Two Little Words

a worn picnic table
a cloud of dancing gnats
ducks coupling for a nest
a bird singing my mouth into a smile
and a wind that plays with the water
like Lauren's fingers in the sand
a worn pink leather bound world awaits
but it's only day two
already feeling a little worn
running from future failures
tilt a whirl mind spinning
but I know the joy waiting inside
for if I simply ask (John 14:14)
you'll be waiting with answers
in the silver tipped pages of Your story
and mine
but the wind of worry blows the pages
as my hand reaches to steady the peace
and Paul reminds me
of my baby step today
two infant words
that grow into a giant truth

let go

"There are different kinds of working,
but the same God works all of them in all men." (1 Cor 12:6)

"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. Don't suppress the Spirit, and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good." 1 Thessalonians: 5:16-21 (Msg)

"Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish." Luke 14:28

"God is not the author of confusions. Satan, however, is. If you are still confused--wait. Peace is the umpire." Patrick Morley

Fork in the Road

It took You seven days to create all the beauty in the world, so I figure seven days is enough time to make this decision . . .

I'm listening . . .

but it's hard to hear You

over all the what if's

thank you for this week

in this season of new life

one week

to clear my head

chase some silence

only to discover peace

Your will

the right decision

just You

I'm listening . . .

"For all your planning, events will sometimes unfold in ways you could never have predicted . . . Begin each day ready to educate yourself. Live each waking moment as if it might be a 'teachable moment,' a chance to expand your mind and strengthen your abilities . . . There will be days when you have difficulty chasing your red rubber ball." Kevin Carroll, Rules of the Red Rubber Ball

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. " Psalm 143:10

"To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue." Proverbs 16:1

"Ignorant zeal is worthless; haste makes waste." Proverbs 19:2

Riding in the Rain

drops slide down the dirty window

like a glass pinball machine
Your word sits heavy in my lap
I'm in those tough books
Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers
it all seems so gloomy
new rules dragging behind them

a rusty chain of punishment

fear fettered to obedience like a slave
a gray cloud looms out the window
but I know the Son is coming

so like a tender plant
and my little girl

I will raise my head,
arms out, palms up, mouth open
and take in

every drop of You

and go riding in the rain



"Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew;
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants."
Deuteronomy 32:2

Toss Your Cookies

(Paraphrased)"Americans have been given much, and much is expected. It's like a child hoarding all the cookies, unwilling to share. We often ask: Why don't I have more? But what we should be asking is: Why do I have so much? " Rob Wegner, GCC New Community 3/15/07

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11

www.globalrichlist.com

Lord, help me to find a way to use the blessings you've given me to make a difference on a global level. No more changing the channel when those big eyes filled with hunger fill the TV screen. No more running from the news toward the sweet comfort of complacency. Help me find a way to toss my cookies to those who really need them.

Once Upon a Stage

" . . .we aren't always looking for a push. Instead we just want someone to cheer for us . . . we all need people to encourage us to do the next right thing. From time to time, we all need standing ovations." Tony Morgan, Simply Strategic Volunteers

"I think there's a reason bedtime stories always end with 'happily ever after.' Once everything is happy and there's no struggle, then there's no more story to tell. We don't want to hear about happiness and peace unless the story also includes freedom and discovery. Without discovery all you have is monotony. Without freedom, utopia isn't paradise after all. It's just hell in a fancy prom dress. But God can create a better paradise than that . . . God's first words to humans were 'You are free'." Steven James, Story

"And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden . . . " Genesis 2:16 (NIV)

castles crumble into lumber and screws

costumes return to dark, dusty rooms above the seats

goosebump harmony fades in the echoes of an empty stage

just eight weeks and a few days

after freedom and opportunity met

and forty teenagers created two nights of beauty, laughter, and love

costumes and characters shed like snakeskin

as reality is waiting like an angry parent

alas, there is no more makeup to hide behind,

programs with their names have long since been tossed away,

and the applause died down like a wave

and who knows when the next one is coming

ready-made approval of a sea of faces

long since gone their separate ways

like confetti in a windstorm

My dear Friend,

My fellow fan of these precious kids

My Creator and theirs,

I just wish they knew

the true freedom and discovery

of living life for an audience of One

that life is not hell in a fancy prom dress

to see the potential they have

to create beauty, laughter, and love

every moment, every day,

for the rest of their play

on this stage called earth

only then will they experience the true

happily ever after

but for now I simply thank you

for eight weeks and a weekend of joy

with forty teenagers

Once Upon a Stage

Juggling the Red Rubber Balls

"What's your red rubber ball? What's your source of joy? What topics do you love to discuss and ponder? What dreams to do you chase? ... After all, where do dreams start? They start when we're playing, when we're free to run and romp around. That's when we imagine we're something bigger than we are. The red rubber ball represents play to me. It's any activity,topic or purpose that makes you excited about the day..." Kevin Carroll, Rules of the Red Rubber Ball

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing.To him he's always doing both." James Michener

"If I'm sleepless at midnight, I spend the hours in grateful reflection. Because you've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play. I hold on to you for dear life, and you hold me steady as a post."
Psalm 63:4-6

the microphone is changing
as the message remains
steady as a post
thy kingdom come,
thy love among
those who are running from
searching for
even fighting against You
but
there's more than one
red rubber ball
the pen of a writer
the heart of a teacher
the vision of story in the church
the hands of a mother
the romance of a decade old marriage
heartbeats racing for each one
like a mother with too many children to feed
but I look up to thank You
for too many dreams
too many playgrounds
too many books to read
too many convases to fill
for
too many ways to praise You