OUT THERE

Out there

you'll see it all.

The floating ends

will meet and mend,

and you will be yourself;

your fully formed,

though always changing,

self of selves.

Every clumsy backward look

will pay for itself.

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Image "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" courtesy of Flickr artist Gisela Giardino

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Every tear you've cried,

or wanted to cry,

will set your broken bones.

The rips in your heart

will no longer need to be guarded

by steel girders,

banyan tees,

or even rice paper.

Not so much as a

dragonfly's wing

will you need

to cover the bludgeoned place,

to protect the private you

you love so much

and hope to save intact

from what has seemed years

of relentless pummeling.

Go and live and love

in peace, my friend,

for surely there is love

to enfold you,

and life to be feasted upon:

your portion is boundless.

---

Image "Happy Socks" courtesy Flickr artist KeWynn Lee

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Love will be the more

you've wanted.

You will know it

when you see it.

You will love yourself

as no lover

has ever had the courage

to love;

and the warmth you've wanted

will line your pillowcases,

dance upon your windowsill,

and hide

at the ends of your socks

awaiting your toes.

-- Deborah Mears

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Jesus said, "I have come that ye might have life and have it more abundantly."  (John 10:10)  But what about when it hasn't worked out quite that way?  One of the fortunate side effects of the death of my bride is that I have discovered that I am powerless over my addictions and that my life had become unmanageable.  It is the latest step in my on-going process of dying to self and living to Christ.  It has helped me to see how I contributed to my bride's unhappiness and that fixing her was not and could not be the answer to my happiness.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)  We know and trust this to be true, even when God reveals things to us that are unexpected and calls us in directions we had not anticipated.

Remain faithful,
Dave

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A Friend of God

by C elkins

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I’ve no desire for world renown,
To wear a princely golden crown,
I won’t be tempted with position
Gold and silver in addition
I’m satisfied to be a clod,
If I may be a friend of God.

I'm not ashamed of earthy mode
Sufficient if humble abode,
I’ve no desire to be around,
Glittering jewels and pretty gowns,
To worldly fashion, not a nod,
That I may be a friend of God.

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Photo "Smiles" courtesy of Flickr artist Jerry Reynolds

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I will not strive for adulation
Nor for world’s congratulation
I do not care for fickle fame,
Brilliant lights to spell out my name,
Though I'm just one pea in a pod,
Still I would be a friend of God.

A friend of God, A friend of God
I want to be a friend of God.
I want to live the Living Word
To point men to the Living Lord.
A friend of God, A friend of God
Always I'd be a friend of God.

---

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.- John 15:15

Amazing Love! that the God of the universe wants to be my friend, and yours.

Remain faithful,
Dave

Amy's Song - David Harsh

Deborah Jabs (1960 - 2011)

The day you slipped away
Was the day my pain arrived
And I wonder how my life would be
If you were still alive
There's an emptyness within me
That is crying out your name
And no matter what I ever do
I will never be the same

Chorus:
And all I want to know
Is are you happy now?
Are you in the arms of Jesus
Can you see my life somehow?
As I sit here making wishes
That time will not allow
Please tell me
Are you happy now?

I think about the memories
And the time I had with you
And I laugh about the games we'd play
And the things we used to do
There is so much left to tell you
That I never got to say
And there are words I wish I'd never said
That I cannot take away

I can't wait 'til I can see your face again
In the house of our Father
Where the joy will never end
I can't wait to hold you close to me
And tell you that I love you
We'll be together in eternity

So as I walk along without you
In the years that still remain
I will think about you often
And smile through the pain
'cause there's a part of me that's missing
When you left and went away
But a part of you remains in me
And I know that it will stay

---

I really like the feeling and sentiment of this song, even if David Harsh and I disagree concerning what happens to a person when they die.
You can listen to David Harsh sing this song on YouTube here.
You can read the on-line Bible study, "Are the Dead Really Dead?" here.

Remain faithful,
Dave

Whatever You Think

Whatever you think, never think what you feel
You would blush, in the presence of God, to reveal;
Whatever you speak, in a whisper or clear,
Say nothing you would not like Jesus to hear.

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Photo True phone courtesy of Flickr artist Florian SEROUSSI

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Whatever you read though the page may allure,
Read nothing of which you are perfectly sure
Consternation at once would be seen in your look
If God should say solemnly, "Show me that book."

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Photo "Bibliophile" courtesy of Flickr artist K. Sawyer

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Whatever you write, though in haste or in heed,
Write nothing you would not like Jesus to read;
Whatever you sing, in the midst of your glees
Sing nothing His listening ear would displease.

Whenever you go, never go where you fear
Lest the great God should ask you, "How camest thou here?"
Turn away from each pleasure you'd shrink from pursuing
If God should look down and say, "What are you doing?"

Whatever you wear, can you be very sure
That the feelings it quickens are blameless and pure?
Would your face be unblushing and conscience be clear
Should your wardrobe be opened and Jesus appear?

When you think, when you speak, when you read, when you write,
When you sing, when you walk, when you seek for delight,
To be kept from all wrong when at home or abroad,
Live always as under the eyes of the Lord.

---

What a marvelous sentiment! Would your life, gentle reader, be any different, if you kept these thougts before you?

Remain faithful,

Dave

Land of Beginning Again

I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat by the door
And never be put on again.

I wish we could come on it all unaware
Like the hunter who finds a lost trail
And I wish that the one whom our blindness has done
The greatest injustice of all
Could be at the gates like an old friend that waits
For the comrade he’s gladdest to hail.

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photo by Lisa Allen

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We would find all the things we intended to do
But forgot, and remembered too late;
Little praises unspoken, little promises broken
And all of the thousand and one
Little duties neglected that might have perfected
The day for one less fortunate.

It wouldn’t be possible not to be kind
In the Land of Beginning Again
And the ones we misjudged and the ones whom we grudged
Their moments of victory then
Would find in the grasp of our loving handclasp
More than penitent lips could explain.

For what had been hardest we’d know had been best
And what had seemed loss would be gain
For there isn’t a sting that will not take a wing
When we’ve faced it and laughed it away,
And I think that the laughter is most what we’re after
In the Land of Beginning Again.

So I wish that there were some wondered place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.

by Louise Fletcher

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Oh, that we might have healing in every wounded relationship, past and present. Who among us lives without regrets? But be of good cheer: God has promised that He will wipe away every tear in the ultimate land of beginning again (Rev 21:4).

-Dave

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December is a time of reflection. The end of the year is upon us. We consider the past year and reflect on what has worked, what has not, what we did right, and what we wish we could have done differently. We look forward to January, to the season of beginning again, to the season of hope, to the season of, "maybe I'll get it right this year."

I originally posted this in January, 2008, and love it so much that I wanted to share it again.

Remain faithful,
Dave

Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of
Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,
back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present
makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,
small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,
chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,
promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by
presence, lean by faith, love by patience,
lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace
is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my
road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,
my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,
compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,
diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,
ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander
in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until
Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,
and work until He comes. And when He comes to get
His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.
My colors will be clear.

---

The preceding was said to have been found written on a scrap of paper by an African Christian pastor who was murdered the next day. Like Paul, he may have said,

2Ti 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2Ti 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

As the new year bursts upon us, let us, too, submit and commit ourselves to Jesus Christ that we might be able to preach, pray, or die at a moment's notice, unashamed, and with the peace that comes from knowing that our sins have preceded us to the throne of grace and been blotted out by the blood of Jesus.

Remain faithful,
Dave

I Asked God

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for ME to take away,
But for YOU to give it up.

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rose bud II courtesy of Flickr artist ceanandjen

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I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
It isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings;
Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares
And brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own! ,
But I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life,
So that you may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh;
Finally, you have the idea.

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1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

We spend our entire lives trying to shield ourselves from suffering, but God allows a measure of suffering that we might be perfected. Would you give God permission to make you perfect?

Lord God, give me the grace, the stretching and the growth that You intend for the experiences and circumstances that You have allowed in my life that I might be more fully fitted for the work You have for me to do.

Remain faithful,
Dave