life: acoustic & amplified
poetry, quotes & thoughts about life
Archive for the category “Imagine”
We are the body – use all your gifts!!!
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. – I Peter 4:10 NIV
Don’t wait to commit!
How do you feel about commitment? I used not to think about it very much, and then my whole life changed and I had to make some of the toughest decisions I could ever have to make in this world. Did my faith really matter? Did my commitment level really make a difference? You bet it did!
I just finished the book, Not a Fan, by Kyle Idleman http://www.notafan.com/ it is one of the best books I have ever read on this subject. Are you a fan or a follower? Do you understand commitment? Do you understand intimacy? Do you understand the price of being free? Do you know your value? Are you committed? To Christ? To any of your relationships?
When my whole life exploded (about 15 years ago now) and I plunged into poverty, loss, homelessness, chaos…for year after year. When I thought I had nothing left to lose and then I lost more and even more – I had a choice to make: Was I committed? What did I really want? I didn’t understand exactly that I was committing. I remember in 1990, praying, I want to be happy…and AS LONG AS I am moving in that direction…I will continue to follow God’s path. Ha Well, it certainly hasn’t been the path I expected, but I have become so in love and so consumed and so full of love, joy and peace – not because of me, but because of the Spirit of God, I have found it is my all-consuming passion to die to myself and to attempt to move out-of-the-way so I can live and love in God’s way that is sooo much more than I can ever explain!
There have been several moments when it could have gone either way for me, I stood on the edge of the decision, day after day, and made the very tough choice toward faith. It didn’t make sense to many people, there were many times when it certainly didn’t make sense to me, and during those times I would cling to the promises. I would read Psalm 37, James 1, Matthew 5-7, and daily words of encouragement, many times over and over. I would listen to music, I would walk in nature. Each time I struggled and each time I found peace, hope, grace to continue my journey with Jesus.
I have to tell you, many times God seemed silent, Jesus was just a shadowy figure who didn’t seem real or relevant, and I had to look back at the path behind me, the miracles of the past years to keep my faith alive. Many times I sat for a while and just couldn’t move any further, a few times I made desperate decisions and ended up having to deal with those decisions for many years, but every day I have continued to ask, seek and knock. My faith and my passion have grown and I want nothing else in this world than to know my creator more. To understand love so that I can share that same love with others.
Spring wishes
I’m not sure who decided that dandelions were weeds, but the poor dandelion got a bad deal.
I walked through my new yard this morning on a beautiful bed of cheery, wish-filled dandelions, my favorite little violets and lucky, lucky clover. I sat on the deck and discovered the cutest little inch worm crawling on my hand and sang the inch worm song as i put him back in the grass, and as I thrilled to the bounty and beauty of spring, I was also reminded of my dad paying me a luxurious nickel for each large paper grocery bag full of dandelions I produced. I was never very good and probably only deserved 1/2 of my nickel! Ha
I’m kinda proud of that now, cause I like dandelions! Who decided they were weeds?????
More to come when I get rested up and get somewhat settled!
Happy Spring – bask, wallow and enjoy every beautiful bit!
Happy Spring to all!
Might need this bat for mine…
Batting!
Toward the end of winter I came upon
the Lord on a diamond, batting.
I said, “ Lord, what are you doing?”
“These are your sins,” he said,
as a shadowy figure on the mound
with a vicious arm pitched.
He had no instinct: swung at everything,
even dirtballs. And hit ’em every time.
He had a beautiful swing,
fluid, sure, and joyful.
He hit pitch after pitch, endlessly.
I lost myself, watching.
“Out of the park” he said, his eye
on a nasty looking knuckleball,
and swung like a dancer,
gracefully unwinding. Chock!
It rose up over the fence, over the trees,
released from all earthly bonds,
floating free until it disappeared,
infinitely gone, still rising.
He watched it go, as if
he’d never seen such a beautiful thing.
“I love this game,” he grinned,
and set for another pitch.
I think he was honestly
pleased with himself.
______________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Used With Permission
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
happy spring training baseball people!
ask, seek, knock
Almost 22 years ago I asked God! I had no idea if God was real at that point. I sure didn’t see God in any of the people around me. Religion sure had no answers, and so I started on the path with a very heavy scepticism. I really had no idea of anything. I truly emptied myself, of all I had been taught all my life, and worked to challenge my thought process. I challenged and thought about everything that came into my life.
I determined only to follow what brought me peace and led me towards happiness. I knew I would make mistakes – because I had no idea what I was doing, but I determinied I would do my best to face what I did and not make those same mistakes again! I determined to take personal responsibility for my life and my actions and I started off on my experiment to find life. I was challenged to TRY to live as close to the principles I found in the words of Jesus in Matthew 5-7, The Sermon on the Mount.
It is interesting to me that over those years, when I struggled through this challenge that is humanly impossible, I struggled to feel the humanness of Jesus. I really had no idea if what I was doing was doing anything but leading me into brokenness and pain. I had to hold onto two things. The promises and hope of God, and the fact that I felt the personal, gut peace which no one else had access to. There was something bigger than what I could possible do happening! I was witnessing and aware of this. It was growing and so was my belief – no one could take away what I had seen, felt, tasted, experienced. Those miracles that came to me are more than evidence – they are my life-blood!
I now know Jesus intimately – after all I have been trying my best to live his words for the past 22 years! I KNOW HIM! I know his beautiful heart. I have lived his truth – it is my truth! LOVE!!! FREEDOM!!! RESPECT!!!! SERVE!!!
Yesterday I heard a sermon on Jesus as the Bread of life. As the crowd rejected ‘eating his flesh’ (knowing him intimately) his disciples were left alone with him. He asked them if they would leave also and Peter said, “Where would we go? You have the words of eternal life”. Yes, I echo that today. I have no where else to go – my experiment has turned out to be so much more than I ever expected. I am in love with Jesus! and it makes me glad!
I still know very little as far as the mysteries of God – I am so glad that I am not arrogant enough to think I can figure out the creator of this amazing world! I don’t worry about a lot – I am too busy falling in love, knowing the heart of love, figuring out how I can share that love with others who need it so badly!!!
life: acoustic & amplified 