater is He who is in your heart, than he who's in the world.


2. For the seven sons of Sceva, had not known Him personally,
this Jesus Christ whose authority, they used so foolishly.
The demons truly understood that these men had no power,
So they overcame and subdued them, even within the hour!
Then they drove the men out naked, wounded and disgraced;
all because they knew not God, their efforts were laid to waste!


Evil is he who after your soul; evil is he who won't let you go!
But greater is He who is in your heart, than he who's in the world.


3. Like the seven sons of Sceva, we often do the same.
We don't draw very near to God, therefore we fall back in shame,
Because we lack the strength to face them who strongly want our soul;
The Way of Christ is cleary shown us, yet there remains a tragic hole.
So before you stand to oppose the devil, drop down on bended knees,
Submit yourself therefore to Almighty God, only then, will Satan flee!


Evil is he who after your soul; evil is he who won't let you go!
But greater is He who is in your heart, than he who's in the world.

So devote yourself to Lord in prayer, draw yourself where the Lord is near,
Then stand against the arrows of Satan, and He will flee from you!

______________________________

In 1989 I wrote a song, "The Seven Sons Of Sceva" out of the story found in Acts 19:13-16. I made up the tune, and then a good friend, Faith Beam (now, Faith Wilson) put the song above to a written tune.

Acts 19:13-16 -13 "Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all[a] of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

A Necessary Painting Project

I arrived at this place at quarter to seven;
the long drive in was anything but heaven.

You see, I begin an ambitious project today,
One that I put off--things just got in the way!

Or likely it was me who put the distractions there
To stall for time, sort my thinking, to clear the air.

It seems the size and scope filled me with fear,
And a sense of doom grew as the time drew near

These vibrant colors will allow a new view on all
The past forgotten, freshness needed on this wall.

"Cover it! Make it go away!" This has been my plan,
"Do it quickly!" And then move on as quick as I can.

Avoiding this has not made the situation any good;
It was "Out of sight, out of mind!" as long as I could.

But delays only made an increase of a type of mold,
As the problems grew larger, as well as it grew old.

Like yeast that causes growth that is hardly seen,
It spews out bitterness, anger, its just plain mean.

I take a deep breath, start with a hug and prayer,
And truly own my own fault, and listen with care.

For the record, it is my pride that I must choose
to abandon--and my own selfish desires to lose,

Surely by leaving this world's wisdom far behind
I can now see that a hopeful future can be mine.

No longer cowardly, hiding or covering it up too.
God's Word and His Spirit leads us to make it new.

Engaging those people that I love brings the wins
Reconciling. Finding love covers a multitude of sins

By now boldly taking tools, the roller, the brush;
Tediously, courageously doing what I must.

There's A Hope Within Me

What is there to live for?

There's so much in life to live for.
Life is filled with joy each day.
There are people and places more
Richer, greater than I can say.

I'm in love with my wife, twenty two years,
I cherish my four sons, gifts each one
I have friends and family, far and near.
Chica, my dog; and where we call home.

Many are passions which occupy me.
I enjoy carpentry as my work each day.
Or up a winding path of rocks and trees.
Exploring, walking, biking along the way

But I ask you questions deep and great:
What happens when things go wrong?
When all I value is stripped from me away?
My health falters? or my life ebbs till gone?

What remains?

In Christ I have eternal life received,
Gifted mercy, forgiveness for my sin;
from the bondage of guilt I'm freed!
A fountain of life springing from within.

In the end, to Glorify Him.

Persistent. Patient Savior

(Knock)            "I'm desperately alone."
(Knock)            "Distracted on the phone."
(Knock)            "Mind's confused, unclear"
(Knock)            "Overwhelmed, filled with fear,"
(Knock)            "Guilt destroying me."
(Knock)            "Sin blurring what I see."
(Knock)            "Unstable, consumed with doubt.
(Knock)            "I want escape, freedom, out."

                          (Open)
                          I have hope
                          I Repent
                          I Believe
                          I have forgiveness.

________________________________

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Revelation 3:15-22

“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

So All LIving Thrive!

Seasoning with gracious speech,
loving others in words and deed;

Always with the Hope ready to share,
living out acts of kindness and care.

Lighting in the darkness to shine,
leading the lost in truth to find.

Telling of Jesus our Savior and King,
helping others who are dying in sin.

__________________________________

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses it's flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing, but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Matthew 5:13

"The Poem Of Your Life", sung by Michael Card

Here'e s link to Michael Card singing, "The Poem Of Your Life".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa1SD-eVhNc

Haikus

Here's some Haikus that I am working on:

Anyone have any pictures to post beside these poems?

____________________

1
Breath comes in richly
fills lungs, my soul with life, till
death comes in boldly

 2
Snow resting gently
white quiet on white, and wind
Wild blizzard brewing

3
Water dripping down
wrapping around the faucet
cold, building ice forms

4
Brief poetry song
blending five and seven sounds
a piece of music

5
Silence filling ears
Peace, tranquiity affects
lost by tinnitus.

Learning How To Write a Haiku

Recently, I challenged myself through a 20 word limit poetry contest to write a Haiku, which generally I have never liked.

I did some reading on how to write a haiku, and then posted the following for the contest:

Breath comes richly
fills my lung, my soul with life
till all is gone

Further reading, and comments from contest moderator led me to make the following changes:


Breath comes in richly
fills lungs, my soul with life, till
death comes in boldly

I like this one.  And, it follows the "rules" of Haiku writing.  Check out the links below and post one of your own here.

Have fun.

 http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Haiku-Poem

http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-a-haiku.html

 http://writeahaiku.com/

Letter From Petersburg, March 4, 1865

I'm writing, my dear Mother, upon hearing reports from early today
Tell of Lincoln's inauguration; Perhaps this will seal victory's sway.

Late riders came bearing noble words, "With malice toward none;
charity for all, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, as one

to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace
among ourselves, and with all nations." May warring finally cease!

Mother, most of these good men here are still much older than I;
Though each and every day more join in, while many others die.

I love you and thank you for kind words in fine letters I received
God willing I do not intend to give you a reason to be bereaved.

You know I turned twenty-two on January fourteen this very year,
I surely pray and feel that the end of this wretched conflict is near.

Four months removed, I'm still lifted by Mr. Lincoln's words and win
With what we are doing and what's at stake, I am grateful he's still in.

"I earnestly believe that the consequences of this day's work," said he
"will be to the lasting advantage, if not the very salvation, of the country,"

We blues are surrounding them greys with the brave Grant as our head,
Since I started at troubled Spotsylvania last May, following where he led.

I recall great Richmond, and our first throw against Petersburg this pest,
I try to forget many men I loved and lost at Cold Harbor, that crucible test.

News says Johnston's almost down, and out here we face the mighty Lee
Here in the South, Petersburg may be the final bloody battle that we will see.

My hope remains as I rest in the cleft of my Rock, in the Refuge for my soul,
Returning to you and father in a single piece, a country of peace, is my goal.

At the end of today, as I rest among the men, leaning against this oak tree,
I've rehersed my letter with a grasshopper that knows nothing of the scene.

I tend carefully to a little wound received in this day's battle on my thumb,
To both of you with perseverance, fondness, with love from your only son.

what's it like to be in prison

i wonder from
afar
what its like
to be in prison

to have walls
blocking
out the sunlight
warmth upon my face;
no joys and pains of relationships

to see wind
blowing
a woman's hair
and kissing her face
with passion and depth of love

to hear news
announcing
an event unfolding
with drama and wonder
and how it affects and impresses


i know a man in prison
alone
in his barred room
leaving when and how he's told
surrounded by grey and plain and drab

i wonder if the man would be
encouraged
if I paid him a visit
maybe played a game of chess
or checkers or cards; or maybe not

i've heard how we are
blessed
if we move to our unknown
and bring gentle words of care
and leave our security, and see him in prison

i don' think i'll overcome
anxiety
that i would change
the ways things are and go
since I see that i am the man in prison

Who It Is That Can Amend A Choice Made?

Who it is that can amend a choice made?
That can draw back water bursting the damn?


I was lured and enticed by my own desire.
I am madder about it than I was before
All the choices I pursued; I call this 'too late'.

Need reduction of this poison in my soul
That digs and twirls within my orbit
Consuming the fiber of who I am
Uniting self destruction with living.
The desire conceived gives birth
Producing death deep in my soul.

This is my dilemma: I waged war
in my mind to consider slight an indiscretion
To allow my guard to be lowered at battle;
Creating a growing, spreading iridescent stain
like blood and soil and water, arriving
To allow the crease, then the crack,
the choice to sin that threatens my life.


Who it is that can amend a choice made?
Only He who commands souls and tempests be still!


___________________

This piece was written for a contest at allpoetry.com. 

The following word list was given as a prompt:  iridescent, crease, slight, arrive, unite, madder, fiber, reduction, dilemma, poison, twirl, orbit

With the word list, I began to think about James 1 and Romans 7.

Romans 7:21-25
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

James 1:13-18
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[d] 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 

Carpet On The Floor

On a winter day
I find another way
To settle down
In a chair I found.
Letting my feet be wrapped in the carpet.

Waiting there
Almost everywhere
Not a single sound
From the little mound.
Spread wide open on the floor.

A best friend
Doing what it can
To warm my soul
When I am cold
Much more than simple furnishing.

Dark in the room.
Sun will be up soon.
Beside the bed.
Near the head.
I stepped on the edge and it yelped.



______________

Like a carpet on the floor, ever present, ever ready to warm and cheer, our dog, Chica is near her people.

I To Work, You To Wait

Passionate love;
Best when pure,
Married.
Free from chains;
Open to share:
Aubade;
sung to you
While I to work,
you to wait
until dinner.

______________

I tried writing this new piece on a Prompt from a poetry contest on allpoetry.com. 

Of these words, I chose "aubade - A love song which is sung at dawn".  As I researched the word, it appears that frequently this word is used of unmarried lovers together, and then parting in the morning.  The word doesn't demand this usage, so I use it in this piece to portray the satisfaction of an intimate relationship between two married people deeply committed to one another.  Let me know what you think of it.

Prompt

Choose one word and do it well in 25 words only...

acosmist - One who believes that nothing exists

paralian - A person who lives near the sea

aureate - Pertaining to the fancy or flowery words used by poets

dwale - To wander about deliriously

sabaism - The worship of stars

dysphoria - An unwell feeling

aubade - A love song which is sung at dawn

eumoirous - Happiness due to being honest and wholesome

mimp - To speak in a prissy manner, usually with pursed lips

• Closes13 days from nowor after 7 more entries.
• Awards200 for gold, 150 for silver, 100 for bronze.
• Categories:and comment focussed, contest, imagery.71views
• Not anonymous - the host sees your username
• Prewritesare not accepted.

Rules

• 25 words exactly (nothing less, nothing more
• Only one word
• Left aligned
• Capitalization of the first person pronoun 'I'

On Today

 

Lord, too often I am seeing

That I miss what I am being

In lieu of affections somewhere else.

I labor on toward a prize

Not designed to avert my eyes

From the grit of living right before me.

You called me in life to live

In dynamic relation give

Sacrificial love to those in my reach.

Though heaven in due time will call

And earthiness from me will fall

Today's the place needing my attention.

Fill me with Your spirits power

For demands of this very hour.

That I might be Your hands and feet here.

 

 

______________________

February 7, 2013 - For the second time this week, I am sitting in an emergency room chair shifting uncomfortably, trying without success to drift into an elusive sleep.

The times I have been here--or a place like it--over the past several years have been too many to count. The experiences generally blend into a single element of a much larger picture.

It's occurring to me again that while I sit here in this chair best suited for Papa Bear, my dear wife Mineke is--again--experiencing physical health issues and is getting much needed treatment, care, and now rest after days of throwing up and dehydration.

How easy it is for me to focus on my comfort level of the moment and then forget this. How easy it is to have my mind consumed by the events of the day, the schedule of tomorrow, the financial concerns; you know I could go on.

Jesus zeroed in on this as an issue of walking in faith, trusting Him in all situations. Allowing yourself to be fully on what circumstance He has called you to; and what precious people He has called you to share life with. In Matthew 6:34, our Lord puts it this way: "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." I want to be all there on today.

Father, please forgive me for being self absorbed and failing to put my all into attending to the needs of Mineke, my wife, my fellow heir in Your calling of life.

She is resting, her eyes are gently closing; we have a few minutes before the doctor returns with instructions. Up on the wall, the hands on the face just moved into the new day; now I'm thinking through capturing these thoughts.



Poetry Contest: John 11:1-38

Go to allpoetry.com. Contest title is John 11:1-44. Read this passage in the Bible. Enter your poem on this website; all other entries will be viewed and judged according to these rules on that site.

Rules

• Read John 11:1-44 and write a poem expressing your thoughts, reactions, questions, responses to this reading.
• Your poem needs to be between 5 and 25 lines.
• To qualify, you need to read and comment on each entry.  Brief comments ok.
• Allow permission for me to post your work, with credit to the author on my blog.  poetry-lost.blogspot.com

Contest closes on February 14, 2013.

Found Under The Sun

 

Found Under the Sun

Darkness.
Sounds of fear.
Weight of wonder.
I open my eyes. I search for something known.
My God what happened?

People.
Faces with fear.
Confusion and resolve.
My eyes lock on my son. Someone I know!
Whispering prayer to God.

Chaos.
Order erased.
Heaviness; feeling loss.
We try to find meaning in this puzzle.
Father, we are leaning upon You.

Hope.
Ray of warmth.
We struggle to gain the sight.
Sun pierces through our eyes!
You never left, forsook us.

 

**Written for an allpoetry.com Contest, "End Of The World" with the following direction: 

What would you do if you woke up one day in a bomb shelter and the world ended? You woke up not knowing where you are or how you got there. You leave and see everything is gone.

You job is to detail what you see, how you feel ect. I want your vision and version of how you think the end of everything is.

I want feeling and details. Do you have a love? family? Do you see any others? Do you find the cause? Start again? End yourself? What do you do? 

80 words, no more, no less

The Case Of The Missing Peanut Butter Cookies

Crumbs upon the yellow plate.     

Mocking me who chose to wait.    

Wafting scent of peanut butter.  

Dreams of six on one another.  

Lonely glass of undrunk milk     
Kitchen witness of varied ilk.     

Echoes of the sound of moving. 
Dark concealed something doing. 

No fingerprints of man to find.     
No special marks of any kind.  

A moment I was on the phone.
My dog rests smiling all alone.

The Dead Man's Poem

The Dead Man's Poem


Word of God speaks:  Come forth!

How do my dead ears hear?

How can my dead eyes see?

What? These limbs three days in the grave

Have strength to stand? To walk?

How am I able to unfurl the wrappings of the dead

That encircle my body?

Oh! The stench of my rotting flesh overpowers

Even the burial spices.

How can this dead nose sense these fragrances?

I was dead.

God has given me life!

Word of God speaks: Believe!

Pierce with Sword of  Spirit in my dead ears;

Strip the scales of blindness from my eyes!

God, raise me to walk in newness of life,

Grant me strength in You to stand;

Spirit of Christ quicken life in my soul

No boast, no work can I do, just receive!

No righteousness of my own, His given to me!

No place in  heaven can I earn, trust Him!

How can I, so wretched and full of sin,

Be cleansed by Your shed blood

You have given me eternal life!

You've Come With Me

You've Come With Me

When I asked you to join me,
I admit I did not really see
what lie before us around the corner.

I had much in the way of dreams
that worked only in my head, it seems
Until we got to each of the places.

I found I had nothing to hold
except visons and plans so bold
With a tear I look into your eyes now.

I feel that I have let you down;
that you may be sad with what you found
here together holding my hand.

We still may have days to go.
The future I still do not know.
but I'm glad you've come with me.

Be All There

Be All There

January 22, 2013

 

Being there doesn't preclude wanting to be there
Wanting to be there doesn't promise intentionality
Intentionality doesn't automatically bring competence
Competence starts down a path of committment
Committment demands sacrifice
Sacrifice requires selflessness
Selflessness allows love
Love establishes a relationship
A relationship has meaning.
Meaning brings purpose.
Purpose points to design
Design bring fulfillment.
Fulfilment leads to completion.
Being a dad, I want to be all there.

Vermont Trip For Christmas 2006

Vermont Trip For Christmas 2006

Mineke Audet  -  December 17, 2006

 

I am so excited, I just can't wait to go,
My sons will get to see Vermont in the snow.
They say they have, but I say "No",
Oh well, I guess I don't really know.
I know we have four days until we go,
And there is so much to do you know.

We will clean, pack and clean some more,
Will we ever get to go out that door?
There's something I forgot; there must be more!

Just four days until we go.
I have so much to do you know.

Whatever I forget, Oh well!
Upon that I cannot dwell.

Oh, I can't wait to get out that door,
We will definitely get out that door!

I thank the Lord for the trip we get to go,
I want to ask Him for lots of snow.

He's Out There

He's Out There

By Mineke Audet  -  August 20, 2008

 

He's out there somewhere,
He's now all alone,
He's out there somewhere,
left by himself to roam.
He's out there somewhere
I hope he's okay,
He's out there somehwere,
When he should be home,
a better place to stay.
Right now he wants his freedom,
He wants to do things his way
All we want for him is that
he would be safe.
To trust that we know a little about life,
We don't want to cause him any pain,
frustration or strife.
We just want to guide and prepare him
for the world outside.
But if he continues down this road,
that will no longer be in our hands
to decide.

 

 

__________

 

 

This poem was written by my wife Mineke when one of our sons was struggling in drugs and other lures of a self destructive kind.

Without Reservation

Without Reservation

January 13, 2013

 

Son, yesterday you deeply wounded me,
Its critical that you clearly see;
I release you; I set you free.
I choose to remember no more
And accept you without reservation. 

 

 

__________

I wrote this poem as an entry on a contest at Allpoetry.com.  The subject was forgiveness, and emphasis was made on the brevity of the piece.  The poem was limited to 31 words.  I structured the poem lines by syllables for balance and flow.  (10-8-8-8-10)  Unlike my poem, "Released!" which explores repentance and forgiveness along more than 30 long, thoughtful lines, with this poem, I seek to distill the idea of forgiveness to a few definitive terms:  "deeply wounded", "critical", "I release you", I choose to remember no more", "I accept you".  Addressing my "son" here is meant to see that the idea of forgiveness is not general, but very personal.

The Folly Of Hell

The Folly Of Hell

November 19, 2012

 Something there is about a place called Hell.
For who would a place like this be devised?
For the wicked sinner who fails to repent?
For the ignorant who does not take the time?
For the intellectual’s calculation that it doesn’t exist?
For the demonic beings who reject the Creator God?

Something there is about a pride so great
That one would persist to embrace it close;
While the God of the Universe has set face
against the one who refuses to abandon it.
Till a person understands that they must humbly
Submit their heart and soul to their Maker.

Philosophy lightens the Biblical view of Hell,
With devil and demon and pitchfork and laughter;
But Dante was wrong about this place called Hell;
There is no one who is "king" and "master" to rule
Over other poor souls residing in this fiery place.
For Satan himself is chief among the tormented.

I’ve heard them say, “All my friends are going
Down to this place called Hell, and I want
More than anything to enjoy it with them.”
Do we want to share with friends a slip on the ice?
A hit on the head? An accident in our car? A severed leg?
A cancerous tumor? Perhaps misery does love company.

I’ve heard them say, “I’d rather be a mighty king
ruling in hell than be serving a god in heaven.”
Does anyone really reign in a chaotic fire?
Where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth?
Is there an order of honor and authority
Among masses of drowning souls in the sea?

If I had the chance to look in the eye of a friend,
Who under the wrath of God remained;
And who faced his sin and the penalty of
In his future in the eternity.
I would plead with every effort of my soul,
My dear friend: Turn and repent!

Something there is about an eternity of Hell.
And the souls who will reside there forever;
When the Savior came to seek and to save
Those who are lost and those who are perishing.
He who dies upon the cross bearing all the guilt and sin
So for the eternity they who believe would not have to.

 

_____

 

My thought in writing this piece is to consider the foolishness we often have in light thinking about the reality of the future eternity.  Those who have the Son of God--Jesus--have life given to them by grace.  Those who do not, face condemnation for their sin.  I in no way relish the idea of people being in Hell.  Instead, I shudder at the thought.  If you are offended or troubled by this poem, please write me; I would love to talk with you about the magnficent grace of God which is available to you through Jesus Christ. 

 

Jesus said the most famous words:  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."  (John 3:16)The idea here of "perish" is continued in the next verses:   "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”  (John 3:17-21)

 

I love my family and friends dearly, and desire you all to come to repentance and find life if Christ.

 

CA 1/21/13

Fear & Faith

Fear & Faith

January 20, 2013

 

If I had one gun,
I would never run.
And if I was there,
I wouldn't be scared.

To shoot a child
Is no action mild.
There's another way,
Or there's Hell to pay

How can I see
God working for me?
When evil shoots
And a demon loots?

To hold my boy,
I'm filled with joy;
Unless its said
He is now dead.

Are you here God?
It feels so odd.
For faith to trust
Yet now I must.

 

__________

 I hosted poetry contest on Allpoetry.com called, “Growing Through Tragedy" following the 12/14/12 Sand Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, CT.  I chose to express my own feelings on this as well as invite others to express their feelings..

Psalm In The Fog

Psalm In The Fog

January 11, 2013

 

Far strayed from the comfort of my vision

Out of colors to this deep grayness;
Going to specific place I cannot find.

 Finding hope in revealed words.

At a juncture I have read of;
In the middle of his will.
Thankful for the direction.
Hopeful for future.

__________

I wrote this piece as an entry to a poetry contest on Allpoetry.com in January.  The prompt was as follows:  Fog is your prompt. It is the foggy season here in California's San Joaquin Valley, so I that is why I picked it as a prompt. You may write about literal fog, or you can use it as a metaphor, whatever works for you.

Introducing my subject, Hebrews 11 says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.  By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."  (Hebrews 11:1-7)

As here stated, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen; or, poetically, the fog. 

Wall

Wall

January 7, 2013

 

I’ve come to this place where the siege is to be set;

Comrades swarm about, all of which I have long met.

 

A master among generals makes ready a tedious plan,

Carefully crafting, playing with his soldiers in the sand.

 

Tailor making the schemes to dismantle this noble foe

Fashioning flaming arrows, determining where they go.

 

No arrow tip is not designed to pierce through their arms

No efforts are spared to affect their maximum harms

 

The object is clear declares the demon who leads us;

He paces as a hungry lion, “Devour the man I must!”

 

We will manipulate, accuse, deceive to gain the edge,

Set traps, seduce, use his weakness to drive to ledge!

 

Ah, but what dogs my general the most he will say:

“That damned wall must come down—now find a way!”

 

But, plead we, “It’s guarded by the blood and prayer

Till now, we are ineffective to destroy this fortress lair.

 

This city rests on the Power so we cannot do a thing!

The city deifies you to the extent it submits to the King.”

 

Ah! if only this place had not a stone and cement wall

We could gain eternal advantage with no trouble at all!

 

His King is his strength and strong towner and might

In Him they find refuge while fixing on Him their sight.

 

We exploit; they say No! to lusts of their own desires

Unmovable on the King, this wall for a calling higher.

 

 

__________

 

 

In this poem, the wall is a metaphor of the protective wall surrounding a city illustrating the protective nature of the fruit of the Spirit, self control. Proverbs 25:28 says, "A man without self control is like the city without walls."

The master general Satan is devising wicked schemes to destroy God's people. Only by submitting to the King and fixing our eyes on Him do we gain strength to say "No" to the desired of our own flesh which will be manipulated to take us down. (1 Peter 5:6-11; Ephesians 6:10-20, Hebrews 12:1-2, Titus 2:11-14).

Another word for self-control is "temperance".

 

I wrote this as an entry in a contest on Allpoetry.com with the "fruit of the Spirit" as the prompt.  I won secnd place in the contest.

Fox Stealing Down The Hill

Fox Stealing Down The Hill

January 6, 2013 

It’s not common a thing to see a red fox

As he is coming from or going to an errand.

 So during or January drive cold and gray

I looked to the north and past the crest of snow.

 So why does he run the great risk of being seen?

What critical deed did he have an engagement with?

 Darting eyes, concealing walk, sneaking posture;

Believe does he that no One watched his moves?

 Were there scraps of a holiday feast to steal

From the can with the loosened lid on the deck?

 What dangers that threaten our security and dream

That guile like a red fox we will exchange it all for?

 

 

_________

 

 

On an early morning drive from our home in St. Charles, IL to our church in Aurora, IL, I spotted the red fox coming down the hill from a home near the road.

Released!

Released!

December 13, 2012

1 How many bitter days have I been languishing in the darkness of my wretched cell?

2 A sliver of moon taunts me from a hole overhead, mocking choices I didn't make well;

3 Rats--I think--stir from one corner to the next stealing a repose of sleep I wish to find.

4 This chill curses my soul each day I am; this abyss drills against pleas of my mind.

5 This floor is rough, hard and cold, the blanketless bed is also coarse, hard, also cold.

6 The bars I see in the shadows are pitted with rust; the walls are creeping with mold. 

 

7 Only the memories of the freshness of life I once knew slay me more than this place

8 Where stubbornly I seized my unrepentance with passionate, intoxicating embrace.

9 My bones rot; they ache from the depths inside to the surface of flesh on the outside

10 Here I wade deep in what seemed as pleasure but has pierced deep, gashing wide.

 

11 Why did I resist my kind mother Wisdom? Why did I molest dear Hope, my friend?

12 Why did I spurn old sage Instruction?  Why did I laugh at teacher Time to this end?

 

13  So now I pray;  I turn and cry out for mercy; I seek out the Lord for his forgiveness.

14 I recount all my choices, and I call them sin, and I refuse to make their weight less.

 15 I intentionally move my heart from loving them to hating them; with purpose I recall

16 Those many prideful ways I cursed my Savior and I turn toward the Lord with my all!

 

17 I pivot on my heel of wedged arrogance from despising him to humbly seek the One

18 I look upon Jesus, him who was pierced through for the trangressions I have done.

 

19 I uproot my dependence upon my vile, foolish ways, and plant my trust in his grace.

20 I avert my eyes from the consuming lust of my flesh to gaze upon his glory, his face.

 21 I abandon my wicked path which I was so intent on descending to my peril, my doom

22 I kneel without delay, without making excuses, I own my sin in this place, this room.

 

23 What amazing grace this is that I, an enemy, an adversary and dead man can repent!

24 What stunning reversal that His righteous anger toward me, on Christ Jesus is spent!

 

25 I look up on the tree where my condemnation is thrust upon Him--a time of release!

26 Undeserving I am, I receive this position before my new Father, a position of peace.

 27 My Maker, My God, the Great Holy One, made flesh, crucified for me; died for me,

28 I have been mightily released from my prison of self destruction; I have been set free!

 29 All my sin forgiven! All in your eyes remembered no more!  All cast from you so far!

30 I am released from the prison of my sin, my choices, my thinking, my evil of heart.

 31 I am freed from the bondage of the weight of guilt; I give thanks to you O Lord!

32 No longer an object of your wrath, but a receiver of your comfort, and your Word.

 33 Blessed am I, I am the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

34 Blessed is this man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, made pure and loved!

 35 You God are my salvation, my strength, my song; I will trust, and will not be afraid;

36 You have become my salvation: I am released, forgiven, my terrible debt of sin is paid!

 

 

_________

 

 

On the occasion of a poetry contest on Allpoetry.com, I took up the challenge to write a piece to carefully consider the nature of repentance and forgiveness. While I won the contest, it is the forgiveness for my sin that the Lord has offered, and given me is the most phenomenal gift of a relationship with him that I wanted to express the point of mind and heart when through repentance of sin, and trusting in His work on the cross, we are truly forgiven. 

The Riddle Within The Wrapping!

The Riddle Within The Wrapping!

December 12, 2012

 

I'm made round and long, built for fun
with metal blades and with none,

I am walked to the top of the hill
Ridden to the bottom is the days drill,

I am locked during summer in the shed
Freed in winter on the snowy knoll led.

I ride on top the snow, mud and ice,
Pressed and packed down real nice.

I carry child, man, beauty or beast,
I bear the rich, poor, great or least.

I come in colors blue, yellow and red
I slide, I race, I play, I am a sled!

 

 

__________

 

 

This poem was meant as a fun riddle for the Operations Team Christmas Party at Harvest Bible Chapel in Elgin, IL where I work.  I gave a plastic saucer sled as my white elephant gift.  I tried to conceal as much as possible what it was, and put this riddle on the gift tag.

 

 

  

Unfolding Silence

Unfolding Silence

December 6, 2012

 

I come deep into the woods to find silence;
My dog dives in the snow while I enjoy the hike
through drifting white rising over my knees
I see the fluttering cotton resting upon the trees.

Inches on the ground, with more inches in the air,
Sound deafens in these woods, captured and subdued.
I speak and the voice drops in the bank in a grim mood
And even the wind embraces the trees with soft solitude.

It insulates; it absorbs the noises leaving only nothing to be heard.
Little by little I tune in my ears to observe the unfolding silence,
I could stay out here today, and perhaps even another day.
If only--yes, if only--from the business of life I could find a way.

 

 

__________

 

 

Beginning some time in 2010, I noticed a significant decrease in my hearing.  I first am accompanying tinnitus while hiking in the deep snow with my dog Chica in the Poplar Creek Forest Preserve in the same year.   I hiked a lot that year since work slowed down considerably, eventually leading me to accept a position as carpenter at Harvest Bible Chapel, in Elgin, IL.