Letting Go

Before I can talk on letting go of past hurts, I must take inventory. Where am I at? I still feel the sting of old wounds. I still remember what betrayal feels like.

To begin with, I must confess my confusion and fear. To remain in a state of denial, so I do not have to experience the pain, would ultimately be deadly. I must be able to cry and question Him, to fully experience the devastation, so that my perception of reality shifts and changes. The full realization of all that has been lost must sink in before healing can begin.

The Lord is forever and always His children's companion on this darkest of journeys. He bore more sorrow than all of us. No matter our pain, He has been there. He is there with us, now. He still bears our sorrow.

"For the joy that was set before Him, he endured the cross, despising the shame." He is the One who turns sorrow into joy, and shame into hope. If you will, imagine the worst that could ever happen. Such an event would mean the destruction of all things wise, beautiful, and loving. Yet that was exactly what happened at the cross! The death of God! Yet isn't this the best thing he ever did for us?

He conquered death itself for us! In following Him, now we are conquerors, too, even in the worst of circumstances! He changes what our past means by changing our future. Our pain he will change to his glory, and nothing will stand in his way!

Will You Turn Away?

This is not a place I like to be,
Caught between rejection and doing the right thing.
I made a choice to live my faith.
Someone's anger is the consequence it brings.

This world feels like a wilderness.
Only cold indifference in each face I see
for that bright hope that I have found.
Acceptance of the message is my fervent plea!

Why do you make it personal?
Make my character out as flawed?
Dismiss me along with my message?
To keep yourself from feeling awed?

Why do you feel God picks on you,
In trying to give you a life of joy?
Give up being all about yourself!
What advantage do you gain by being coy?

Surely such love cannot be weak!
Reaching down to the depths of men!
But if you want to climb up to where God dwells,
Only His strength will cleanse you from sin!

Oh, that you would let God comfort you!
Give in to His flame of burning passion!
Nothing you do in His name will be lost!
There is then only His rewards to be won!



Yes! This is written for you!

And Mauve Colored Dreams.......

I wander seeming aimless in this world feeling dazed,
Attempting to see beyond the corridors of the maze,
The noises which assault me are nothing but crazed,
And colors blur into a blinding amalgamous haze.

Perceptive reality reveals orange, red, and green,
Strident colors that are anything but serene.
How could they be happy that are so loud and mean?
That contend with others for attention; To be seen?

I turn my face away to seek the calmer hues,
Their intellect so polite, they leave me only clues.
That's where I have my happy place where I need not pay the dues.
Pink light of dawn in peaceful skies of panoramic views.

Mauve speaks to me of elegance and aesthetics so sublime
It coexists with everyone tranquilly through rhyme.
Such pleasure when seeing it must surely be a crime!
This vintage shade will never lose it's appeal over time!

The Glorious Freedom of the Children of God

Why do we do the things we do? What is our motivation? It is inevitable and unavoidable that whatever we cherish binds us to itself. If we are doing what we think we want to be doing, it may not occur to us that we are slaves. Something has to drive us. Passion will have it's outlet.

There is only one truth to which we need commit ourselves. "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." What is the truth that frees us? The confession of who Jesus is! ("Upon this rock I will build my church", the rock being Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ and God's Son. "And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.")

Nothing else need have power over us any longer! No more chains or prison bars! Nothing comes between us and the One who has redeemed us! Because of His love, we are more than victors over all the circumstances of our life. In living and even dying, we win Him! What a liberating reality!

"Those who trust in the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles."

He is Worthy!

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:12)


I believe the predominant emotion of heaven will be gratitude. We will finally be able to see and to understand the heights of God's grace and His provision. We would expect nothing less of our teacher after enduring pain and weakness for Him.

There are times, in the Bible, where God has deliberately tripped up men's lofty aspirations, and brought their dreams to nothing. (Remember the Tower of Babel?) In other places, he gives His faithful servants a "thorn in the flesh", or in other words, a handicap, to limit their strength to achieve on their own. Why has God placed boundaries on the glory man can attain for himself? He seeks to protect man from himself! We make poor imitation gods for ourselves, bent as we are on domination. Only when we put Him first and glorify only Him will He bring us with Him and will we be exalted with Him. Only He is strong enough! Only He can carry the weight of the world on His shoulders. Only He can battle evil and the grave and overcome! Only He can turn disappointment, disease, and death into glory! We will be ecstatic to share in His glory because He cared enough to do for us what we could not do for ourselves, so that He could honor us as we honor Him.

In addition to carrying our load, He has laid the foundation for our great joy. Joy is that extravagant blossom which only grows on and is nourished by the parent plant of gratitude. So our joy is born continually anew from gratitude. These two continue building on each other without end, an infinite crescendo of rejoicing, and it is all because of Him and for Him! Yes, He is worthy!

My Favorite Book

I just bought two books by Josh McDowell, "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" and "A Ready Defense". Books like these demonstrate the factual foundation of the christian faith. We can see that what we hope for is not built out of air and not based on wishful thinking. The evidence is overwhelming. Christians should be informed.

I Name Him Merciful!

Ever diligent is Satan in his efforts to make God into a liar. Isn't it a universal complaint of unbelievers that they won't subscribe to a God in the face of so much suffering in the world? Satan went to so much trouble to convince unsuspecting, ignorant man that God was withholding knowledge from man that would make man like God himself. Now Satan would suggest that God is responsible for the horrors of the consequences stemming from the choice to be without God.

We have forged the bars of our own prison, closed and locked the chains of our own making. God knew we didn't even understand this predicament nor have the strength to see to break free. God himself had to come for us. That light shining in the dark dungeon is Him standing, with the keys in His hands, waiting to unlock both chains and prison doors.

Ever willing is He, our God, and never failing of compassion. He is ever ready to halt the course of our destruction, but love will not force us. If we could just see His earnest desire, believe the One who wants the best for us, the truth would free us from our selfishness.

He does not have to punish us. We punish ourselves. As damaged and broken as we are, from our life of living without Him, when we genuinely ask for His help, He is already there for us. He has already made provision for our healing. There is no need for fear of that luminous, infinite future of grateful rejoicing and adoration of Him.

An Appeal to Reason: A Call to Arms!

I was taken aback by the antipathy with which others viewed my recent dissemination of some emails about Islam. I simply let the proponents of Islam speak for themselves. I posted pictures of demonstrations where muslims were carrying gruesome statements about what they were going to do to unbelievers. Isn't it helpful to know the truth of other's belief systems? Instead, I felt like a child, caught gossiping about other's dirty laundry, by those far older and better able to understand.

I was sending out a warning. I have a great deal of experience with a more personal form of terrorism. I know that if you capitulate to the pressure of induced fear, if you are conciliatory, then you are letting someone else tell you who you are. Ironically, if you decide to adopt the same violent methods, you are also letting them decide who you are!

After my initial surprise, that others thought I was being hateful, I realized what it was that I was missing. It took a sermon on evangelism for me to see what a christian, fighting, is supposed to look like! If we are to represent the light of truth (Because that is what He is) to a world drowning in sorrow, the war has to be fought on our knees! Once we are empowered by His love, our weapons are truth and good deeds! It's a battle out there! Are we ready to fight?!