Free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. – C.S. Lewis
Today is a ‘Freedom Anniversary’ for me! It is a big deal! My life has been a progression of stepping towards freedom.
The battles have been long, dangerous and hard to win in order to free myself. Both physically and spiritually. I am not completely there yet – it is a life-long exploration and journey to free myself. The chains and bars in my prisons, because I find they are legion, are very strong. My Alcatraz type barren -rock islands were such a long way from shore, with many snipers, predators and sharp rocks in the water and on all sides of the shores. My guards were very alert and ready to shoot me, or keep me locked down and in solitary for my whole life. They were gleeful when I fell and happy over my pain and destruction.
And yet, the love, the words, and truth, of God were so much more powerful than any of these things, that no prison in this world could not hold me and, for 22 years now, I keep walking out of my prisons into the brilliant light and sunshine of the free!!!!
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou
A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage|
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.
http://songsfromthevalley.com/July-09-2-14-Freedom.pdf
Posted in
Adventure,
Alone,
America,
art,
beauty,
Becoming Yourself,
Beginning,
Beliefs,
Blessing,
Blog,
Burnign Bridges,
Career,
Change,
Choice,
courage,
create,
Dancing,
Death,
determination,
do,
dominance,
Dreams,
Encouragement,
force,
Freedom,
fun,
Gratitude,
Grieving,
Growth,
Habits,
Happiness,
Happy Holiday!,
home,
Hope,
Imagine,
Impossible,
Joy,
Judging,
kindness,
laugh,
Leadership,
Letting Go,
Life,
light,
Lonely,
Losing,
Love,
Miracles,
Mother,
music,
Newsletter,
Party,
Passion,
Peace,
People,
Poetry,
politics,
power,
Prayer,
Proof,
Purpose,
quiet,
Quotes,
Reality,
Reflection,
Relationships,
Respect,
Seasons,
Smile,
Solitude,
Songs from the Valley,
Spring,
Stars and Moonlight,
strength,
success,
Sweet,
Tears,
Tenderness,
thankfulness,
Thoughts,
time,
Today,
Trust,
Uncategorized,
Vulnerability,
Winning,
words,
worry,
Writing |
irit of God manifest itself through us? Often we think that to witness means to speak up in defense of God. This idea can make us very self-conscious. We wonder where and how we can make God the topic of our conversations and how to convince our families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues of God’s presence in their lives. But this explicit missionary endeavour often comes from an insecure heart and, therefore, easily creates divisions.
life: acoustic & amplified 