Your Forgiveness For My Blindness

Your Forgiveness For My Blindness

February 14, 1986

When I was careless and evil in my ways
And when I thought my life was done,
You came and lifted me up,
And sent me Your only Son!

When I saw luck and ignored You
I started all over again,
But when I tripped and grappled for help,
Twas You who gave His hand!

In time I wondered what was going on,
So I determined to find out soon,
I found nothing and no one did this for me,
But the loving and caring You!

Spiritual Journey

Spiritual Journey

February 14, 1986

 

When you begin that spiritual journey,
Toward God as the only One,
You must overcome spiritual battles
As you are scorned and shun.

Satan will try to fill you with doubt,
For he knows what will knock you down;
He preys upon your weaknesses
And plays with your sights and sound,

When you stumble on temptations
You must see them for what they are,
For he tries to trick and snare you.
And catch you off your guard.

When the time comes that you fall down
And it comes to everyone,
Just turn away from Satan and the world
And toward Jesus--the Holy One!

Our Lord wants to help you
With things both large and small,
You must pray and ask in faith,
For Him to help you at all.

At times you may be broken down,
And desire a loving hand,
Just ask Jesus Christ the King
And get carried over the land.

When people spit upon you,
All for His Name's sake,
Then God will reward you with life eternal,
And heal your bruises and aches.

So as a baby Christian,
Your life might seem so mixed,
But aided by Christian friends and God
Your life will soon be fixed.

My Sister, My Friend, My Sister

My Sister, My Friend, My Sister

November 17, 2012

Distance in a relationship is a choice to consider.
While I live far away in view of lands, roads and hills
I choose to draw close to my sister, my friend, my sister
And how we grow together is based less on space than wills.

I would have chosen Kim to be my sister if I could,
As time and history decide that parents and God make this call,
She would be established with breath and body before I would.
Many of the days would pass before I would see this treasure at all.

Today, marks the day you were born in this world; November seventeen.
I will not be able to hike the Loop with you this brisk day as I’d like to
Nor go to the sun on that Glacier Park road, and share the lovely scene.
So I offer to my sister by birth this expression of my love toward you.

Distance in a relationship is a choice we have often considered.
While you among the stunning Rockies, and I among the Great Plains
We have chosen to draw very close my sister, my friend, my sister
And how we have grown together through many joys and pains.

Writing, calling, visiting, emailing, now even video conferencing on Facetime,
Can you imagine what form of pursuing friendship will be ours tomorrow?
Let’s make the choice to find every way to pour in this friendship in our time.
For the memories, for companionship, for treasured deposits into our trove.

Laughing, crying, praying, talking, walking, wondering at what life sent,
We have never known what each new season of time for us has held,
Like the great joy to share in your wedding to your love, your husband Kent,
And to watch your Josiah come into the home you have made in Kalispell.

Distance in a spiritual relationship is a choice made in Christ.
What can separate us now? Even heaven and hell cannot separate us in Him.
I choose to draw close to you my sister, my friend, my sister
May God’s Word, and Spirit and Church and Purpose draw us closer Kim.

Can you believe that Damascus Road intersected in our family, in our lives?
That we may have Life because God so loved us that He gave to us His Son,
Believing and trusting--in and beyond the earthly we know and under which we strive--
In Him, you and I will not perish but have eternal life, now, forever, together, one?

Talking together is one level of joy; praying together is another still
Sharing the company of each other is one, fellowship goes deeper more
Experiencing a path is one, to common purpose and worship raises us till
We spend thousands of years together as joint heirs in Jesus our Lord!

My sister by blood
My friend by choice
My sister by Christ.

I love you Kim, enjoy your days!

 

 

__________

 

 

I wrote this poem on my sister's 46th birthday.  Her name is Kimberly Ann Nelson, and she and her husband Kent and son Josiah live in Kalispell, Montana.

Inexpressible

Inexpressible

November 15, 2012

Thankful, grateful, indebted,
appreciative, gratified, pleased,
beholden.

For a mind to think,
For a heart to feel,
For soul to save

Appreciative, pleased, grateful,
indebted, beholden, thankful,
gratified.

For thoughts to ponder
For family to hold
For God to worship

Beholden, indebted, gratified,
pleased, grateful, appreciative,
thankful.

Too strong to be conveyed in words.

 

 

__________

 

 

I have found that for me poetry comes in creative stages and spurts.  There are seasons when I write many poems, and then long seasons when I write none.  I wrote this piece for a poetry contest on Allpoetry.com after 56 months since the previous poem.  The title of the contest was "Thankful to be Alive!"  In my mind, a fitting return to this creative expression.

He Lives No More

He Lives No More

May 2, 2008

 

The young man rose, so full of his ways,

He knew what he wanted to do

He was wise in his own eyes

He lives no more

 

I have been crucified with Christ;

and it is no longer I who live,

but Christ lives in me;

and the life I now live in the flesh

I live by faith in the Son of God

who loved me and

gave Himself up for me.   

Galatians 2:20

 

 

__________

 

 

This poem is a meditation on Galatians 2:20.  I am very grateful to the Lord for coming into my life, saving me from the penalty of my sin, and making me one of His own in Christ!

The Supremacy Of Christ:: For My Eyes

The Supremacy Of Christ:

For My Eyes

April 27, 2008

 

My eyes find much to look at in this world.

I'm drawn to the creation in all its forms.

The God-crafted art of a woman’s form,

The palette of colors the flowers adorn,

Yet I want more.

 

I want to know Christ.

 

I could spend hours adoring the mountains high,

With the trees and the fields all under the sky,

The handiwork of God in planets and stars,

The brilliance of the Sun, the contours of Mars

Yet I want more.

I want to know Christ.

 To behold with my eyes the One who created it all,

Who imagined the idea of winter, spring, summer, fall.

The gateway to my mind could be filled to the brim,

With revelations, images, glories of Him

Yes, I want more.

I want to know Christ.

Father, I repent of my most foolish exchange

Where I sought to worship the created thing,

For idols, I’ve abandoned worship to whom it is due,

Our creator, our Savior—my Master, my Lord , You.



I want more of You.  

 

 

__________

 

 

This poem originally was to be part one of several with the following titles:

 

The Supremacy Of Christ: For My Hands

The Supremacy Of Christ: For My Ears

The Supremacy Of Christ: For My Tastes

 The Supremacy Of Christ: For My Heart

 

The idea was to commit each of my senses to Him.  Perhaps I will return to this and finish the poetry project.  Romans 1 was a launching point of mediation for this poem.

I Have To Breathe Something

I Have To Breathe Something

April 25, 2008

 

Fire, Collapse, Chaos, Quiet.
I have to clear my mind.
What has happened?
Breath.
What is happening?
I have to breathe.
Fire, Smoke, Panic. Quiet


__________

A contest entry for: A poetry contest on Allpoetry.com with the prompt:  "I wanted to breathe smoke". 

 

It became sort of an uncharacteristically dark piece capturing the experience of someone in a collapsing building, like the twin towers collapse on 9/11/01.