A woman's plight

what good is bait that is never caught
that is what a woman is taught

painted faces, bangled jewels,
golden hair, no man can refuse

brains and braun are not for the faun
but the hunter who's here, then gone

i'm holding on,
not letting go
to what is the question i don't always know

the memories of old,
the hopes of a future
how i feel is sometimes still very unsure.

give me a reason,
please don't make me ask
to confirm or deny the feelings of the past

a fire burns within,
sometimes the smoke i cannot hide
may it warm, not burn those who've heard, though i've tried...

...to swallow the flames,
too many times
may scar the heart and tear the eyes, is it a crime?

to fuel the fire,
keep it burning low and strong
or let forth from my mouth the flame, is it wrong?

what will be left of me
if it burns, burns, burns
please, come near and feel its warmth
else i drink of cool water, may it ne'er return

Heart sick

My heart has set to sea
and like a ship rocks to and fro

I doubt
I trust
I doubt
I trust
I doubt and so it goes.

Is it harbor that I seek?
But dry-docked how would I grow?
Like you, I want to live the dream.
It's too soon to let this go.

Reflection

What I was, what I am
What I hope to be, all of me

I'm owning it - the good, the bad
An offering to You, a soul made new

Time, money, talent, strength
What good is it if not invested?

The barns are full, I've more than I need
Soured milk, moldy bread, who needs a place to lay their head?

I won't be the man whose pockets were full,
and at the funeral bed, no word was said.

Why believe in God?

The following is an excerpt from a response to a friend who is questioning the existence of God. For a Christian, it's not new news but rather the Good News. Thanks to my sister-in-law for reminding me of the heart of the matter.


"...I was talking to my sister-in-law earlier this week about how she came to believe in God and she concisely answered “Jesus.” There are countless accounts of Jesus life, only 4 of which I have read, but according to those writings, he lived a perfect life: He thought of others more than Himself at all times, even to the point of death; in other words, He loved perfectly. When I match myself up to him, I don’t measure up. If there is a God, then it was a pretty smart idea to beget a perfect being that would reveal His true wishes for humanity. His mission was to love and to set people free. Those who choose to follow Him won’t lose the battle…they won’t be plagued with fear and loneliness, stifled by guilt, controlled by anger or jealousy, or any other damaging human experience. So, why did (do) people reject him? Because they saw that His power and authority threatened their own. Now, the weak have a defender and justice reigns over injustice.

There are many reasons why I believe in God, but, I agree with my sister-in-law: Jesus is the best reason to believe in God."

All men are like grass...

If grass had a voice,
what would it say?
Watch your feet, show respect or,
don't be shy, I'm not for display.

If grass had a choice,
where would it go?
To the seaside shore
or gracing peaks of old?

Where is your voice
and what is your choice?
For like the grass of the field
to death we must yield.

Like Ruth, I had a choice
to stay behind or go,
turn my back on my gods
for a God I did not know.

Like Ruth, I had a voice
to plead for his protection,
asking him to be
my savior from destruction.

We are like grass...
when will we breathe our last?
But we have a choice
and we have a voice.

A rap, given up to Kim & Matt

The pivot in the middle: be balanced, be still
One minute I'm healthy - and the next I am ill
Lookin' to God to make my body be well, so I'll tellya

There's no God like our God,
No God like our God.

He heals all our diseases,
just look to Jesus.

There's no God like our God,
No God like our God.