Archive | September 2014

Plastic Life

Photographs get edited
Models perfected by airbrush,
Even a perfect sunset gets aided
By color tinting and shading
Is nothing what it appears to be?

Green screens and computer generated images
It looks so real you’re sure it is
Pleasant things and horrid damages
Fake degrees and family history’s
Is anyone who they claim to be?

Artificial sweeteners, flavors and more
Tastes like butter but its not
Enhanced food colors with unnatural dyes
Even organic can be faked and scored
Nothing seems to be what it is these days.

Plastic people with surgeon given faces
Weaves, extensions, toupees and plugs
Do we truly remember the human race?
Or edited versions of who we were
When did reality become such a bore?

But one thing is still real every day
God is the same forever more
He is the Truth, the Life, the Way
Man can try to distort who God is
But He’ll stand the test of time.

When every knee will bend
And every tongue confess
When the heart of each of us is spent
It will be Jesus who seeks our name
In the Book of Life where nothing is faked.
d.f.a.v. 9/30/14
–Donna

From the Cottage by the Sea

Sep29

Abba Father;
You are the God Jehovah
The Lord of all that is
In the woven plaits of all time
You are their God and You’re mine.
Your will is done in Heaven
Without question or concern
That’s how it should be here
If this truth we held so dear.
I’ve come again to the Sea
Where our cottage waits for hope
l stare out over sand and high tide
The ocean dark a forbidding ride,
I long to push myself right in
Feel the waves pull me fast
Until I mount the largest wave
Do You understand what I need You to save?
Rescue me from my own self
The good I know and do not do
The times pride stands in my way
From truly trusting You each day.
So far from perfect I truly am,
How can I trust my heart to know?
When God is good for I am not
But trust in Him is all I’ve got.
The waves crash in foam and spray
I’ll stand by You Lord night and day.
Forgive me Lord for failing along the way.
d.f.a.v. 9/28/14
–Donna

The Answer is Only in You

Sep23

How does one find answers
To questions they don’t know how to ask?
How does one keep plugging along
If they’re so unsure of the task?

Why does one fumble the ball
When they’re unaware of the game?
Why does the world close in
When one is so unsure of their name?

When will discouragement end
And one’s heart flood with hope itself?
When will one understand You
If one thinks only of themselves?

Where does one turn for help
When doors slamming is all one hears?
Where is it You’re leading one
When one’s heart is so full of fear?

Why do You put up with us?
For others are stronger, braver and true.
Why does one disappoint again
If one believes they seek only You?

What keeps You sheltering us
When the storms are passing overhead?
What evokes Your mercies
When “giving up” is all one has said?

The solution is direct and simple
With all this one can trust only You.
When the world spins away
It is certain, the answer is only in You.
d.f.a.v. 9/22/14
—Donna

From the Cottage by the Sea 9/22/14

Sep22

Dear Abba Father :
There’s a grubby, grimy package
Way back upon the shelf
We both know I’ve been hiding it
Determined to keep it to myself.
I’ve hidden it all over
Thinking each place more secure
Then I find it always returning
And I’m left to feel so unsure.
Fact is Lord, I know You know
It’s people in my life who don’t
I hate to think of hurting them
Yet nothing I know says I won’t.
Simple truth is Sweet Jesus
I’ve given up with no will to try
Instead of my faith holding fast
I’d rather stay in bed and cry.
The pain seems almost endless
I’m locked alone as it pounds on
And where money could make it easier
All ours has up and gone, gone, gone.
I witness my husband struggle
Working full time at work and home
Though he never once complains
I fear the day his strength is gone.
So I’ve swallowed and I swallowed
Wound it tight as tight could be
Until it became so finely compressed
I could throw it out into the sea.
Then I felt the too familiar hurt
I looked up from my chair to see
That grubby, grimy package
Had come back to swallow me.
Since then I’ve tried all I know
So Your faithful wouldn’t find out
But it seems to be so dishonest
From rooftops I want to shout.
I’ve given up on a miracle
Given up on ever being well
Most days I long for Heaven
For it seems I live in part of Hell.
You’ve known all about this package
Known the truth in my heart
Forgive me for a faith so weak
That feels to be all torn apart.
Help me focus on what I can do
Be creative in solutions to my needs
Forgive me Father for my unbelief
Sow in me productive seeds.
Forgive me as You unwrap this package
Help me bear this all with Your grace
Each day let me be more thankful
For it’s in these struggles I run the race.
Amen. d.f.a.v. 9/21/14
–Donna

We Shall Know Him

Sep19

We shall see Him
We shall see Him
Coming down through the sky
We shall see Him
We shall see Him
He will call us to His side.

We shall praise Him
We shall praise Him
Our Lord who His life He did sacrifice
We shall praise Him
We shall praise Him
Our Lord who on the cross did die.

We shall know Him
We shall know Him
In a way we’ve not before
We shall know Him
We shall know Him
When we walk through Heaven’s door.

We shall know Him
We shall know Him
When we seek Him with our hearts
We shall know Him
We shall know Him
When we know Him with our hearts.
d.f.a.v. 9/19/14
–Donna

Come and Praise

Sep18

Come with joy before the Lord!
Dance and sing with all within you!
Raise your voice in jubilee
Praise the Lord in every way you know!
Present yourself before the throne
Open yourself to the Spirit’s flow,
Let your laughter echo loud
Worship God in freedom bold!
Come before Christ our Savior
Come now before Him leave your load
Yes! Laugh and dance enthusiastically
Present yourself to the God you know.
Let no dishonesty cross your lips
Follow His Spirit praise His yes and no.
d.f.a.v. 9/18/14
–Donna

Daughter, on Turning Thirteen

Sep17

Dear Daughter;
Would be so nice to tell you
That life will always be kind
If you do this or if you do that
But life has its own thing in mind.

Heart breakers don’t have “a look”
A road may not take you where you want to go
Sometimes every seemingly right turns wrong
While the least expected one may love you so.

Why learning to find square roots is necessary
Or best friends have to move away
The direction to go isn’t easily determined
Or how to avoid “horrible, rotten, no good days”.

All the answers, cautions, warnings
Won’t prevent you from mistakes and consequences
But God will be with you every step
He will be by you, a friend forever relentless.

Life can be messy Daughter, and sweet
Learn to trust God within you to see
That some heartaches can be avoided if you do
Other things, like square roots, just have to be.
D.f.a.v. 9/17/14
—Donna
a.k.a.: Mama

Conversation With God

Sep16

“Lord, I love You”
I said with gusto.
“Lead me to serve You,
To follow You wherever You go..”

“Go and feed my sheep,
Feed their souls
Though you lose sleep
My story must be told.”
For a moment I’m stunned
How can I do anymore?
Has He forgotten I’m limited
There aren’t many doors?

Knowing my thoughts God replied
“My child you’ve given up
You see only what closed
Open Your eyes, sip from My cup.

Take what you see as little
And give it Your absolute best
Use words to craft and whittle
So others I can bless.”

The truth wasn’t easy to hear
Though I had bowed my head
Though God was near
I forgot the power in what is read.

“Lord, I love You”
I said with conviction
“Whatever You need me to do
I’ll set course through my depression. ”

As our conversation closed
I realized this fact
Our God uses the broken
For He values truth over act.

Open your ears and eyes
Read with your heart
God is so great there is no disguise
He is life’s sanctuary part.

Acknowledge within your soul
All the questions you secretly store
Make letting God answer your goal
Trust in Him He will open your doors.
d.f.a.v. 9/16/17
—Donna

Thankful

Sep15

Thankful for so many things

Sadly I’ve taken for granted

Until without those very things

My eyes opened to my callousness

That kept my heart from seeing.

Things so present I’ve forgotten

What a blessing they truly are

Even when it seems all is rotten

Air to breath even if I struggle

Life to live through ups and downs.

Thankful for so many things

Quiet time in prayer and thought

Love symbolized by a wedding ring

Work we’ve done to keep it there

Because “divorce is not an option”.

Thankful for each little thing

That opens me to challenges

Because they mean life is still going

Water, sun and fuel that lets

The seeds and plants keep growing.

Thankful Lord for this reminder

That even with its struggles

Life can be found in details finer

Than wealth, beauty and perfect lives

It’s the hearts treasures that matter.

d.f.a.v. 9/15/14

–Donna

How

Sep12

How full my heart
How dark the night
How low the tide
How deep the fright.

How clever evil ‘s ways
How cunning it be
How quickly the strike
How blindly I see.

How manipulative the loss
How complete the plan
How deceptive the lies
How naive is this woman.

How quiet Your Word
How honesty reveals
How banished the dark
How Christ does appeal.

How bright is the Son
How clear He shines
How strong His defense
How His victory defines.

How plain is His truth
How honest His heart
How sure is His promise
How pure is His art.

How sweet this reminder
How peaceful the rest
How calm is the slumber
How much I am blest.
–d.f.a.v. 9/11/14
—Donna

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Christian poetry & essays about one woman's faith walk.