my little corner of the world

The Blessed Life (The Beatitudes)

2012-02-15T20:54:00.000-05:00

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blessed are those who lose what's dear
until their kiss one cannot retrace
then the precious One will then appear
with open arms and sweet embrace

blessed are those who are content
those grateful for their lot and name
for them are heaven's blessings sent
gifts of which no hand can claim

blessed are those who hunger great
for Abba's beauty to ever long
for Abba's kiss to ever wait
to thirst for His affection-song

blessed are those who truly care
for those with compassion's eye
for those whom His name they bear
for them does Abba draweth nigh

blessed are those with undivided eye
with a single passion can they see
the world and God who reigns on high
with humble heart on bended knee

blessed are those who pursue His peace
the precious ones who stand in between
causing all rage and riot to cease
inheriting a new earth serene

blessed are those who ever stand
through persecution and lies
for them the kingdom is at hand
for they only live for their Abba's eyes

My Love...You Are...

2012-02-14T17:41:00.001-05:00

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you are...ocean
i am...sea grass
as you rise
i...rise
as you break
i...rejoice
as you fall
i...rest

you are...wind
i am...gull
as you lift
i...soar
as you blow
i...wheel
as you flow
i...abide

you are...music
i am...heart
as you play
i...dance
as you sing
i...weep
and as you whisper
i fall in love...again...and again

To Those Who Suffer

2012-02-13T06:23:00.000-05:00

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i wish you hope for your troubled heart
i hope you wisdom will light your way
i hope courage will never you depart
i hope light for you in your darkest day

in the crucible of your hurt and grief
in the tearful times of your darkest hour
there seems to be not a moment's relief
only rolling thunder and evening shower

not a single teardrop hits the ground
that does not fall into the Father's hand
not a single cry or a mournful sound
will miss his ear and Him understand

these present pains remove the veil
the illumination of the mystery
that every pain, hurt or fears that assail
are making us radiant souls for all to see

we are stones in the sculptor's shop
with chisel and hammer and piece by piece
does the artist chisel and never stop
until He's made His masterpiece

so I join with you in time of trial
and lift you to the Father above
to offer encouragement and a smile
and to point you to the Father of love

one day you will shine as bright as the sun
and all of these sufferings will melt away
but now it is for the race to be run
until the dawning of that glorious day

7 Ways To Win My Daughters Heart

2012-01-31T06:20:00.004-05:00

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I am challenging myself over the next 30 days to gently and intentionally win the heart of my daughter. These are seven ways that I will be seeking to accomplish this:

1. Get to know her; pay attention; establish communication

I will seek to be a student of her life, her interest and her world. I will seek ways to creatively communicate with her to better understand the language of her heart.

2. Learn to trust her; give her responsibilities

I will try and find ways to work together around the house. I will give her responsibilities. I will find ways to help her confidence grow and self-esteem blossom.

3. Be totally honest with her; show no hypocrisy

I will be real and consistent in my walk before her. I will be fair in my discipline of her. I will come clean when I blow it.

4. Be her inspiration-not just the enforcer; be an example

I will make sure that there is a solid relationship between she and I. I will focus on making deposits in her emotional bank account. I will seek to know her love language and know what a deposit is for her. I will seek to inspire her as well as guide her.

5. Praise her; encourage her; build her self-esteem

I will find something good in her every day. I will find creative ways to share how proud I am of her.

6. Share your heart with her; impart a vision what you see her becoming

I will find those teachable moments and make opportunities to impart to her a vision of who she is becoming. I will bring God front and center into her life and our relationship.

7. Spend real time with her; share common interests

I will have fun days and dates with her. I will identify favorite places that she likes to go. I will develop traditions with her.

These are the things (by His power, His Spirt, His grace) that I will seek this month to work on to win and sheperd the heart of my little girl.

Hope, Like A Stallion

2012-01-31T03:17:00.000-05:00

She comes in her slow, steady rising
She comes in her sweet, subtle way
Like chrysalis so ever surprising
Opening at the break of day

She greets each broken heart with a kiss
She sets each soul afire withe her flame
No despairing heart does she miss
Knowing each face, each story, each name

Like a stallion running wild
Untouched, untamed by human hand
Only to be ridden by a child
Who rides with joy and not command

She stands and waits with open arms
With lantern walking through the night
In sweet embrace, each heart she warms
With song, with whispers, with utter delight

May I Have This Dance?

2012-01-31T03:15:00.000-05:00

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So many princesses at the ball
Running and playing to and fro
Does she really notice me at all?
This blue-eyed wonder with face aglow

I've watched her grow through the years
In her castle while she is at play
She runs past me then disappears
Will I win her heart someday?

I've seen her dancing in the fields
With friends, with joy, with plunder
With a heart aflame and such energy yields
Can I catch this blue-eyed wonder?

How I desire to win her heart
To be her prince for endless days
With a tender love to her impart
To be worthy of knowing her ways

So as I walk across the floor
A fatherly joy so fills my soul
To ask the princess I so adore
To join me as we stroll

I stoop down on bended knee
And ask "May I have this dance."
She giggles with joy and glee
And gives her Daddy the rarest chance

To dance with her hand-in-hand
To stay in step with her wonderful ways
To try to listen and understand
Her now and through her childhood days

Before the clock strikes the midnight hour
And the coach takes my princess away
My God, be my guide and my power
To win her over and lead the way

A Lil Midnight Lullaby

2012-01-29T23:35:00.001-05:00

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Good night, sons and daughters of the rising Son
You princes and princesses that are seated on high
All of the day's care is now finally done
And the call of the nightingale draweth nigh

I send you sweet music from my golden lyres
I send you sweet dreams from the beams of the moon
I send you sweet songs from the angelic choirs
As you dwell among the stars in sweet commune

Good night, precious ones who bear His kiss
As you sail among the clouds and the evening breeze
Sweet dreams and rest in His peaceful bliss
Til the sun rises again above the trees

A Sonnet of Liberation

2012-01-26T14:36:00.002-05:00

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why take the road of bitterness?
and so quickly our liberation miss
becoming possessed by such a flame
a slave to its destructive passion
seeing souls without a heart or a name
negating others in souless fashion
forgiveness is a liberation
that breaks the bonds of hostility
to cling not to anger's strangulation
instead releasing hate of enemy
freedom and joy is what is at stake
either love abides or all joy forsake

The Sacred Tapestry

2012-01-25T01:49:00.000-05:00

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Life is a sacred tapestry
Each of us a holy thread
This interweave, a mystery
Of brown, white, yellow and red

We all begin upon the loom
Made by the Weaver's skillful hand
Knitted together within the womb
Into the Mosaic forever planned

Each thread of body and soul divine
Each pattern a masterpiece conveyed
Each thread together to entwine
Each so fearfully-wonderfully made

By candlelight in sweet seclusion
In darkness were we greatly wrought
In an instant came the holy fusion
The masterpiece the Weaver sought

Forebear a thread to e'er be broken
Upon the Weaver's sacred loom
Each thread of His creation spoken
To come unraveled in the womb

Life is a sacred tapestry
Each of us a holy thread
The interweave, a mystery
Of brown, white, yellow and red

Praise To Our Triune God

2012-01-17T19:35:00.000-05:00

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mighty God and sovereign is He
majestic, transcendent and great
thrice holy-pure to the highest degree
omnipotent and glorious his weight

sovereign Jesus so mighty to save
beautiful Savior-Messiah who reigns
prophet-priest-king his life he gave
lord of the universe he remains

sovereig Spirit who is love and fire
who quickens-empowers us who believe
who consumes our spirit and soul entire
whose power each moment is for us to receive

praise to the Father, Spirit and Son
praise to the Godhead ever glorious
praise to the God who is three-in-one
by whom we're redeemed,sustained,victorious

One Red Memphis Morning

2012-01-15T23:59:00.000-05:00

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the sky was red one Memphis morn
blood shot clouds filled the air
a prophet died yet freedom born
screams and tears soon everywhere

songs of we shall overcome
echoes of let freedom ring
as they marched to liberty's drum
following onwards Dr King

his voice still rides the wind
as our voices join the song
in love's name to e'er defend
singing boldly, fearlessly, strong

let justice like waters roll
to cleanse the hearts of hate
and restore each bitter soul
less death to be our fate

like ashes from the Memphis ground
rose a phoenix from the embers
and the songs of freedom still resound
on this day, the soul remembers

I Dreamt A Winter Landscape White

2012-01-09T02:03:00.000-05:00

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I dreamt a winter landscape white
Under the light of a silver moon
The snow, the chill, the stars so bright
Cast its spell and this heart ever swoon

I dreamt of elves and fairies blue
Flinging pixie dust far and wide
With ancient canticles to make slumber ensue
Upon the waves of the cosmic tide

I dreamt of a world by candlelight
In a snow-filled sorrowful land
Offering prayers and hugs throughout the night
With each person joined hand-in-hand

I dreamt of souls without walls or fear
Of deep friendships so strong and true
How everyone would have a friend so dear
Bringing encouragement and life anew

I dreamt a winter landscape white
Under the light of a silver moon
The snow, the chill, the stars so bright
Cast its spell and this heart ever swoon

A Pow Manz New Year

2012-01-07T20:57:00.000-05:00

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jus anotha year in garbage canz
anotha year on da street so tuf
anotha year to holds out my handz
anotha year jus lonely and ruf

all i gots is my bags n my mut
all i gots is my groshree cot
and cahdbowd boxes for a hut
and a lonely n a browken haht

day callz me slack n lazy
day callz me trash n a bum
day callz me insane n crazy
day callz me a fool n scum

i jus wants to be wanted
i jus wants luv n care
nots to be dissed n taunted
jus a cup of cawfee to share

well i do havz ma jeezus
but duz his peepuz see da poor?
the homeless he cares n seez us
but duz compasshun in der hahts endure?

i gotz uh story, uh face, uh name
der aint nothin fa u to fear
nothin fa u to pity or shame
in dis lonely n hurtsful nu year

Come Away

2011-12-29T21:18:00.003-05:00

To Ken and Carla
A Tribute to their Blessed Union Tommorrow

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(Note: This poem's imagery comes from the Song of Solomon. The poem's voice is the groom singing to his bride. The poem reflects the intimacy of true love and joy that comes from a divine union of husband and wife).

Like the death of winter you came
Like the passing of winter rains my heart did you claim
Yes, you are to me as a spring breeze
You are like shafts of light, breaking through the trees

Arise, sweet one and come away
Rise with me like the coming of a summer's day
Wherever you step the lilies rise
And wherever you go, all I see, are the bluest skies

This day all my icy fears and tears do you melt
In the sunlight of your angelic face, true love is felt
My precious.....listen....and your heart prepare
For the laughter and music that now fills the air

Come away with me and let us dance
In the unfolding of this joyous and sacred romance
Listen to hear the dove and the nightingale
As they open our eyes and remove the veil

Into this land of abundance and grace
Into these lush fields of joy and sweet embrace
I place my hand on your heart as a seal
And I place my hand in your hand as i kneel

Upon His love I pledge my life
Upon His love I ask you to be my wife
For His loyal love is stronger than death
His love is alive and as close as your breath

His passionate love is like a fire
That flames up to consume our hearts entire
Though floods and rains may try our hearts to drench
These many waters, our love it will not quench

For This is the love I offer you this day
This-our eternal bond that will never pass away

I Offer You....Love

2011-12-24T21:45:00.000-05:00

let us not only love by the giving of gift
knowing the madness. gift is not love,
for gift destroys gift and giver's heart sift
causing gift to hide all gifts from above:
tis a rare gift to give only heart
to offer the heart's word and the heart's eye
to listen long and true love impart
this love as gift is a love ever high
love is no season's fool, tis not red or green
it is timeless fire for all soul's need
it will not us and other idol come between
tis only for the passioned, hungry heart to feed
so i this season give you my self, my soul
and offer a simple, single love divine
and may it meet you as true gift to console
and Christmas and its love will then so shine

(Copyrighted) Please enjoy, but don't copy. thanks.-BC

The Child That Left The Manger

2011-12-24T21:43:00.000-05:00

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Lo, how our God so choosing
His silent way to save
With Satan's grip now loosening
By the gift the Father gave
He came, that winter's night
Amidst a sleeping world
To bring love and holy light

The earth is now still sleeping
In darkness does it lay
And we the world still weeping
Most lost and gone astray
The child has left the manger
With sword and bleeding heart
Kissing every seeking stranger

(Copyrighted) Please enjoy, but don't copy. thanks.-BC

Love's Mark

2011-12-18T12:54:00.000-05:00

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love leaves her indelible mark
at first kiss, her first spark
i cannot resist her fire, her power
as drawn to the fragrance of her flower

love's fulfillment is truly found
in two hearts by affection bound
and there is no promise of tommorrow
only present love and no future borrow

let us with mirth and laughter dine
as our hearts together so intwine
this moment seals our affections sure
with prayerful joy our love to endure

The Beauty of Love

2011-12-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

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o to dwell with you by the sea
with wave upon wave of joy unending
in an ocean of felicity
with pleasures ever coming-sending

to drink deep of you in fullest measure
your succulent delights i seek and savor
to taste your sweetness my highest pleasure
of your heavenly fruits like no other flavor

o to climb your mountains ever high
in the forests and fields of your grandeur i see
there to lie in your meadows under bluest sky
with all this unfolding beauty and love for me

One Winter's Morn

2011-12-11T10:05:00.000-05:00

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one winter morn so crisp and cold
through the window I did behold
sunbeams through icy branches unfold
with the sparkle, magic, and gleam

with my coffee cup in hand
i surveyed this scape so grand
this snow-covered, wintry land
as from a portrait, a movie or dream

o to keep this moment in my heart
as the glimpse of beauty's greater part
does even now its grace impart
in every glance and every joy i esteem

The Birth of Will Franklin

2011-12-09T09:37:00.000-05:00

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where did you come from baby dear?
from God's own hand to us appear
in the miracle that lies before us here
as we cherish each teardrop shed

where did you get those eyes of blue?
to shine like morning drops of dew
causing our hearts to sing anew
as we kiss your little head

what makes your forehead taste so sweet?
each spot, sweet honey, our lips to meet
from your head down to your tiny feet
as you lay upon our bed

what makes your smile such utter bliss?
as we greet each cheek with tender kiss
no other moment compares to this
as we ponder your life ahead

One Winter's Night

2011-11-27T23:52:00.002-05:00

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the frost alive and sharp the night
a night that steals our autumn breath
and winter's teeth our skin to bite
with leaf and grass now put to death

yet winter revives my slumbering heart
its throbbing in sight of every star
with silver moon rising to me does impart
kisses my eye and soul from afar

o that i could make this my spirit home
that winter's wonder would mantle me
to become one with its magic as i roam
all winter's beauty that my eyes do see

Many Places

2011-11-26T08:23:00.000-05:00

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I passed by myself the other day
He with...boxes and bags
I........with journal and pen
I said..."Where are ya headin?"
He sighed..."Many places."
"How about you?"
I replied...

"Many places."

I Do Not Wish You Happiness

2011-11-24T19:02:00.005-05:00

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I do not wish you happiness
For in troubled times it melts away
if by wind we gauge what we possess
then no abiding joy will be each day

i wish for you a life that's strong
to thrive on whatever comes your way
that through all storms you'll have a song
that in all things, content you'll stay

i wish for you a life that's wise
for a soul that drinks deep from the well
that above all struggle you will rise
with all compromise to say farewell

i wish for you joy beyond compare
a peace that dances through the night
a heart with wings to wheel the air
until you reach that heavenly light

Remembering Blair

2011-11-22T22:08:00.001-05:00

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one winter's night so white and dreary
he rode his horse so tired and weary
his eyes became so chilled and teary
through coldness, through snow, through rain

his memories of her, so clear and gladdening
precious moments now, so joyful-saddening
at that moment became so mournful-maddening
through the shadows, the woods, the pain

moonbeams came down, so bright and glistening
his hurting heart, now sublime and listening
was suddenly struck with winter's christening
by the name, the date, the refrain

his sweetest Blair, now still and froze
that Christmas eve, the Father chose
to offer her angelic clothes
for greater life, greater worth, greater gain

he read "she came as a moonlit beam to earth
as a star did she shine in the sky
to many she bore witness and they felt her worth
til that eve she was called on high"

each tear fell, so faint and so fleeting
there he laid a rose so crimson-greeting
to her heart, was he so crying-entreating
for her presence to touch him again

then a moonbeam touched, his eyes and face
slowly warming his heart as a divine embrace
to remind him of that eternal place
where none will grieve, or hurt, or wain

on bended knee, did he reflect and pray
as his mournings with wings soon flew away
caught up now in the shining of Christmas Day
with renewed joy and hope to remain

Mary's Song (Lk 1:46-55)

2011-11-18T21:06:00.003-05:00

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The Lord, my soul does magnify
To God, my joyful heart's expressed
My lowliness has caught His eye
And through my life all will be blessed

God's wonderful works have now come near
Blessed is His holy name
Whose mercy is found with all who fear
With every generation the same

To the hungry, He is their supply
To the needy, His heart overflows
To His people, the apple of His eye
Truth does He speak and great mercy shows

Blessed am I that saith yes
Who on bended knee says be it so
For through my son will the world be blessed
And from my womb His glory show

Headin' Home

2011-11-16T17:31:00.002-05:00

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(remembering the departure of a good friend)

He spoke each parting word
With tear-filled heart and eye
The only thing to be heard
Was the laughter between each sigh

For we knew that he was leaving
And all our hearts were grieving
With my son's arms to him cleaving

As the exhaust rose from the bus
The smoke from our breath did rise
And the autumn winds did gust
As the fall leaves fell from the skies

He heard his kinsmen calling
As all our tears were falling
With our tender moments recalling

With final hug he walked away
Placed his bags in the compartment below
"We love you" is all we could say
True friendship is all we cared to know

We saw him climb on board
With a burning heart for his Lord
A young man with a life now restored

The Kiss of Winter

2011-11-16T09:34:00.003-05:00

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by the lamp post she quietly stood
amidst the cold, white, new-fallen snow
encircled by an evergreen wood
as under the light it did sparkle and glow

her heart welled up a childish delight
as she danced under the starry skies
twirling and laughing through this magical night
like a meadow of red butterflies

she laid in the snow making angels divine
as the flakes kissed her angelic face
with rosy cheeks her face did shine
as she felt sweet winter's chilling embrace

upon the bench with mouth open wide
she tasted each snowflake falling down
there in the twilight she felt inside
the joy of winter's magic all around

before she left this sacred place
she blew a kiss to heaven above
for these moments of winter's grace
and for His snow-falling kisses of love

Gather By The Fire

2011-11-15T20:21:00.001-05:00

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Come little one, sit on my knee
Let us recount the ancient story
Of how Christmas truly came to be
How the God-child came from glory

Let us unwrap the mystery
Of how the manger held a King
This greatest gift of history
Of whom we carol and angels sing

So precious one, come listen well
As I retell the Messiah's birth
The One who cast salvation's spell
And brought good will and peace on earth

Faith's Lullaby

2011-11-15T20:05:00.001-05:00

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Good night precious, go to sleep
As a lamb under the Sheperd's keep
Rest my angel, close your eyes
Under the moonlit skies

Night is falling, angels calling
Daddy's near, have no fear
Abba stays right by your side
To ever there abide

Little dove fly to your nest
Under folded wing to rest
Dream and fly through starry skies
Til the morning when you arise

Night is falling, angels calling
Daddy's near, have no fear
Abba stays right by your side
To ever there abide

A Call To Give Thanks (Ps 105:1-11)

2011-11-14T06:34:00.005-05:00

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give thanks and call upon His name
among all make known His deeds
sing praise to Him and of His fame
and all that from His hand precedes

to His name ascribe him glory
let those that seek Him so rejoice
while remembering the wondrous story
of miracles and the judgements of His voice

He is our God and awesome Lord
whom all His ways are just and sure
who is loyal to His promised word
as His covenant will always endure

The End of Bitterness

2011-11-13T13:56:00.000-05:00

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forebear the Spirit to ever grieve
by grace and holiness forever sealed
by the gospel that we now believe
and of its power to now be healed

bitterness starts as a tiny seed
in the soil of our hearts soon taking root
descending deeply as we daily feed
soon breaks the ground as a slender shoot

though our wounds so ever bleed
with anger and wrath so close at hand
can take control if we ever concede
to its contol and its command

for peace are we to ever strive
with everyone in tenderness
as forgiveness keeps our hearts alive
without it we'll never see His blessedness

forsake all wrath, let not it smolder
may our anger not join with setting sun
or malice and slander shall we shoulder
and Satan's whispers will have won

shall we never fail to obtain His grace
shall we never let bitterness ever spring
to dismiss our witness and become a disgrace
to defile our brother's by anger's sting

only the Father can so reveal
the true estate of our bitter heart
only His grace, our hearts to heal
only by goodness, will bitterness depart

let us search our hearts to ever know
if there be any wicked or bitter way
with a renovation of heart to undergo
as we are fed and led to a brighter day

The Call of the Sea

2011-11-10T22:30:00.003-05:00

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through the window there comes a breeze
that faintly smells of wave and foam
and through the rustling of the leaves
i hear distant waves so calling me home

as i closed my eyes i could hear the clang
of the shroud against the mast
from the depths of being my spirit sprang
like the passion from a lover's past

like a gull i glided above trough and crest
of wave after wave crashing in my soul
this ocean-heart beating in my chest
in this longing for sea-winds taking control

i casted off the ropes and caught the wind
through the channel and out to sea
with gull and star to be my friend
with a heart set ablaze, a heart set free

with tiller and mainsheet in my hand
and the Southern Cross to be my guide
i lost all sight of life and land
with only the Captain by my side

so long to harbor, to land, to ease
goodbye to comfort and all of his kin
for my life was made for open seas
and never for land to see again

Caedmon's Hymn (a transliteration)

2011-11-09T08:35:00.001-05:00

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Hail the keeper of heaven's realm
Captain at the universe's helm
Great Creator that rules in might
Whose ways and thoughts are His delight

He is our Lord and Eternal King
The Architect of everything
Whose heaven's declare His glorious wonders
And by whose word the cosmos thunders

This Lord of glory forever reigns
Whose word of power so sustains
The Lord of middle-earth and men
Whose power and love it finds no end

On the Eve of an Autumn Walk

2011-11-07T19:05:00.000-05:00

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today...
the oaks caught fire
the maples drew flame
a mosaic
of life's joys
of life's triumphs

the leaves ran with the wind
down the path
the path of time
of my many moments
of my many intentions

leaves like acrobats
falling....falling
sacrificing their life
for my beholding

remembering
my life's falling
sacrifices made
disappointments had
my life's years
caught up in the wind

today...
the oaks caught fire
the maples drew flame
on the eve of an autumn walk
i was raptured
into the mosaic of life

Autumn Sunrise

2011-11-06T07:23:00.003-05:00

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good tidings does the sunrise bring
as the dawn rays peek through the trees
in morning light as the winged ones sing
do all my cares fall like the autumn leaves

There's A New Sun Arisin

2011-11-06T00:56:00.001-04:00

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there's a new sun a-risin behind all that seems rainy and grey
above all disappointments and despair does it so arise
burning the mist and piercing the fog as it all melts away
bringing a brighter day and those clear and bluest skies

dearest friend, lift your heart and eyes, day is breaking
no longer should you live in deep shadow or darkest night
no more tears should fall nor anymore your heart aching
just let the sun pierce your heart and bring its healing light

Picking Up the Pieces

2011-11-06T00:54:00.003-04:00

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we all have been wounded with hearts ever broken
by betrayal of hand or tongue like a knife
thrusted by ill deed or cruel word spoken
can so crush a spirit and tear down a life

to lay trust on the altar of our utter self-love
is to sacrifice the bonds earned loyalty
and mars the resemblance of life from above
leaving young souls in rubble and hurtful debris

yet one thing i know to be eternally true
that forgiveness is God's open door
for every hurting and bitter soul to walk through
to find freedom and joy and lives to restore

Let Us Give Thanks

2011-11-06T00:52:00.000-04:00

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let us now rejoice with joy and mirth
the God of the harvest that blesses our land
to whom we give thanks for the fruit of the earth
that comes from His loving and faithful hand

O how we all should yield Him praise
we as sheep of the Sheperd's fold
He who has faithfully led us all our days
who has offered us grace and mercies untold

so we join as with the people of old
with grain, with citron and with the willow
we wave the the fruit and the harvest of gold
north, south, east, west...above and below

in praise our lives you have kept and sustained
and enabled us to reach these blessed days
let us give thanks for your love has remained
and your gracious kindness will endure always

Preview "Child of Winter"

2011-11-03T23:19:00.006-04:00

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These are a selection of my Christmas poems that emphasize the mystery and meaning of Christmas. My hope is that this little book will be a chance for a mother, father, aunt, uncle or grandparent to have a child sit on their knee by the fire and read to them the true meaning of Christmas.

All of the proceeds to this book will go towards providing financial assistance towards the adoption process for these loving parents-to-be in my church:

1) Frank and Sharon Dees
2) Chad and Nikki Williams

My prayer is that this little book will encourage hearts and make Christmas special for two little children in this world that need a forever family.

You can purchase the book here: http://etsy.me/smBjqb

Note: Click on the arrow in the upper-right hand corner to enlarge the book. Use the slide scale to adjust the size.

Soldiers of the Rose

2011-11-01T10:06:00.000-04:00

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there is strength in tenderness
of an inner fortitude divine
a power shown in humbleness
of a soul so utterly sublime

in the silence of a contented heart
a quiet revolution does begin
this hidden greatness does then impart
an outward splendor that shines from within

this strength rises from what is weak
this greatness ascends up from the ember
a rare power growing within the meek
like a rose so blooming in december

this is the quiet conspiracy
these are the soldiers of the rose
waging war in secrecy
valiant warriors in beggars clothes

Child of Winter

2011-10-19T11:04:00.005-04:00

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I had a creative idea for this Christmas season. This is my gift to you to pass on to a special someone. Just message me with the name of someone you want to send this e-book with their name and a special message that I will add to this page and send you the e-book at no-cost. I share this in love and in hope that this Christmas season will be meaningful and full of joy and peace for you and those you love.-BC

PS: You can click the arrow in the upper right hand corner for a view of the full-screen along with a slide scale to enlarge the image for better viewing-Enjoy!-BC

Without Fathers, There Are No Bootstraps

2011-10-10T20:38:00.000-04:00

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I have really been grappling with something this week as I have been reflecting on my boys and ministering to some men who are struggling. I have been reminded of a hard fact: WITHOUT A FATHER, THERE ARE NO BOOTSTRAPS. I am not saying that a man cannot by the power of God break the cycle of fatherlessness in their lives and become who they have been created to be as the look to the Father. What I am trying to convey that the free fall that we see in our society among men is due to a great degree of fatherlessness. Fathers pass on the blessing. Fathers offer roots and a sense of permanence. Father impart a sense of legacy to pass on to multiple generations. Most importantly, fathers are the mentors, the disciplers, the ones with whom we enter into apprencticeship. We as men and fathers are to be with our kids and real partnerships and learn the art of living well. I must admit that there was a long period of time in which my wife led and I was "on the sidelines." Women have carried the load and held the torch too long. Men must reclaim their role of pacesetter, provider and protector. I have been ministering to two men who are aimless and without a sense of permanence. There fathers were absent and they are suffering for it now. It's not enough to give them a handout. It is for men to surround them and offer them real, abiding friendships and a sense of community. A sense of permanence. Without Fathers, there are no bootstraps. We must seek REAL and PERMANENT SOLUTIONS. We are to bear fruit that will last for generations to come. There are no shortcuts.-BC

Remembering Dad

2011-10-08T09:45:00.001-04:00

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Neither to speak, reclaim or breathe your name
For grief again comes in its sound and fame
Enough the burning tear down my cheek does impart
The affectionate thoughts that dwell in my heart

Too brief was your life, too deep your effect
In your son's soul hurting as so I now reflect
In selfish moments do i desire to break this chain
To fly, to embrace, to unite with you again

Yet another Father's face does now me reprieve
With His Agape touch my hurting heart relieve
So as I sit in His presence in faith yet unseen
Do you dance in His glory and His joy so serene

With clear heart and eye do I now see my goal
To impart your legacy to those I care and console
Tis no relief in death tis stronger than that of Love
That I receive and now offer to heaven above

Love, Divine

2011-09-25T15:21:00.002-04:00

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how shall pure love be made in us complete?
when such earthly loves in our hearts compete
in lostness did He demonstrate His care
upon the cross did His agape share
redeeming souls and all wayward love
transforming our affections to those above
these sacred things are ever called to mind
beyond feeble feelings, only by faith to find
first did he love before our embrace
so that agape would take her rightful place
with overflow to sister and brother
to now strengthen and support each other
only at the cross as we there abide
shall the God of love be so glorified

Lord, Make Me a Moth

2011-09-19T10:46:00.001-04:00

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at night by the backdoor light, they flicker-flutter
up and down and all around, going hither and dither
around the porch they circle like a ship without a rudder
dashing and dancing like coy little girls to a zither

why all this hurly-burly-twirly way of dancing
in your strange flapping-flittering style of flight
yet these are your outbursts of love and romancing
in the presence of such warm and comforting light

slowly the wings of my heart awaken and flicker
as i to feel drawn into your beautiful tumultuous way
towards the light, my heart beats lighter and quicker
to keep company with the lunas as the worship and play

Your Unfolding Beauty

2011-09-18T09:33:00.002-04:00

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It came one ordinary day
Rising from some unknown place
The thought of your authentic way
An awareness I cannot now erase

It may just be your simple smile
Or the tenderness in your eyes
Or how you walk in radiant style
Your subtle way to beauty testifies

It came one ordinary day
The rare beholding of your life so true
That leave me without words to say
To describe the unfolding beauty of you

The Message In the Bottle

2011-09-16T00:26:00.002-04:00

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there once was a boy that lived by the sea
he spent his days playing upon the shore
with a pale and shovel on bended knee
among the tidepools and rocks he did explore

one day as he slowly walked by the ocean
he looked to the horizon with yearning heart
within him welled up this strange emotion
this desire to know what life will impart

he ran to the house to find a bottle and pen
on paper he scribbled his uncertainties
those questions that vexed him again and again
to seek answers from God in these mysteries

----------

are you there up in the sky?
do you have a beard and long white hair?
after this life do we spread wings and fly?
do you hear each and every prayer?

will i find true happiness?
will bad things ever come my way?
will all my wishes i possess?
will i see my loved ones some day?

-----------

he rolled up his letter in his hand
then shoved it into the bottle's hollow
and corked it tightly as he planned
then down the grassy path did he follow

by the edge of the water he said a prayer
with hopes the message would reach its home
he tossed the bottle high in the air
into the waves and through the foam

for years the bottle traveled far
til it arrived upon the Irish shore
settling on the edge of a sandy bar
where the gulls upon the wind did soar

an old mariner with wrinkled face
went to repair his pots and mend his net
noticed a pot was out of place
had floated to the bar and there it set

as the place of the pot was drawing near
a glistening bottle he did perceive
and inside it he saw a message appear
with his hand he reached down to retrieve

the old man read it with a tear in his eye
to see the heart of this little boy
so he sat to thoughtfully write his reply
to someday offer him hope and joy

meanwhile the boy was now a man
with three kids to call his own
all of those questions did somehow remain
even though he was now older and grown

cancer had taken away his wife
his career had suddenly come to an end
his older brother had taken his life
the heartaches and losses he couldn't comprehend

one day as he walked down by the beach
that he once played at as a child
he now feeling hope so out of reach
feeling helpless, alone and utterly exiled

ahead he saw a glimmer of light
barely recognizing a bottle he saw
he ran down the beach with all of his might
to retrieve the bottle with the greatest awe

he opened the cork and out slid a note
he brought the message to his eye
and slowly he felt a lump in his throat
knowing now this was his long awaited reply

-------------

i am an old mariner from the Irish coast
who spent many weathered years at sea
who sailed from here to the uttermost
and i hope to share what God shared with me

there is a Captain that's greater than I
who knows every word, every hurt you possess
to golden shores one day we will fly
if you steer your ship toward His blessedness

every scar and wrinkle on my face
is a kiss from the One who stands at the helm
though the suffering you feel as a severe grace
is preparing you to sail in a higher realm

the Captain promises no easy days
you were meant not in the harbor to remain
you were meant for wild oceans and with heart ablaze
for greatness, for wisdom, for joy to attain

i hope for you my dearest one
that you will set your course for the Northern Star
that you will embrace this life til your days are done
no matter the trial, the hurt, the pain, or the scar

----------------

he placed the mariner's words in hand
into his pocket to ever cherish them so
with a tear in his eye---he wrote in sand

"O Captain, My Captain, Where you are....There I go!"

Merlot Moments

2011-09-13T03:08:00.000-04:00

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i always enjoy these sweet moments with you
moments of true conversation divine
we drink deep from each other's well anew
and savor our friendship as the sweetest wine

i pour the joy of my soul into your heart
and you fill my cup with love to the brim
with this friendship do we a rare grace impart
as we bear witness to the loyal love of Him

so i offer this toast to a renewed loyalty
in this merlot moment i raise my glass
i pledge my heart to our love and posterity
from this sweet sip until our very last

The Little Things

2011-09-09T17:26:00.001-04:00

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little things are causes of things so great
the embryos of things with omminous majesty
for little storms soon hurricanes create
and little habits soon shape our destiny

it is little by little we daily climb
to reach the summit of our dreams
as bell by bell the hours chime
as the morning sun shines beam by beam

let us remember each little word spoken
let us reflect on each little thought
hearts are inspired or hearts are broken
with lasting pains wounds are wrought

as the chipmunk gathers each little seed
to store it up for the wintery days
let's gather each little blessing and be thankful indeed
for to God the little things are the cause of greatest praise

The Uncaged Bird

2011-09-09T11:38:00.005-04:00

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in this cocoon so safe, secure
in this silent suffering so resigned
how much more can you endure
bound up, choking, so confined
my suffering child, to you I implore
Let my Love open the door

within these walls the sun so blocked
all future hurt you desire to prevent
all openings remain so tight and locked
the voices of pain so now torment
my cherished angel, i see the inner war
Let my Love open the door

in this prison cell so closed
locked in the shackles of pain so bound
never wanting your hurt to be exposed
nor your private suffering to be found
my sweet beloved, i've come to restore
Let my Love open the door

within this coffin you need not remain
these wounds and pain they have a cure
this cage, your heart, to no longer contain
your deliverance and your peace is sure
my precious dove, you were meant to soar
Let my Love open the door

These Present Sufferings

2011-09-04T15:08:00.002-04:00

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neither tribulation or distress
nor persecution or famine be
a chasm to prevent access
to the love that conquers all for me

neither poverty or nakedness
nor any danger or the sword
remove the joy that I possess
for His love is my strength and my reward

neither death or this mortal life
nor angels or any sovereign power
can impede His power in the strife
I am a conqueror that Satan cannot devour

neither lowest depth or greatest height
nor anything else in creation can be
a quenching of the love He did ignite
in my adoption by His divine decree

though suffering and affliction come
we may be crushed but not forsaken
we not despairing though struggling some
though beaten down our lives not taken

like a mother waiting to give birth
do we all trevail in our patient elation
as all creation here on earth
groans as we ponder our translation

these pains are part of our glorious story
for the sufferings we experience on this sod
as he works in us an eternal weight of glory
to become the sons and daughters of God

Like An Eagle to the Sky

2011-08-31T04:38:00.002-04:00

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How I feel life's pull, as sunset draweth nigh
Is anything a longing of the heart so, so cries aloud
Yearnings for love, as a gazelle scaling the mountain face
How our deepest desire: climbs likes an eagle to the sky
Transcends the grasp of earth and rides high upon a cloud
Becoming one with sun and sky, transcending time and space

Tis a Love above all loves that calls me upward so
An irresistible grace compels me toward this heavenly light
Offering wings to my burning heart to ever seek His face
To behold the consummation of all that I care to know
And have all traces of earth and ground vanish from sight
And thereby be raptured up in untold joy and heavenly embrace

Riding High on the Wind

2011-08-29T09:50:00.007-04:00

Walking through the winds and rain of a hurricane

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Stepping out...
Into the grey
Partaking...
Off African winds
And Atlantic rains

The green leaves were running
Trees were casting their arms to the ground
Sheets and sheets
Gusts and gusts
Were passing through me...

Everything...danced

Maybe...

Life is stepping out
Into the real...into the wild
And...catching the wind

I looked to the swirling clouds
And saw a stray and lonesome gull
Riding high...on the wind

Black Ribbon Day

2011-08-22T23:08:00.002-04:00

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23 million people died under Stalin's rule and 12 million under Hilter's reign of terror. No one can get their minds around such staggering numbers. But each one had a story, a face and a name. They deserve to be remembered.

These two major totalitarian regimes, the Nazi and the Stalinist, brought about genocide, violations of human rights and freedoms and crimes against humanity. These atrocities should never be repeated again.

August 23 was set aside as The European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, also known as the International Black Ribbon Day which is for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, to be commemorated with dignity.

This day of remembrance is to preserve the memory of the victims of mass deportations and exterminations and to promote peace and stability throughout the world.

May the grace and peace of God reign in our hearts and bring protection and peace to all under totalitarian rule.-BC

--Note---

Friedrick Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom" is a must read to demonstrate the simililarities of what was taking place in Germany before the rise of Hitler as to what is taking place in America today. We are as susceptible today to becoming an autocracy as the Germans were then.

Link to the book in PDF format

Counting the Cost

2011-08-21T15:37:00.001-04:00

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not how His song conforms to the dance
but how we stay in step to His song
for He takes the lead in this sacred romance
and for the music of His heart is what we long

our hearts and minds both from His fountain drink
and for His pleasure do they both thirst
yet it is for the mind to count the cost and think
before the heart's hammer falls the mind considers first

all earthly good must we now forsake
renouncing a life of sin, of ease, of pride
and the worldly wine of praise should we not partake
only are we to follow closely by Jesus' side

O may His righteousness be our garment and our wine
To be clothed and consumed in His holy love
To no other life than sacrifice should we resign
For the praise of the One who reigns above

it is for this reason that we ought to kneel
that His glorious riches will be our own
so that in the inner man will His strength we feel
and His power in us before the world made known

Hometown Memories

2011-08-07T16:43:00.000-04:00

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remembering all the storms of snow and ice
watchin mr strum never touching his sandwich twice
throwin pennies in the mall fountain
thrown quarters in the games and never countin

swingin in the swivel seats at eckerd's grill
sleddin down no. 10 through the bone-cold chill
watchin the mechanical snowman outside belks store
eatin all things skippers and still wantin more

driving by sweet ole missletoe villa
all things fried at 220 and gettin our filla?
pushing the cart down the winn dixie aisles
riding our bikes through the country for miles

gettin ice cream and sticky at the dairy queen
diving for golf balls and remaining unseen
hangin out on "hatchetman" lane
cruisin to mcd to hardees with few cells in my brain

takin the caddy to hang at the lake
leavin friends and loves thinkin my heart would break
knowin now all things and folks were gifts to me
and Henderson is my home and will always be

Two Things for Broken Hearts

2011-08-06T18:15:00.006-04:00

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if I caused your heart to be broken
what would make your heart restored
could any gift or sweet word spoken
bring you light and remove the sword

would any act of intimate touch
heal the pain of your broken heart
alas, no passion would matter much
once your spirit is torn apart

would well-crafted prose bring relief
some quick word to cause your heart to sing
alas, no poetry would lift your grief
once the painful act has left its sting

when the fragile chalice of mutual love
is shattered by a deep betrayal
and the sweet wine of life born above
only two things will redeem and two things prevail

true contrition is the golden key
that will slowly open the soul's door
but to quickly open it cannot be
only tender care brings what one had before

patient love is the healing balm
that will slowly heal the wounded heart
to again bring peace and heavenly calm
with trust to reign and fear depart

only these two will reunite
only these two will heaven receive
only these two will bring delight
to two souls that will commit and truly believe

The Dark Night of the Soul

2011-08-01T23:23:00.007-04:00

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the nightingales have flown away
and i lost my song in the night
who will sing to me and stay?
who will abide til morning light?

the sky became dark so very dark
i descended like a fallen star
who will catch my remaining spark?
who will rescue me from afar?

i fell deep into the foggy moor
i scarce...can find my way above
who will come with compassion sure
who will come with lantern...with love?

the town clock is now chiming thrice
all souls asleep and I alone
who will quietly offer the sacrifice?
who will weep and listen to every groan?

in the dark night of the soul
a candle in the window, may you be
for you may be the only one to console
and you may be the only light they see

There Are No Farewells

2011-07-30T18:31:00.002-04:00

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(A farewell to the Ayers Family)

We only part to meet again
All farewells have a coming home
Godly friendships find no end
True love abides where'er we roam

Time and space cannot break
The blessed ties that ever bind
These sacred hearts that ne'er forsake
The loyal love that here we find

Our aching hearts show forth your worth
In how you've lived and loved so well
How rare true souls like you on earth
Whose lives the love of Christ do tell

With tear, with smile, with heart we say
We love you with each sweet embrace
We send you forth with joy this day
Until we together behold His face

Heron

2011-07-24T12:38:00.003-04:00

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in the marshes
along the banks
among the reeds
she dances...

her sharp eye
snakely neck
wading...
observing...
then...forever still

flash...
neck uncoils
her bill impails
with her...silver prize

all in white
she waltzes alone
in the dark summer waters
to her...own music

then comes the call
the call to rise
and with wide wings
she flies...

effortlessly...away

Sand In My Shoes

2011-07-17T11:31:00.002-04:00

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what can we possess from the Sounds and Sea?
grasping the wind or the sand through our fingers?
To take to the air like a gull so free
(Even now the desire to soar so lingers)
To take in the sea and roll of the waves
To capture the sunrise of each blessed morn
To dance with the sunset is what my heart craves
To relish and revel in each tidal pool born
To rock on the porch in silence to abide
To sway with seaoats with winds on my cheek
To stand on the dunes with arms open wide
To allow this whole sacred world to speak
No magical thing can we ever possess
Only solitude, desire and their memory to bless

Distant Winds and Waves

2011-07-16T10:12:00.003-04:00

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distant winds and ocean waves work their salty magic
blowing and rolling in from distant lands and seas
these unseen, unknown ocean kisses to us pelagic
as we watch gull and tern so dance upon the breeze

these waters give birth to sublime reflection
of pirates, of settlers, of watermen true
calling up in us some unknown connection
to a forgotten life that would well up anew

upon the shoals and sandbars does he wish
then he ascends upward to the open sky
folds in his wings descending upon his fish
breaking the water with his catch flying high

the fiddler crabs wave their claws in the dance
upon the mudflats in a silent exchange
like a ballroom with two lovers seeking romance
before the tides arrive and all to rearrange

the feral horses gather in the distance to graze
as they have done for hundreds of years
defying time, and all odds as we silenty gaze
at these ancient, colonial, living souverniers

under the summer sky where rivers meet the sea
in the Sounds where they kiss every longing heart
and unfold their joys and their mystery
to reveal their Source and His beauty impart

Daily Wonders

2011-07-14T06:35:00.002-04:00

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the daily wonders so quickly pass us by
they ever burst and fade as fleetings from our eye
sunrise and sunset as unseen paintings rising..falling
the rolling in of waves which could be so enthralling

the passing questions and laughter of a child
the translation from darkness to light so reconciled
the contours and features of a spouse's face
the lingering emotions from extended embrace

dear friends, let us not miss these moments as a gift
offered to us to draw our hearts and eyes to lift
to the One who calls to us through each sacred thing
to mount us up in joy and upon heaven's wing

Christ, Our Peace

2011-07-10T16:13:00.006-04:00

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there is a mystery of the ages
left hidden to many in the past
only shadows seen by prophets-sages
now fully revealed to us at last

yet how we long for hope and peace
with spouse, with family and our neighbor
for all divisions and strivings to cease
and no longer in our enmity to labour

from the beginning, hostility
tween us and God,was our true estate
with many walls of pride and vanity
so many walls of selfishness and hate

the Cross became the wrecking ball
breaking down the divides of sin and shame
and Christ our peace brought down the wall
reconciling all things in His name

tis for us to put to death
our former life and all its ways
the old man should breathe his final breath
and redemption's wing a new man to raise

at Satan's table may we leave
to never again partake and dine
only to Christ should we ever cleave
and on his breast to so recline

our goal is not our happiness
tis holiness our highest aim
surrender must be our willingness
and treasuring Christ to be our flame

Brought Near By His Blood

2011-07-03T15:52:00.003-04:00

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we once were dead as fallen souls
and once we walked in worldly ways
following Satan in all he controls
in his spirit at work as our heart decays

once we walked in fleshly fashion
with the rest of mankind that had gone astray
as children of wrath in sinful passion
in the lust of our souls now gone far away

but God in His mercy He so richly supplied
by His grace effectually brought us near
Made us alive and redemption applied
and in His kindness did His love appear

salvation came through faith by grace
and not by our doing was the gift received
His righteousness did our sin replace
by His power to those who truly believed

we created as His workmanship
before the world its foundation laid
by His power He did equip
His children empowered and His glory displayed

the circumcision that was required
was not of flesh but with the heart
for God our affections he desired
our passion entire and not in part

we once were seperated so far away
without hope and God in fear
but by His blood our sins washed away
and by His blood brought his children near

the walls of hostility were brought to the ground
and by His grace brought enemies peace
and through the cross was reconciliation found
and our hearts in freedom found release

now we His citizens not strangers in Him abide
His peace has now brought true shalom
joined jew and gentile both side by side
in the house of the Spirit that we now called home

The Road to Recovery

2011-06-30T11:17:00.005-04:00

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When we look in the mirror who do we see?

This blog entry is an incredibly personal one. One that is hard for me to write. But one that is necessary for me to write. I write this so that you will know how to encourage me and uplift me in my journey toward recovery and wholeness.

Many of you who have followed my blogs know that I have had a 7 year battle (well it goes back further) with bipolar disorder. The symptoms were so severe that three years ago I had to go on disability due to my level of performance being so compromised by this illness. It has been a difficult road for my family, extended family and myself. Nonetheless, the only way to the other side is through the middle.

I am not a whiner. I am simply stating that I have dealt with the guilt of past losses and hurts. I have dealt with the fear of failure and the depression of not having any more fight left. I have dealt with the loneliness and feelings of misunderstanding and the estigma of one who has such an illness. I have struggled with self-hatred and shame.

But I have also experienced the joys of being set free by the grace and love of Christ. I have discovered new friendships and rediscovered old ones. I have learned that we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. That failure and loss is a part of the journey. I have incredible hope that Beauty comes from ashes and that God will give back what the locusts took away.

I have bipolar but bipolar doesn't have me. It will neither define me or defeat me. My wounds are my teachers and from them flow rivers of healing for others. There are no wasted experiences. Everything comes to bear on the present moment. Joy awaits those who embrace and thrive on whatever life throws at them.

I have started an 8 week recovery program toward wholeness and my plans are to work towards entering the world of work again by the end of this year (I think, all preliminary, fingers crossed).

I also have been dealing with issues of being overweight and I need victory in this area. This is a part of my road to recovery. Please pray for my ability to overcome and fight.

I wrote this not just for me. But for others who sit in silence waiting for the layers of snow and ice (shame, fear and self-hatred) to melt and for your roots to work their way into fertile soil (the grace of God, His word and prayer, supportive relationships) so that when the clouds break and the sun shines and spring comes again (the light of His love) then we can again rise in the sunlight to come into full bloom (recovery, hope, personal responsibility).

I wanted to ask you to pray for me in this journey towards recovery and returning back to work. I also want to share a poem with you that best speaks to the battle for self-acceptance (i.e. the courage to accept His acceptance). Faith is the courage to accept this acceptance. The fight to overcome the hatred of ourselves (fear and shame) and the ability in the light of God's grace to celebrate your life and feast upon His goodness. Learning to not hate yourself but feast upon your own life, that is, learning to joy of seeing yourself as God sees you. This is joy and liberation for the struggling heart.

This poem is a poem of recovery and self-discovery.

Love After Love by Derek Walcott

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Gratitude and Service

2011-06-27T23:30:00.006-04:00

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"This is the true joy in life - being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."~George Bernard Shaw

The emphasis in this essay is simply the obligation that every loving person has to carry hope to individuals, families and communities in need. Gratitude is needed because it opens the heart to the world in need without falling into drudgery and fatigue. A heart of service is needed so that one has a deep sense of mission that will sustain them as they carry the message of hope in times of joy and suffering.

"When you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears."-Anthony Robbins

Probably the biggest obstacle in being a messenger of hope next to pride is fear. Fear keeps the focus on you and off of the world in need. Gratitude helps the heart rise above fear and it fills the heart to overflow. Spilling over into the lives of others. And once you see the positive effects that hope has in the heart, courage replaces fear. For the joy brings the staying power to keep the torch lifted high.

"Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving."-Kahlil Gibran

Gratitude lifts the human heart with great expectation and anticipation for whatever life will bring each day. Love gives wings to the human heart. And each day bring endless possibilities in how we can bless and serve others in need.

"Gratitude is the sign of noble souls."-Aesop

One cannot focus upon onesself when one is truly thankful and truly serving another person in need. A mark of a true servant leader is one who is thankful for his life, his friends, his circumstances, and for the world as it is. It causes a true nobility of spirit to rise up in someone who is not turned in and focused upon themselves and their own problems.

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."-Mohandas Gandhi

When we give ourselves away, we get ourselves back. But the person we get back is someone who is qualitatively different than before. When you give your heart in loving service to another, your heart takes the life of another into itself and gives to the other a greater sense of hope and returns back to you with a greater sense of self and joy.

"The purpose of life is not to be happy-but to MATTER. To be productive, to be useful, to have your life make some difference that you have lived at all."-Leo Rosten

It is for us to tap into our deepest sense of self and to ask "what kind of life will I live and what kind of legacy will I leave?" Answering such questions and living one's life in accordance with the answers to those questions, is what truly makes our lives magnificent.

Each one of us knows in our hearts we were meant for greatness. True greatness comes from a heart of gratitude and joyful service to others. When we joyfully serve others, hope truly comes alive in the hearts of those we serve. The choice is yours to make. To be a force of nature or a selfish clod?

As Dr Seuss says..."Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

Where the Orchids Bloom

2011-06-27T15:47:00.002-04:00

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Come you lovers of sun and sky
All of you with diamonds in your eye
All who drink the morning dew
All who seek Love and rare Beauty pursue

Winter's night has broken with the dawning of spring
As we swim with swans and with nightingale's sing
How sweet on our tongues do the summer rains fall
With the silent mist rising after the storm cloud's call

Through the sunlit forests does He offer embrace
And in the fireflies dance does He kiss our face
As we walk in the meadows in the sweetest exchange
Two hearts beat as one in this divine interchange

Come you Lovers so full of desire
All whose hearts with flame and fire
Let us lay in the grass with the orchid's in bloom
And sleep in their lushness and their fragrant perfume

Under The Summer Sun

2011-06-26T23:28:00.002-04:00

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as a paintbrush across canvass
am i to spread His colors
like a song filling the air
like a symphony of rich intentions
am i to sing joy's melody
to lift up lowered eyes
to bring water to desert places
to bring liberty to those captive
for this is the song to which i sing
for this is music i am called to bring
to lead raggamuffins in the dance
and to share in Abba's love
under the summer sun

Hope

2011-06-25T17:19:00.004-04:00

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how did i come to this field of dreams?
to have this party and all this music?
it was just yesterday that all i could catch was a crumb
and i was
remembering all the times they all played
and i sat in the corner of my shame
curled up as an infant
as if i missed the day of my audition
now lost in the forest of my own fears
but just like a ship coming over the horizon
came this Bronze Man with tears and open arms
came Hope offering the sweet grapes of a new life
the promise of a new wine for me and others to drink
is this a birthday in someone else's name?
but every banner bears my name
and every eye
and every smile
now welcomes me
into this wide....beautiful....abundant...field
so i ran....played....and danced
to a new song...of Hope
and with a new joy....for Life

The Raspberry Ring

2011-06-24T02:00:00.008-04:00

The Raspberry Ring by bryancreech

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i love you
and loved you so wildly
in my raspberry way of loving
it was like entering a garden
and our love was so ripe for the picking
to place this raspberry ring on your finger
to become your prince
was my heart within my heart
but you ran through the forest to hide
i pressed my body between the branches and trees
searching...reaching to touch your fingers
then in the clearing you appear
sitting in tall grass
your angelic eyes absolutely
inviting me...
so i placed a single daisy
in your velvet hair
i then...
slipped the raspberry ring...
upon your finger
as the summer sun casted its golden beams
through the canopy
and one beam hit your eyes
and in that moment
yesterdays and tommorrows
were swallowed up
in the Now
at the sight of your forever face
with this raspberry ring
i ask will you walk with me through all mysteries
and will abide you with me......
until the tides roll me out with the waves
for i will be your prince,
your wind,
your song
and your spring
It was on that day with your kiss...
Magic found its home
in...the deep grass
among...the falling leaves

For the Beauty of You

2011-06-23T16:00:00.003-04:00

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thank you...for the fire you bring
for those unknown words of life
you always offer and place in my tired heart

thank you...for the music you sing
in your simple way of being in this world
bringing these unknown songs to my tired ears

thank you...for the flowers you give
you lay at my feet in your simple presence
bringing these unknown colors to my tired eyes

thank you friend

for the flame...

for the melody....

for the rainbow....

for the beauty.......of you

The Origin and Meaning of Tolkien's Middle-Earth

2011-06-22T22:38:00.005-04:00

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Question: How did Tolkien first conceive of the idea of Middle Earth? What are its origins?

Tolkien drew heavily from his knowledge of ancient languages, myths and of early English and Christian writings.

It is from his 1914 readings of the Crist poems by Cynewulf that he discovered this term Middle-Earth. (The Crist poems are a fabulous read by the way if you enjoy reading some of the earliest English & Christian writings-poems about Christ and his Ascension etc...)

see a modern English translation of Cynewulf's Crist

Tolkiens states the what the meaning for Middle-Earth was in one of his letters and he states:

"Middle-earth is ... not my own invention. It is a modernization or alteration ... of an old word for the inhabited world of Men, the oikoumene(Greek): middle because thought of vaguely as set amidst the encircling Seas and (in the northern-imagination) between ice of the North and the fire of the South. Many reviewers seem to assume that Middle-earth is another planet!"-Tolkien (Letters, no. 211)

Tolkien first encountered the term middle-earth or "middangeard" in an Old English fragment he studied in 1914:

"éala éarendel engla beorhtast / ofer middangeard monnum sended.
Hail Earendel, brightest of angels / above the middle-earth sent unto men.

The above quote is from the second of the fragmentary remnants of the Crist poems by Cynewulf.

Middle Earth was termed used in one of the early Christian hymn entitled Caedmon's Hymn (written by Caedmon who lived between 658-680)

Now let me praise the keeper of Heaven's kingdom,
the might of the Creator, and his thought,
the work of the Father of glory, how each of wonders
the Eternal Lord established in the beginning.
He first created for the sons of men
Heaven as a roof, the holy Creator,
then Middle-earth the keeper of mankind,
the Eternal Lord, afterwards made,
the earth for men, the Almighty Lord.

Below you will find a copy of one of two candidates for the earliest surviving copy of Cædmon's Hymn is found in "The Moore Bede" (ca. 737) which is held by the Cambridge University Library (Kk. 5. 16, often referred to as M). The other candidate is St. Petersburg, National Library of Russia,

Tolkien began using the term "Middle-earth" in the latter part of the 1930s, in place of the earlier terms "Great Lands", "Outer Lands", and "Hither Lands" that he had used to describe this region in Tolkien's stories.[16] The term Middle-earth appears in the drafts of The Lord of the Rings.

The first published appearance of the word "Middle-earth" in Tolkien's works is in the Prologue to that work: "...Hobbits had, in fact, lived quietly in Middle-earth for many long years before other folk even became aware of them."

So, Middle-Earth is a concept that reaches far back beyond Tolkien. This little essay hardly scratches the surface of the fully history and meaning of Tolkien's Middle Earth . It is a rich concept that he pulls out of the attic and places it on the coffee table for all to enjoy.

To read more about this check out the WIKI article on Middle-Earth

This Is The Hour

2011-06-22T19:09:00.006-04:00

This Is The Hour by bryancreech
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this is the hour to draw the line
to step from what is to what is to be
no past failures do we now resign
only today's hopes and our destiny

this is the hour to land the stake
upon the hill of which we will die
to claim our call and not forsake
but give our lives in faithful reply

this is the hour to step out true
upon that road for you that has been laid
with all of your might to now pursue
and gaze to the mountains now unafraid

this is the hour to rise and to do
all that Christ has set in your heart to be
with the Spirit and the Word so guiding you
to the City of God with His beauty to see

Restoration

2011-06-21T14:44:00.001-04:00

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To see a soul alive and set free
To see a darkened heart be set ablaze
There can be no greater joy to me
Than to see a life so leap and dance with praise

To know within me lies a key
To know within me lies a flame
To unshackle a heart in misery
To recover a life and restore a name

Tis no greater joy on earth I find
Than to see from the ashes a Phoenix rise
To renew a heart and restore a mind
To witness a soul’s wings mount up to the skies

On the Cashie River (pronounced Kashii)

2011-06-20T01:34:00.003-04:00

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on the dark brown water still and deep
where the trees bow to kiss the river
where the herons call and the frogs leap
where dragonflies dance going yon and hither

along the banks so thick and green
where the lillies float in yellow bloom
where the egrets stand so tall-serene
where swamp roses release their perfume

through her waters so rich and slow
where the herring break the waters clear
where the turtles bask in the summer's glow
where all my worries soon disappear

crossing her waters i stand and see
where memories and stories ever flow
where osprey and eagle fly ever free
where my soul can breathe and my heart can grow

Who Is My Neighbor?

2011-06-19T18:10:00.006-04:00

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i'm the lady in the checkout line
with bruises on my neck and face
in my world of fear should i resign
or will you reach out and offer grace?

i'm the waitress that pours your tea
i seem angry, abrupt without reason
i offer no apology
will you offer prayer in my hurtful season?

i'm the man on a park bench sitting alone
disheveled, mumbling, beaten down
with my lowered head, dissapointment shown
will you lend an ear or let me drown?

i'm the shut-in without a friend
who hardly ever sees a smile
my loneliness it knows no end
will you stop and stay a while?

i'm the child on the playground running wild
whose mother sits with head in hand
whose seems by others so reviled
will you reach out to understand?

i'm the man in the waiting room
who paces and worries for his wife
whose whole world now seems filled with gloom
will you intercede and offer me life?

your neighbor is whomever in need
your call is to offer hope and grace
to love them is to love Christ indeed
and to kiss their wounds, is to kiss His face

Great Joy Awaits

2011-06-18T08:35:00.004-04:00

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one day
i realized
that
each moment

contains
within itself
a power
and a beauty

for the one
who embraces it...
cherishes it...
and revels in it...

in each moment
each day
this is realized
and kept alive

great...joy...awaits...

Bearing Witness to The Beautiful

2011-06-12T22:57:00.003-04:00

As I Was Sleeping Last Night by Luis Machado

2011-06-09T21:08:00.004-04:00

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Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that a spring was breaking
out in my heart.
I said: Along which secret aqueduct,
Oh water, are you coming to me,
water of a new life
that I have never drunk?

Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.

Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that a fiery sun was giving
light inside my heart.
It was fiery because I felt
warmth as from a hearth,
and sun because it gave light
and brought tears to my eyes.

Last night as I slept,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that it was God I had
here inside my heart.

Translated by Robert Bly

To Trust or To Die?

2011-06-08T11:31:00.001-04:00

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if trust is to be trust and trust we must
if trust is to die and all hearts be crushed
open arms and hearts must be offered true
or embracing faith and loyal love askew
what becomes of our hearts withholding love
and deny those affections from above
no trust is no love and all love to die
for we must trust by heart as well as eye
a critical heart will be our demise
if we do not seek the greater prize
for all selves and souls to intertwine
and community to reflect the divine
may we ever offer this sacred grace
and trust again take her rightful place

Into the Quiet

2011-06-06T15:49:00.004-04:00

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Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone. ~Paul Johannes Tillich, The Eternal Now

What is torture in our generation was liberation of the soul in previous generations. Solitude has been the fundamental discipline of the spiritual life to open ourselves up to God, His Word and to the influence of the Holy Spirit. It is essential that we get it straight in our heads and hearts, that we cannot read and understand "the times" until we in solitude have read and understood "the eternities."

"In a soulmate we find not company but a completed solitude."~Robert Brault

Solitude is not positioned against friendship and community. It is the prerequisite for all healthy friendships and community. We must be able to dwell comfortably in silence before the still, small Voice. True friends or soulmates will esteem and encourage that in the other, so that their coming back together truly will be authentic and fulfilling rather than flat and lifeless.

"Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world."~Hans Margolius

Solitude has a way of cracking the shell of our modern, porcelain selves. It has a way of lifting the shade and letting the light in. In order to see ourselves, our world and the spiritual realities of life clearly. Busyness clouds our view. Solitude clears the windshield.

"Inside myself is a place where I live all alone, and that's where I renew my springs that never dry up."~Pearl Buck

Why did the great people of faith (Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist and Jesus etc...) need to spend great amounts of time in solitary places? Paul spent 3 years in Arabia preparing his heart for ministry. I wonder if our powerlessness and lack of effectiveness stems from our unwillingness to seek out solitude as a necessary part of our spiritual life. In solitude, is where we tap into the the divine waters that lie just below the surface. Rivers of living water flow from us when we have learned the art of being at home alone with God.

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." ~John Muir

Nature is not the only way to experience solitude but I must say that it truly opens those heavenly doors better than most any other way I know. Finding a park, a trail in the woods, riding a bicycle etc...are ways to experience moments of solitude. Solitude breaks the old ground, allows the seeds of healing and joy to be planted and opens the fields of our soul to grace as it falls like sweet rain.

“In solitude, where we are least alone.”-Lord Byron

Solitude is not loneliness or isolation. Solitude is a gift of grace to open us up to our true selves and to the divine community of Father, Son and Spirit. There in solitude we truly abide with God in perfect communion.

“What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.”-Ellen Burstyn

So let us dare to have the courage to seek solitude. Explain lovingly to your family, friends, children etc...that you are choosing a few hours a week to dwell in the presence of the Most High and to hide yourself in the shadows of His wing. Explain that by doing this you will be a more effective and joyful person because of it. Plan this like you would a doctor's appointment. It is as vital to your soul as insulin is to diabetes.

Discover today the joy of.....Unloneliness.-BC

Poetic Grace

2011-06-05T15:59:00.001-04:00

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We were not made for passivity
But to show forth His mighty ways
As His workmanship, a symphony
With our life-music to give Him praise

Like a poem of His heart and mind
Our life a pen within His hand
His works, our works are both combined
To show forth His glory as He planned

Grace kissed the dust and made us all
Grace lifted us out of the mirey clay
Grace sustains so us we will not fall
Grace produces fruit that won't pass away

As a deer pants for the water
So should His word so satisfy
Our thirsty soul and so reorder
Our affections to intensify

And affectionately thereby restore
Each broken, strained relationship
To initiate and not ignore
The call to unite in fellowship

We must put to death our sinful state
A death of heart and not of hand
To mortify and truly hate
The flesh and all of it's demand

For only grace can raise anew
And truly sever sin's dreadful root
To clear the ground and our hearts renew
And thereby produce in us His heavenly fruit

No More, No Longer

2011-06-04T23:47:00.000-04:00

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no more utterances without life
no more promises without meaning
nor more words without wisdom
no more statments without substance
may we no longer be mouths without minds
may we no longer have tongues without hearts
may we no longer have words without eyes
may our words be few and may they be full
if we have no wisdom to offer-then...let there be........silence.

The Rising of the Son

2011-06-02T11:37:00.002-04:00

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in the morning, before the dawn i rise
to venture to a lonely, distant hill
to wait for the brilliant breaking of the skies
and the peeling back of night and chill

i think of past guilt and present shame
of all that was and now is lost
of things that brought dishonor to His name
never knowing the price or the cost

such lashes of the whip upon my back
allowing condemnation's steady blow
accusations and lies with every whack
causing my heart to ache and tears to flow

but over the horizon comes the light
the rising of dawn and the joy it brings
with the first glimpse of the sun in sight
dispels the darkness with healing on its wings

for the Son has the final word for every tear
and for every sorrow does He offer a kiss
and in His light no more reason for darkness or fear
but to rest in the embrace of the One who brings such bliss

The Death of Outrage and The Cry For Freedom

2011-06-01T19:25:00.004-04:00

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Hamza Al Khateeb. 13 years old. A part of the freedom movement in Syria. The Syrian governmental forces smashed his knees. Placed cigarette burns all over his body. His head was swolen from being beaten. He was emasculated. Shot several times. Syrian governmental officials as a threat to silence the protestors, delivered the child's body to his family for burial. The security officicials got the family to sign a waiver not to report this incident to anyone (nor the circumstances surrounding it).

The video on You Tube and images posted on CNN of the remains of this precious child made my skin crawl. This incident has sparked outrage within the freedom movement in Syria. Strangely, I later found out that torture is a normal response of this regime. The Syrian propaganda machine in Syria had the doctor who did the autopsy to phone into the local news to dispute the claims of torture and stated that there were no signs of torture and stated the images were due to decomposition.

Cigarette burns are not due to decomposition. Bullet holes are not due to decomposition. The removal of the bodily organs of a 13 year old are not due to decomposition. The bruises all over this poor child's body were not due to decomposition.

The body of an 18 year old boy with learning disabilities was delivered to his family under similar circumstances as stated above. Children are a high price to pay for speaking out.

The Human Rights groups have stated that a 1,000 citizens have been tortured and 10,000 more arrested under the Syrian regime. They have gunned down teenagers in the streets. They have shot at children in school buses. Image after image of wounded children. I saw a photo of a 12 year old little girl pronounced dead by the shootings of security forces at a school bus.

The regime has no limits. They even shoot at and kill the first responders who drive the ambulances who are taking these wounded protestors to the hospitals.

Questions I ponder?:

What is the price for freedom?

What will a government do to silence voices of protest and dissent?

What should we do as Americans to respond to this brutality?

What should the church do?

Where is the outrage to such brutality?

When we sing our little songs of love but do we mean it:

Jesus loves the little children...all the children of the world...red and yellow...black and white...they are precious in His sight...and so on...

If they are precious to our Jesus, who is the Head of the Church. Are they precious to the church? I don't know what exactly to do now.

But the starting point for me was to make these things known to you and ask you to pray for all people in the Middle East who seek freedom and for God's protection to be with them.

They are all precious. Precious to Jesus.

Are they precious to us?

Christ In Me

2011-06-01T12:58:00.004-04:00

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in the autumn of my life
among the leaves that once were green
now that have fallen to the ground
here i lie flat and lifeless

the rain that once came steady
not a drop has fallen from the sky
now upon this barren ground
here i lie dry and broken

in the depth of my life's winter
i lifted this tired head and weary heart
my heart and flesh cried out
for all that was to me
the greeness of summer's bounty,
the wetness of spring showers,
that sweetness of mercy that once ran wild in my heart
i cried "save me from me"

as i looked to the trees there came a rustling
of some sweet and distant winds
that blew through me mercy upon mercy
that lifted and surrounded me in love

up from the dry ground there came bubbling up
a springing forth of living water
and with my cracked hands
i lifted this wonderful wetness to my parched lips

what once was autumn...is now spring
what once was desert...is now lush green
what once was lost...was now again found
what once was me...is now...Christ in me

Living and Dying in The Master's Name

2011-05-29T19:49:00.001-04:00

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This is my ridiculous attempt to pay tribute to those who serve our country. I have no idea what it's like to risk it all. Have not a clue of what goes on the mind and heart of a man or woman who has chosen this life. All for the love of God and country. But I had to try. Thank you so much. Happy Memorial Day.-BC

Under the razor wire I smell the steel
On my belly crawling I taste the grit
It's not about what I think or feel
It's about serving my country and to never quit

In foxholes, where I taste the smoke
On Hummers, I see the shrapnel fly
It's not about the last my comrad spoke
It's about the call and being willing to die

I line the streets this cloudy day
To walk beside both young and old
With smiles and flags both on display
Wondering if America will soon grow cold

Then I remember it's not about me
No praise or applause can I ever claim
The tears, the sweat, the blood were all for Thee
Only living and dying in the Master's Name

A Voice in the Wilderness

2011-05-27T18:03:00.002-04:00

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A poetic tribute to Jason Petty

from the urban wilderness
there cries a prophetic voice
convictions of truth he does confess
bearing witness to the ultimate choice

his rapping catches fire
his words draw flame
his tongue flings out desire
preparing the way for His Name

words striking like a hammer blowing
his righteous chant does cast it's spell
into a growing-glowing river flowing
this interweave of words do so compel

we who bear witness with song and dance
we who long to see His face
raptured up in divine romance
in soulful love and sweet embrace

By The Ancient Fire

2011-05-26T20:00:00.003-04:00

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i sit by this ancient fire
watching each log so crackle
each flame awakening desire
and feel each past hurt unshackle

for ancient words rose up like smoke
wafting by each tired ear
and from its center a Son of Man spoke
One whose voice evoking fear

a fear of wonder not of terror
each piercing word that divided my soul
seperating truth from error
words like a peeling thunder's roll

His eyes were like shafts of light
chasing all doubt and darkness away
under the weight of this heavenly sight
my heart and frame did so give way

the voice bidding me to draw ever near
to enter his burning, refining fire
so that the dross and impurities will disappear
and thereby restore my soul entire

he said for you i chose the flame
like a burnt offering laid upon the wood
and rose like a Phoenix to reclaim
all the Father said I should

i pointed my finger to the flame
within it my flesh did melt away
but below the skin pure gold became
and with this did His voice so say

enter into my holy love
and let me consume your life in mine
to then be born as from above
to praise, to dance, to sing, and to ever shine

The Land Where The Puppies Play

2011-05-24T22:14:00.007-04:00

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A lullaby I wrote for my sweet Jordan (my little doggy lovin boy)

on green hills so far away
is the land where the puppies play
where they play in lucious grass
tumbling on as the hours pass

with each tired little face
soon they find their sleeping place
and they lower each fluffy head
in their heavenly, grassy bed

they look up into the skies
with their tired drooping eyes
at each dreamy passing cloud
now each tired head is bowed

as they slowly drift to sleep
they still run in grass so deep
and they run in fields of dreams
and they play by golden streams

on green hills so far away
is the land where the puppies play
where they play in lucious grass
tumbling on as the hours pass

And The River Flows

2011-05-23T22:37:00.008-04:00

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the river from the Eternal Spring flows
and the worlds spin as the music grows
as the ancient drums keep beating, beating
and the tribesmen with their tales repeating
and the river flows....

fiery tablets of stone brought down aloud
as they so follow pillar and cloud
to some promised land, some promised man
they so whip and hammer and fulfill the plan
and the river flows....

sword, shield and banners raised
with the smoke of a thousand muskets blazed
and bagpipes unfolding so filling the skies
touching the sand of some brave New World prize
and the river flows....

i hear the bells of ancient steeples
i touch the face of fallen peoples
i hold the grip of the Framers' pen
i taste the sweat from the pioneer's brow, again
and the river flows...

with farm and factory turning the wheel
and miners and workers forge the steel
the land and trees so bow their head
leaving their brothers and sisters dead
and the river flows....

this mighty river ever-flowing
through you...through me, we ever-knowing
gathering to a greatness and never slows
reaching the everlasting sea as it grows

and the river flows...

Angels in the Projects

2011-05-20T00:32:00.003-04:00

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another lonely night for wee little hearts
among gunshots, sirens and music blaring
while dad is in jail and mama departs
leaving grandma by television staring

too many tears fall to the ground
in these shadowlands of many fears
never a song or a kiss or even a sound
just left alone all these years

while their last little tear rolls down their cheek
three shafts of light so pierce the night sky
three mighty angels dispatched, hurting children they seek
flying and responding to each little sigh

Sweet Venia, brings nectar from orchids above
one drop on each lip removes all of the pain
so each child will know heaven's grace and love
with a kiss on each cheek and her favor remain

Fiery Charitas, comes with love on her wings
casting out fears that consume each little heart
bringing lullabies from heaven that she gently sings
with a kiss on each cheek and her compassion impart

Gentle Pax, comes with stardust in her hands
to sprinkle over their tired little eyes
while an angel keeps watch, there as it stands
throughout the night until they arise

for the least of these are the greatest of all
each little one of whom he takes great delight
Abba will not let one of his little ones fall
faithfully cradling and comforting them all through the night

From Joy's Fountain

2011-05-15T20:42:00.002-04:00

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From Joy's fountain were you meant to drink
not mere pleasure's thirst to satisfy
upon Beauty's lustre to gaze and think
not mere lust to crave the wantful eye

from Joy's sky with wing were you meant to fly
not mere existence upon this earthly sod
bliss upon bliss as you wheel the eastern sky
in the presence of your majestic, beautiful God

from Joy's table were you meant to partake
not mere gorging upon earthly sustenance
but Truth, Goodness and Beauty to intake
to raise longings to a higher sense

from Joy's heart were you meant to so be One
not mere expectation of what She can give
but enter her essence as Abba's son
and in her life and power to daily live

The Risk of Transparency

2011-05-15T14:22:00.006-04:00

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"Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another that you might be healed"-James 5:16

Brothers and sisters, superficiality is the curse of our present age.

A dear friend wrote a heart-wrenching yet true description of the current state of modern life. That there is a terrible risk of being transparent. We run the risk of being further alienated and exiled if we choose to share our true selves instead of our porcelain selves. I believe this truthfully-People would rather be clothed in fantasy than to stand naked in the light of the truth.

My dear brother's plea for authenticity should not fall on deafened ear. Sometimes there is more transparency in a pub rather than a pew. I believe modern life has created a type of efficiency and transactional approach to relationships. Friendships are organic and not artificial. I must confess many times it is easier to turn into plastic than to be spilled out before the ever-watching world.

I remember with my diagnosis with bipolar disorder and my two hospitalizations. I was surprised to see that with persistent sharing in therapy groups that it truly could lead to some personal breakthroughs. Many rocks in my backpack were removed. Isn't this crucial to our well-being?

Dear friends, isn't what we are to be about. To bear one another's burdens. That there needs to be a real level of vulnerability and willingness to be real (even if we run the risk of alienating some). I have found that when there is gut-level honesty about our struggles and failures, many more times it gives others permission to become real.

I struggle with issues of self-hatred and loneliness. I get depressed and anxious at times. I don't want to be real. But this is the trap the Enemy lays for us. He wraps us up in a cocoon of fear and loneliness. And we remain alone in our struggles.

As my brother pointed out. It is especially hard, as men, to lower our guard. To share our struggles. I think it is a issue of pride and fear. To choose to not come clean and bear each others burdens leaves many men and many marriages and families cut off from a husband and father in the emotional connectedness that is needed as men with their families. Abuse is not just physical. We can be aloof and removed being an "absent father and husband". This can be just as painful as physical abuse for those who we love and the effects and consequences long-lasting.

I confess that I have met the enemy and the enemy is me. Let it not be said of our generation that we perpetuate and pass on the indifference of previous generations. Let us choose to love, to choose the tough road of transparency. To go deep and be willing to pay the price.

A certain carpenter said " that by this they (the watching world) will know that you are my disciples if we love one another."

Let us love courageously. Joy and freedom awaits all that will choose to be authentic.-BC

A Poetry Reading at Faith Christian School

2011-05-13T15:19:00.002-04:00

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A word of thanks to Mrs Griffin and her beautiful kids for the privilege in sharing some of my poetry with them. My first poem was "The Island of Ikkity-Oooo" which talks about adventure, curiosity and the exploits of little boys. The next poem was "Willie the Wittle Wizard" which speaks of the joy of imagination and magical moments. The last poem I shared in song was a lullaby I wrote for my daughter entitled "A Lullaby to my Angel Girl." And what a great time we had stomping, marching and putting our imaginations into high gear. I so enjoyed it. Blessings-BC

Under A Tree

2011-05-11T09:10:00.000-04:00

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Today...

I sat under a tree...

Naming flowers...Counting leaves...

Hanging from a limb...

Sitting in its shade...remembering...

Watching a lone hawk wheeling...

And that.....

Was enough...

Honeysuckles

2011-05-10T20:47:00.004-04:00

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Reflecting on the way Joy returned to me this day

today...
i savored
the honeysuckles
growing
in my heart...

today...
i was enthralled
by the sunshine
living
in the lining
of my skin...

today...
i witnessed
black mustangs
running wild
in my mind...

today...
every face
I met
were like that
of angels
to my eye...

today...

Joy returned...

to this now burning heart....

now wanting more...yes......more...

To Tip The Scale

2011-05-10T14:16:00.002-04:00

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a sonnet in the defense of Justice

shall we mock Aequitas with subtle voice?
or sway her stalwart heart to lift the veil?
forebear such fool to seek a favored choice
forebear we whisper long to tip the scale
no other heart she has than to be just
no other word to say than judgement true
with impassioned justice to all she must
give righteous verdict in all that's due
we cannot break her righteous law bestowed
only break ourselves against her rule
tis folly for us to kick against the goad
to make us such a vain and bitter fool
let justice fall like a torrential rain
and so restore peace and civility regain

Liberty's Flame

2011-05-10T12:25:00.006-04:00

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A sonnet in the defense of Liberty

Shall I forsake thee sweet Libertas?
Your heartbeat is my single, highest end
Your signet ring upon my soul emboss
Your silouhette and beauty i defend
Any other power would i betray
But the Spirit of liberty's sacred kiss
Only to Your sacred heart do i sway
To embrace You fully with no remiss
As you hold the beacon so lifted high
With its fiery flame that dispels the night
To weary souls whose hearts you satisfy
By the shining of your brilliant light
No one soul will ever Your heart possess
But You possess each heart in nobleness