Beliefs | life: acoustic & amplified

Archive for the category “Beliefs”

05 Feb 2015

upside down

What happens when things turn upside down?
It’s funny you should ask
I’ve spent my lifetime finding out
Some answers to just that-

An umbrella becomes a birdbath
A hat becomes a bowl
A plate can get quite messy
If it’s loaded up with food
like meatloaf and potatoes
and lots of gravy too
An opossums probably acting dead
A fish may really be
A gorilla stays a gorilla
‘butt’ It’s quite the sight to see

North is South
and South is North
polar opposites
the mirror now reflects my feet
where my teeth used to be

The cloud’s all silver lining
The rainbow’s now a smile
The floor becomes the ceiling
The ceiling’s now a floor

And when my life turned upside down
Then certain things came clear
How little some things mattered
How other things were dear
How difficult to show my heart
Important though it is
How much it costs to sing my songs
Though for them, do I live
There’s so much more to tell you
and I’ll try share it all
in hopes if you turn upside down
You’re ready for the fall
It’s really very simple
though very hard to see
That living upside down
Is the best that life can be

cause He said:

3 “Blessed are those who have nothing to bring,
for they will be owning the kingdom.
4 Blessed are those with the most broken of hearts,
comfort and love they are given.
5 Blessed are those who choose to be gentle,
they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who seek me with passion,
they will be feasting in fashion.
7 Blessed are the forgivers,
for they will be those forgiven.
8 Blessed are those who have gone through the fire,
for they will fly high from the pyre.
9 Blessed are the ones who march in peace,
for they will be called God’s children.
10 Blessed are those who do hard things, who speak the truth of God they have experienced in the face of losing family and friends,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, treat you bad, lie about you and spread gossip about you because of what you speak.
12 Be happy, filled with joy and gladness, because great is your reward in heaven, you aren’t alone. It’s always been hard for those who color outside the lines, who walk around upside down and let their guts show….*

I don’t claim to understand it
It makes no sense at all
Yet I can’t deny the way I’m blessed
By following this call

ACL 2/4/15

* my interpretation of The Beatitudes found in Matthew 5: 1-12

photo source tracks found at

Posted in Adventure, attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Beliefs, beloved, Blessing, Change, find art at pinterest, Gratitude, Growth, healing, Joy, Letting Go, Life, Love, Miracles, mystery, Passion, soul and spirit, www.pinterest.com

30 Dec 2014

believe it

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26 Dec 2014

no apologies

I am done with apologies. If contrariness is my
inheritance and destiny, so be it. If it is my mission
to go in at exits and come out at entrances, so be it.
I have planted by the stars in defiance of the experts,
and tilled somewhat by incantation and by singing,
and reaped, as I knew, by luck and Heaven’s favor,
in spite of the best advice. If I have been caught
so often laughing at funerals, that was because
I knew the dead were already slipping away,
preparing a comeback, and can I help it?
And if at weddings I have gritted and gnashed
my teeth, it was because I knew where the bridegroom
had sunk his manhood, and knew it would not
be resurrected by a piece of cake. ‘Dance,’ they told me,
and I stood still, and while they stood
quiet in line at the gate of the Kingdom, I danced.
‘Pray,’ they said, and I laughed, covering myself
in the earth’s brightnesses, and then stole off gray
into the midst of a revel, and prayed like an orphan.
When they said, ‘I know my Redeemer liveth,’
I told them, ‘He’s dead.’ And when they told me
‘God is dead,’ I answered, ‘He goes fishing ever day
in the Kentucky River. I see Him often.’
When they asked me would I like to contribute
I said no, and when they had collected
more than they needed, I gave them as much as I had.
When they asked me to join them I wouldn’t,
and then went off by myself and did more
than they would have asked. ‘Well, then,’ they said
‘go and organize the International Brotherhood
of Contraries,’ and I said, ‘Did you finish killing
everybody who was against peace?’ So be it.
Going against men, I have heard at times a deep harmony
thrumming in the mixture, and when they ask me what
I say I don’t know. It is not the only or the easiest
way to come to the truth. It is one way.

Posted in action, attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Beliefs, confidence, find art at pinterest, Life, Reflection, soul and spirit, Thoughts, truth, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment

17 Nov 2014

aging gracefully

Young souls lean on science.

Mature souls lean on faith.

And old souls prefer long walks and short talks; whistling to hip-hop, country, or rock; and on occasion, tree spotting.

There! On the horizon! Oak!
————————————————
The Universe
http://www.tut.com

Love unites all, whether created or uncreated. The heart of God, the heart of all creation, and our own hearts become one in love. That’s what all the great mystics have been trying to tell us through the ages. Benedict, Francis, Hildegard of Bingen, Hadewijch of Brabant, Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Dag Hammarskjöld, Thomas Merton, and many others, all in their own ways and their own languages, have witnessed to the unifying power of the divine love. All of them, however, spoke with a knowledge that came to them not through intellectual arguments but through contemplative prayer. The Spirit of Jesus allowed them to see the heart of God, the heart of the universe, and their own hearts as one. It is in the heart of God that we can come to the full realisation of the unity of all that is, created and uncreated.
– Henri Nouwen
http://www.henrinouwen.org

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11 Aug 2014

faith walk

This is a faith walk. Everything you do must be done by faith in Me. If you keep your eyes focused on Me, you will not fail. I know each thing you must face, because I have already faced them for you. So, My child, do not be afraid. I will not let you be harmed. I will guide you every step of the way. My right hand will protect you. Know that I have prepared the way for you. Just trust Me and press on through.
– Shearon Hurst

Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known THIS DAY that thou art God of everything, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again.
(vs 36-37)
– Buell Kazee

Faith is the basis of all works in us. Absolute surrender of all self-sufficiency and resourcefulness of self, and absolute faith and trust in God to do something for us, is the attitude a believer must take. Ever it is the question, “Can you believe?” All things are possible to him that believeth.
– Buell Kazee

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21 Jul 2014

evolution

I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking God to do His work through me. –Hudson Taylor

Faith, Not Feelings, Pleases God
by Rick Warren

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” (Job 1:21 NIV)

When you are a baby Christian, God gives you a lot of confirming emotions and often answers the most immature, self-centered prayers — so you’ll know he exists. But as you grow in faith, he will wean you of these dependencies.

God wants you to sense his presence, but he’s more concerned that you trust him than that you feel him. Faith, not feelings, pleases God.

The situations that will stretch your faith most will be those times when life falls apart and God is nowhere to be found. This happened to Job. On a single day he lost everything — his family, his business, his health, and everything he owned. Most discouraging for Job was that for 37 chapters of the Bible, God said nothing!

How do you praise God when you don’t understand what’s happening in your life and God is silent? How do you stay connected in a crisis without communication? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when they’re full of tears? You do what Job did: He fell to the ground in worship and said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21 NIV).

Tell God exactly how you feel. Pour out your heart to God. Unload every emotion that you’re feeling. Job did this when he said, “I can’t be quiet! I am angry and bitter. I have to speak” (Job 7:11 TEV).

He cried out when God seemed distant: “Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house” (Job 29:4 NIV).

God can handle your doubt, anger, fear, grief, confusion, and questions.

Describe a time when you have felt God’s presence in your life.
Think of another time when you wanted to feel God’s presence but didn’t. Did it change your response to God? If so, why?

This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at http://www.rickwarren.org

…when we hope in what God has promised – commanded – our hope is the same as certainty.
– Craig Groeschel

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28 Jun 2014

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. – I Corinthians 1:27

The society in which we live suggests in countless ways that the way to go is up. Making it to the top, entering the limelight, breaking the record – that’s what draws attention, gets us on the front page of the newspaper, and offers us the rewards of money and fame.

The way of Jesus is radically different. It is the way not of upward mobility but of downward mobility. It is going to the bottom, staying behind the sets, and choosing the last place! Why is the way of Jesus worth choosing? Because it is the way to the Kingdom, the way Jesus took, and the way that brings everlasting life.

– Henri Nouwen
http://www.henrinouwen.org

Posted in attitude, awareness, Beliefs, Change, Choice, Faith, find art at pinterest, Glory, Gospel, Letting Go, Life, mystery, perceptions, soul and spirit, Uncategorized, Vulnerability, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment

03 Jun 2014

open and empty to be filled

Don’t take anything personally. Even when a situation seems so personal, even if others insult you directly, it has nothing to do with you. Their point of view and opinion come from all the programming they received growing up. When you take things personally, you feel offended and your reaction is to defend your beliefs and create conflict. You make something big out of something so little because you have the need to be right and make everybody else wrong.
– Don Miguel Ruiz

Posted in attitude, awareness, Becoming Yourself, Beliefs, beloved, Blessing, community, connection, courage, Encouragement, Faith, find art at pinterest, Freedom, friendship, grace, intimacy, Letting Go, Life, Love, People, perceptions, Relationships, Respect, soul and spirit, www.pinterest.com | Leave a comment

02 Jun 2014

speaking, living, thinking love…all things must flow from love

Don’t worry about being enlightened,
about becoming perfect in any way.

Give up the heroic struggle
to become worthy.

Just notice and appreciate;
be ready with love.

Welcome all into your heart
where light falls gently.

Meet each soul, each moment,
with the Beloved’s compassion.

Be the open gate of a garden
where a beautiful bird sings.

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
http://www.unfoldinglight.net

Today is a brand new day. A fresh start. Replace any negativity with positivity. Think happy thoughts. Exercise. Drink lots of water. Fill your body with fuel. Healthy is happy. Inspire yourself. Create. Laugh. Play. Love. Learn. Give someone a compliment. Make a new friend. Do a random act of kindness. It creates good karma. Take chances and finally start living life to its fullest. But no matter what’s thrown at you today, smile and remember, tomorrow’s always a fresh new start.”

— Author Unknown

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22 May 2014

you’re so good you get a bonus! xoxo

Dearly Beloved,

Grace and Peace to you.

God gives to all mortals life and breath and all things…
so that they would search for God
and perhaps grope for God
and find God—
though indeed God is not far from each one of us.
—Acts 17.25, 27

Disregard the patron Saint of Confidence.
Never mind the ones who nod knowingly,
as if looking at the blotty picture saying,
“Seriously, don’t you see the cow?”
Their smugness is their idol. Ignore it.

You were not created to know, not destined
for certainty. You are created to search,
groping in the light, reaching out
through the thicket of your moments,
wondering, wanting more, hungering.

God doesn’t want people who are finished,
trophies hanging on the wall. God wants—
wants, like we want, groping, perhaps finding—
hunters who are still seeking, explorers,
children of wonder and blessed unknowing.

In reaching out you expand your world.
In groping you open yourself. In not knowing
you allow God to exceed all bounds.
In searching you stay alive. Let your worship
be the praise of unfinished embraces,

of pauses in conversations. Let unknowing
be your sanctuary. And oh, as you flail,
like an infant not knowing the finger you grasp,
how God, so close, loves the touch of your probing,
and holds your wandering hand.
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
http://www.unfoldinglight.net

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life: acoustic & amplified

poetry, quotes & thoughts about life

Archive for the category “Beliefs”

upside down

believe it

no apologies

aging gracefully

faith walk

evolution

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. – I Corinthians 1:27

open and empty to be filled

speaking, living, thinking love…all things must flow from love

you’re so good you get a bonus! xoxo

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