30 December 2013

be there

I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security ... More than by fear of going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security, within rules which make us harsh judges, within habits which make us feel safe, while at our door people are starving and Jesus does not tire of saying to us: 'Give them something to eat.'”
-Pope Francis on the Papal mission

LOVE!!!

27 December 2013

sun and clouds

Pray as you can,
he says.

As you can...
what if I can't?
What if there are no words,
and I'm trusting that the
Spirit of God
knows what my heart longs for?

It's so grey,
today.

Even as I say that,
though,
the sun comes
peeking through the
heavy clouds.

He works like that,
right?

Light through dark,
sunbeams through the pouring rain?

Rainbows, right?

Pray as you can.

The Son is coming.



Love:)

R

23 December 2013

and he will be called

  For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.


 

Really?
 
This year....it's been rough.
Beautiful and glorious? Yes.
 
But also, maybe, the hardest yet.
And it is still dark.
 
Wonderful Counselor?
There were so many times when I didn't know what to say,
couldn't even find words to acknowledge.
So many times when I didn't know what to do.
In the desert canyons this summer, I read Isaiah 30:20-22.
 
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
    and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
    You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
Your own ears will hear him.
    Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
    whether to the right or to the left.
 Then you will destroy all your silver idols
    and your precious gold images.
You will throw them out like filthy rags,
    saying to them, “Good riddance!”
 
The way is hard to find,
but it's there.
 
 
Mighty God?
It's not that we don't know He is....
but sometimes you get so tired of waiting for Him to step in and save the day.
 
But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
    my cry to him reached his ears.
Then the earth quaked and trembled.
    The foundations of the mountains shook;
 
He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
    from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
    but the Lord supported me.
 He led me to a place of safety;
    he rescued me because he delights in me.
Psalm 18:6-7, 16-19
 
 
Everlasting Father.....
yeah.
God of the universe?
Jesus teaches us to pray;
 
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
 
Prince of Peace.
If I were to pick a word for this year,
the year of the whirlwind,
it would be Peace.
 
The year was not one of peace all around,
but it was one of learning to find peace inside.
To  hide in His Shadow, and watch the storm outside.
There was so much that slipped through my fingers,
so much that fell crashing down,
and there was so much peace.
 
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
Ephesians 13:13-15
 
 
Him and Him alone.
 
All glory to God, who truly is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
 
We are nothing without that.
 
 
Love:)
 
R

17 December 2013

marvel now


 Athanasius asks "How could He have called us if He had not been crucified, for it is only on the cross that a man dies with His arms outstretched?"
This is God, dying with open arms.
The Jews, confused and blinded, could not see past the darkness in their own hearts.
Why did He not free them from their oppressors?
Why was the kingdom He brought about one of peace?
They couldn't bear to see that the real war was over their hearts, that the conquering king wasn't to fight for victory against fleeting man,
but
instead over the  last and greatest enemy-
 death
 In His death, the broken world was atoned for,
and we were given a chance at redemption.
We were given life.

   As we reflect this Advent over the Word becoming flesh, we cannot allow ourselves to be numbed to the wonder of the Incarnation.
We do not serve a far off God, or seek blindly for truth like the world around us. 
We are broken, and yet we are healed.
The great Story is ours;
we have become a part of it.
We serve the God who knelt and washed feet,
who died with arms outstretched to the mocking world.
We are the reason He came.
We are loved.
When faced with that, what can we say?
What wonderful, upside down story are we now a part of?
As Athanasius writes in On The Incarnation-
O marvel at the Love of the Word for man!
 
Love:)
 
R

06 December 2013

lost and found

It's cold, tonight.
Dark, and starry, and silent.
These haunting, lovely words are so beautiful tonight.


There are wild things
just beyond the creche.
Pry loose an Advent
candle from its round
wreath and walk straight
past the doe-eyed virgin,
deeper into the world
he was born to save.
 
Jettison your meekness.
Cup your hand over the
flame, you’ll be exposed.
No, don’t look for a star.
Instead listen for the carol
of the trees as the wind
repeats its sounding joy.
You’ll feel more lost than
saved but that’s how the
prophets say it will feel
the closer your journey to
the coming arrival.

-John Blase
http://thebeautifuldue.wordpress.com/

work

If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner." (From Long Walk to Freedom, 1995)
-Nelson Mandela

01 December 2013

thrive - switchfoot


Been fighting things that I can't see
Like voices coming from the inside of me and
Like doing things I find hard to believe in
Am I myself or am I dreaming?

I've been awake for an hour or so
Checking for a pulse but I just don't know
Am I a man when I feel like a ghost?
The stranger in the mirror is wearing my clothes

No, I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
A steering wheel don't mean you can drive
A warm body don't mean I'm alive

No, I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
Feel like I travel but I never arrive
I wanna thrive not just survive

I come alive when I hear you singing
But lately I haven't been hearing a thing and
I get the feeling that I'm in between
A machine and a man who only looks like me

I try and hide it and not let it show
But deep down inside me I just don't know
Am I a man when I feel like a hoax?
The stranger in the mirror is wearing my clothes

No, I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
A steering wheel don't mean you can drive
A warm body don't mean I'm alive

No, I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
Feel like I travel but I never arrive
I wanna thrive not just survive

I'm always close, but I'm never enough
I'm always in line, but I'm never in love
I get so down, but I won't give up
I get so down, but I won't give up
I get so down, but I won; t give up

Been fighting things that I can't see
Like voices coming from the inside of me and
Like doing things I find hard to believe in
Am I myself or am I dreaming?

Am I myself or am I dreaming?
Am I myself or am I dreaming?

Thrive, thrive, thrive, yeaah, thrive

No, I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
A steering wheel don't mean you can drive
A warm body don't mean I'm alive

No, I'm not alright
I know that I'm not right
Feel like I travel but I never arrive
I wanna thrive not just survive
I wanna thrive not just survive

Yeah yeah
Feel like I travel but I never arrive
I wanna thrive not just survive
I wanna thrive not just survive
I wanna thrive not just survive

Feels like I travel but I never arrive
I wanna thrive not just survive

25 November 2013

(I am) the love addict- the lonely forest

Just when I thought I had nothing
Nothing good to give
You appeared, won my heart
And showed me I must die to live
Take my pride
Please remove these selfish thoughts
Save me from the world
I wanna be addicted to love
I wanna be addicted to love


A line of white is all my body really needs
The spirit sold for the lain to ease
But I know that this road,
It isn't going to bring me peace
Give me something new For my soul to use
Something beautiful for my heart to abuse
The drugs are never enough
I wanna be addicted to love
I wanna be addicted to love
I wanna be addicted

Why are we so, loveless?
I'm worried,
please hurry
And why are we so loveless?
I'm worried,
please take me home
I wanna be addicted to love
I wanna be addicted to love (I want to be)

11 November 2013

useful in His hands


“If you are going to be used by God, he will take you through a multitude of experiences that are not meant for you at all, they are meant to make you useful in his hands, and to enable you to understand what transpires in other souls so that you will never be surprised at what you come across.”
-unknown

08 November 2013

truth

FMF :)

The lies say I am not enough.

Truth says I am more than enough.


They say I am too much.

Truth says I am just right.


They say that He's holding out on me, echoing Eden.

Truth says that He heaps blessing upon blessing.

Over the storm,
the listening gets hard.
Lies come thundering in,
louder and louder and louder,
and I am afraid.

Truth blazes loud,
and I know.


 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free
John 8:32


Love:)

R

13 October 2013

what it really means

The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind:
 to make brand-new creation. Not to make people with better morals but
to create a community of prophets and professional lovers,
men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within,
who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God,
 who would enter into the center of it all,
the very heart
and mystery
of Christ,
into the center of the flame that
consumes,
purifies,
and sets everything aglow with peace,
joy,
boldness,
and
extravagant,
furious
love.
This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian.”  

― Brennan Manning

12 October 2013

this weekend

May you know the peace that comes from knowing Christ, and from being known.
May you experience the joy of life in both the routine and the unexpected.
May you have hope whether all is dark or all is light, knowing the light of Christ is greater than all others.
May you love and know that you are loved,
And may you see clearly your place in the greater body.
Enjoy your weekend!



Love:)
R

09 October 2013

1 corinthians 13:1-3

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.  If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

03 October 2013

write

Five Minute Friday :)

So there's a thousand things I've wanted to write in this space about, words looking for the right way out. 
Here's the biggest.

On the river this summer, I sat in a canyon all by myself, solo for a night, watching the golden light fade out of the canyon walls.
God and I, we talked for hours that afternoon and night.
I came into it a little afraid,
feeling like we might have to talk through some big hard thing,
or some unknown sin.

All that night,
all I could hear when I asked Him to be loud?

I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Know I love you. See how I love you. I love you. I love you.

We talked about lots of other things, too, and this Sunday, I lived out the biggest.
In front of my church, on a cold, windy day, I was baptized and declared to the body of Christ that this is my life.
I've known Jesus since I was four, followed him all that time,
but I've never been baptized,
and I knew that was something the Spirit was leading me to.
So in that horse trough in the wind and rain,
I said yes to taking up my cross,
and told the body of Christ that I want to unite with Him,
share in his life and death in the hope of resurrection.
It's all resurrection.

Yes.

I am loved. This is my life.
These are words needing to be written.


Love:)

R

26 September 2013

true

Five Minute Friday!! :)


What is truth?

Pilate, he asks these words of Jesus,
and echoes our heart cry.

What is true?

What is true about God?

What is true about us?

I know what's true about God.

He's always faithful, slow to anger and abounding-
abounding in endless, messy, grace filled love.
He died for my mess because of love.

It's harder to know what's true about me.  Let's be honest-
knowing ourselves for who we really are is hard.
I haven't had so much time to figure that out- I'm in my teens.

But I know this:
I am loved.

I am made to love.

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

That's my calling.

And Jesus?
He's the way, the truth and the life and there is no good outside of Him.

Yeah. That's what I know to be true.


Love:)

R

25 September 2013

edelweiss blessing

May the Lord, mighty God,
bless and keep you forever.
Give you peace, perfect peace,
courage in every endeavor.
Lift up your eyes and see His face,
and His grace forever.
May the Lord, mighty God,
bless and keep you forever.

-Edelweiss Blessing

12 September 2013

mercy

Five Minute Friday!!! :)

So often I fall,
and tarnish the name of Christ.

Forgive me Father,
for I have sinned.

Mercy.
Oh Savior,
have mercy on me,
a sinner.

And yet,
honestly?
Where do I extend this mercy?
I'm far too often quick to seek justice,
look  for wrong to be made right.

Yes, He's a God of justice-
God who makes the broken right-
then these words-

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

This is my calling- our calling.
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.


He pours out grace and mercy-
gifts of love,
paid for by blood of Him,
final and perfect sacrifice.

Here- take freely of it.

But O people, as Micah says-
give it. Love it.
Make it the very essence of who you are.

All because of love.


Love:)

R

10 September 2013

I will carry you along and save you

I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.
Isaiah 46:4


When life is heavy,
and the one foot in front of the other is hard?

Don't be afraid.

Don't stop.

We rest in the assurance that as a mother picks up her baby when he falls in the learning to walk,
so our God will catch us, and hold us until we can stand again.

We are taught to pray
Our Father...

We are taught to pray to the God of the Universe as Father.

A father does not forget his children.

Not today,
not ever.

Nothing escapes Him.

Nothing goes beyond the reach of His love.

Nothing is left uncovered by His grace.

Even in the dark,
He walks along waiting to catch us.

We are His.

Have hope today.


Love:)


R

fairy tales






09 September 2013

morning hymn

We thank thee that we have a father, and not a maker; that thou hast begotten us, and not moulded us as images of clay; that we have come forth of thy heart, and have not been fashioned by thy hands. It must be so. Only the heart of a father is able to create. We rejoice in it, and bless thee that we know it. We thank thee for thyself. Be what thou art—our root and life, our beginning and end, our all in all. Come home to us. Thou livest; therefore we live. In thy light we see. Thou art—that is all our song

-Morning Hymn, from The Castle by George Macdonald

31 August 2013

hallelujah - tenth avenue north


At first I am afraid
But not because of fear
But the holy of holies is drawing me near
Your voice like thunder
Shakes the ground I'm on

So hide my face in the shadow of Your wings, oh Lord
Hide my sin from the beauty here before Your throne, Your throne

Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
And so we enter in to see Your face, yeah
We enter in to see Your face, oh God, mmmm...

Well I'm falling to my knees
I feel the earth beneath
With the weight of my sin and this crushing unbelief
Could You really love me
With all that I've done, oh Lord

So hide my face in the shadow of Your wings, oh Lord
Hide my sin from the beauty here before Your throne
So hide my face in the shadow of Your wings, oh Lord
Hide my sin from the beauty here before Your throne

Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
And so we enter in to see Your face, yeah
We enter in to see Your face, oh God, oh God
We sing Lord

Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
And so we enter in to see Your face, yeah
We enter in to see Your face, oh God

You spread Your hands
And made a refuge for the weak
And blessed the weary bruised and broken
Took us in
Inside Your wounds we hide away
Inside Your wounds we hide

You spread Your hands
And made a refuge for the weak
And blessed the weary bruised and broken
Took us in
Inside Your wounds we hide away
Inside Your wounds we hide

Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
And so we enter in to see Your face, yeah
We enter in to see Your face, oh God

Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
And so we enter in to see Your face, yeah
We enter in to see Your face, oh God

30 August 2013

worship

Five Minute Friday :)

Worship isn't always a Sunday thing.

I get caught into the trap of believing that worship is only standing in the third row on the left,
singing the song projected onto the screen at the front of the room.
That it maybe is singing along to the playlist on my iPod;
but nothing more.

I couldn't be more wrong.

God and I- we're still working on my understanding of this mystery,
but we've come a long way.

I believe that every act of goodness, done out of a desire to be more like Christ, is worship to him.

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 6:6

Even before Christ became the final offering, the prophet Hosea speaks the heart of God.
God worship isn't sacrificing on an alter-
it is the daily sacrifice of self,
death to self in honor of God.

Music is a beautiful part of worship, yes,
but the heart of God is so much bigger.

Our lives are our song.
We are the offering.
This is worship.



And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
 
Luke 9:23-24
 
Love:)

R

10 August 2013

lonely

Five Minute Friday again- slightly late :)

Sometimes,
lonely isn't being all by yourself.
Sometimes,
the biggest moments  of feeling alone are when you're in a crowd,
and you're not the same.

Something different has marked you-
and the beauty and the pain of it has changed you,
and you feel alone.

That's a hard place to be.

The only way to peace in that time is remembrance-
that for those who know Christ,
we are never alone.

Though this road be shadowy and narrow,
we carry the light of Christ,
and we do not walk alone.

So in the midst of a crowd, or  by yourself-
have hope.

You are never truly alone.


Love:)

R

07 August 2013

creed - rich mullins


I believe in God the Father almighty
Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ
His only begotten Son, our Lord
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
Born of the virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified and dead and buried


 
And I believe what I believe
Is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God
and not
The invention of any man


I believe that He who suffered
Was crucified, buried, and dead
He descended into hell and
On the third day, rose again
He ascended into Heaven where
He sits at God's mighty right hand
I believe that He's returning to
Judge the quick and the dead
Of the sons of men


And I believe what I believe
Is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not
The invention of any man

I
 believe it, I believe it
I believe it
I believe it, I believe it


I believe in God the Father almighty
Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son,
Our Lord
I believe in the Holy Spirit
One Holy Church, the communion of Saints
The forgiveness of sin
I believe in the resurrection
I believe in a life that never ends


And I believe what I believe
Is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not
The invention of any man

01 August 2013

for when you don't know what to say

She'll carry the scars for a long time,
maybe forever.

Don't we all carry scars, though?
Won't we all have them?
Just some more visible than others?

Oh Lord, where are you?
Do not forget us here.

Sometimes I cannot see Him,
and the dark hangs heavy.

There comes a place when there are no words,
there is nothing left to say.

..the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
 Romans 8:26

You beg the Spirit of God to pray,
because you don't even have the right words for that.

Then?
You wait.

There is nothing left to do.

And you ask for peace in the waiting,
receive with open arms the calm in the midst of the whirlwind.

I don't have words.
I don't know what to say.

I have hope, though.

God is good.
I am so sure of that.

He is so gracious.

And today?

Today I choose to rest in that.

Love:)

R

               Psalm 145
I will exalt you, my God and King,
and praise your name forever and ever.
 I will praise you every day;
yes, I will praise you forever.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
No one can measure his greatness.

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
let them proclaim your power.
 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
and your wonderful miracles.
 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
I will proclaim your greatness.
 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy about your righteousness.

 The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
 The Lord is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation.
All of your works will thank you, Lord,
and your faithful followers will praise you.
 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;
they will give examples of your power.
 They will tell about your mighty deeds
and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule throughout all generations.
The Lord always keeps his promises;
he is gracious in all he does.
 The Lord helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
 The eyes of all look to you in hope;
you give them their food as they need it.
 When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
 The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
 The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
 He grants the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
 The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.

 I will praise the Lord,
and may everyone on earth bless his holy name
forever and ever.

29 July 2013

if- rudyard kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:


If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:


If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’


If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

21 July 2013

all the poor and powerless- all sons and daughters


All the poor and powerless
And all the lost and lonely
All the thieves will come confess
And know that you are holy
Will know that you are holy

All will sing out, Hallelujah
We will cry out, Hallelujah

All the hearts who are content
And all who feel unworthy
All who hurt will nothing left
Will know that you are holy

Shout it, go on and scream it from the mountains
Go on and tell it to the masses
That He is God

We will sing out, Hallelujah
We will cry out, Hallelujah
We will sing out, Hallelujah
He is God

19 July 2013

eugene peterson on the book of job, and suffering.

When these people go through suffering, their lives are often transformed, deepened, marked with beauty and holiness in remarkable ways....
...So, instead of continuing to focus on preventing suffering- which we simply won't be very successful at anyway- perhaps we should begin entering the suffering, participating insofar as we are able- entering the mystery and looking around for God. 
Pity can be nearsighted and condescending; shared suffering can be dignifying and life-changing.
...The mystery of God eclipses the darkness and the struggle. We realize that suffering calls our lives into question, not God's. The tables are turned: God-Alive is present to us. God is speaking to us.

-From the intro to Job in the Message

belong

Joining Lisa-Jo Baker over here for Five Minute Friday.
It's a little scary- but good. Join us? :)

Belonging  isn't something I've always felt....

I was always the tall girl.

The one who didn't go to their school.

Older than everyone, or younger.

Never quite the same.

As I've gotten older, though,

here in high school,

I've realized-

it's okay not to fit in.

Being different is what makes me me.

I am willing to be different.

And, after all, aren't I a stranger in this world,

in it, obviously,

but not of it?

Yes.

I don't need to feel the pressure to belong here,

because I'm just here temporarily.

And the little bits of fitting in?

Glimpses of heaven.

Finding my spot?

Being who I'm made to be,

echoing my creator,

in honor of Him,

being what He made me for.

Yes,

I belong-

in Him.

And that is enough.

I am content.

Love:)

R


17 July 2013

the road not taken - robert frost

 
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

12 July 2013

be still- the fray

 
 
 
Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10a
 
 
Be still and know that I'm with you
Be still and know that I am here
Be still and know that I'm with you
Be still, be still, and know

When darkness comes upon you
And covers you with fear and shame
Be still and know that I'm with you
And I will say your name

If terror falls upon your bed
And sleep no longer comes
Remember all the words I said
Be still, be still, and know

And when you go through the valley
And the shadow comes down from the hill
If morning never comes to be
Be still, be still, be still

If you forget the way to go
And lose where you came from
If no one is standing beside you
Be still and know I am

Be still and know that I'm with you
Be still and know I am

09 July 2013

the sound of a name and the sound of a breath

Breathing.
Hear the sound.
YHVH.
A name.
The name of God.
His personal name.
We say it Yahweh.
Listen again.
Yahweh.
He names Himself to Moses in the fire of the burning bush,
and it is a word that is the sound of the breath He breathed into Adam,
dust of the earth
in the beginning.
The very breath of your lungs echoing the Holy and Personal name of the God of the Universe,
Creator of words and worms.

YHVH.

Hear your breath.
He names Himself and then makes us breathe it out.
Exhale,
in fear,
exultation,
sorrow,
joy:
and still you say His name.

You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God
{Exodus 20:7a}

Only a few chapters later.
Do not profane the Name of the Living God.
Written in stone on the mountain for the people of stone hearts to see.

So if my every breath echos the name of the God of Lights,
how often have the words of this mouth of mine broken that command?
Angry, unkind, unholy words.

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
{Isaiah 6:5-7}

Unclean lips.
Speaking words that do not honor God.
Malachi writes

But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.
{Malachi 5:2}

he is like a refiner's fire.
His fire is the coal touched to these unclean lips,
His blood the covering of my guilt and atonement for sin.

I once was lost,
but now,
oh, but now I'm found.

In reflection of the God who sees,
I breathe out His name,
whisper thanks,
the name given to show that He is not far off,
not a distant God,
but one who gives us His personal name.
To breathe.
In all circumstances.
What grace is this?

Who are we?

A people of unclean lips.
Formed of dust of the earth,
to return to the dust of the earth,
but for love.

All is grace.
We are loved.

Echo the Name, friends.

Love:)

R

07 July 2013

psalm 34:1-18

I will bless the LORD at all times;
   his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
 My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
   let the humble hear and be glad.
 Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
   and let us exalt his name together!
 I sought the LORD, and he answered me
   and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
   and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
   and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps
   around those who fear him, and delivers them.
  Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
   Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
   for those who fear him have no lack!
 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
   but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
 Come, O children, listen to me;
   I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is there who desires life
   and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil
   and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good;
   seek peace and pursue it.
 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
   and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
   to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
   and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
   and saves the crushed in spirit.

05 July 2013

exodus 34:5-7a

Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name,
Yahweh. 
The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,
“Yahweh!The Lord!
    The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
    I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.

03 July 2013

lots to write

I have a lot to write about my trip,
but the words haven't been easy since I got back.
They'll come... sooner than later.

Love:)

R

28 June 2013

in returning and rest

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
But you were unwilling, and you said,
“No! We will flee upon horses”;
therefore you shall flee away;
and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”;
therefore your pursuers shall be swift.
 A thousand shall flee at the threat of one;
at the threat of five you shall flee,
till you are left
like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain,
like a signal on a hill.

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.


 For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

Isaiah 30:15-21