Archive | January 2017

Cottage-by-the-Sea, #1, 2017

Jan31

O Father!
As sure as the waves lap at the shoreline,
Whether harshly or with gentleness,
Let Your servant be steady before You,
Seeking forgiveness from You in steadiness.

As numerous as the sand grains,
Whether sugar white or black with ash,
Let Your child come seeking wisdom,
Instead of greedily seeking cash.

As consuming as the sounds of surf,
Surround Your Heir as thoroughly as this place,
May I seek Your understanding foremost,
Your strength for this earthly race.

As deeply as the water soaks me,
When it steeps me heart and soul,
May Your love then rescue me.
As sure as the history told.

Life lived beside the seaside,
In my heart’s Cottage-by-the-Sea,
Serves as a port of refuge and reconciliation,
Where You and I meet heart-to-heart honestly.

So though the world rock on in turmoil,
Hear Your daughter’s cry for mercy please,
Clean and bind my wounds open before You,
Heal me and set my soul at ease.

Longer than this spot guide others safely,
May it serve to launch a million ships,
To show the world of Your presence,
As from here my soul to You will slip.
            dfav 1/31/17

—Donna

Great Expectations

Jan30

Photographer: dfav 7/2010. Window resides in Surgeon Memorial Baptist Church, Norfolk, VA.

We normally expect our parents
To love us regardless.
But, we have to admit there
Are exceptions to our hope.
Even if we don’t like to admit
Those exist, they do.
For those exceptions we help
Those who need to cope.
Maybe, someone else steps in
With a taste of unconditional love?
Or we have to swallow our pride,
Because we drove them away?
Even though we want it differently
Truth lives where it resides.

We expect God to be love and love us
Like we want Him too.
I’ve learned God can’t be boxed up,
And sometimes He is wild.
Even when I think I know Him,
He proves Himself differently,
Showing love, forgiveness, mercy,
All raging fierce to mild.
He never promised fallen mankind
Love without expectations,
He even set conditions in stone,
Then also into the hearts of man,
To love others as He loves us,
This is how He set the tone.

God isn’t a flesh and blood parent,
He doesn’t care about my expectations,
Nor does He care if here
I’m happy or comfortable.
He cares about my eternal soul
And restoring me to Him.
That picture is what calms me
Rests my fears, leaves me stable.
Yes, He loves me, unconditionally
But with Holy expectations.
My choice is to obey Him or not.
That freewill He gifts to me.
What will I decide today,
A lesson I sometimes have forgot.
        dfav 1/29/17

—Donna

Will You Love Through Him?

Jan27

I have troubles,
Miseries that run deep,
It’s as if I’m steeped in them.
Steeped, like tea bags in boiling water.
And the answer?
The answer is to pray?
Don’t you know I am?
I’m trying?

In your troubles,
Do you think you’re alone,
Always pushing up hill,
Up hill, with everything pushing against you.
And the advice is to pray?
Don’t we realize you are?
All the time?
All the time.

Everyone has sorrows.
No one is immune.
What’s the purpose of God then?
What glory comes to Him from them?
His ways aren’t ours,
We need His mind to understand,
His mind to see the full story,
His mind for His story.

Today while I am praying,
I will pray also for you.
Like teabags steeping in hot water,
May my prayers soak our pain.
Our differences can be bridged,
If God reigns in our hearts,
I will love through Him.
Will you love through Him?
   -dfav 1/26/17

—Donna

Speak God’s Truth

Jan24

Speak the truth.
Speak it loudly,
Speak it proudly.
But, speak truth.

Speaks truth as facts,
Speak truth well-founded,
Speak truth well-grounded.
But, speak truth as facts.

Speak truth in honesty.
Speak truth in love,
Speak truth in compassion.
But, speak truth honestly.

Speak truth though it hurt.
Speak truth so it can cleanse,
Speak truth so it can heal.
Speak truth though it hurt.

Speak all the truth,
Speak what illuminates,
Speak what may frustrate.
But, speak all truth.

God is truth,
God cannot lie,
God’s truth did not die.
God is truth.

God’s truth is love,
God’s love is freeing,
God’s love is inspiring.
Speak His truth as love.

God’s truth spoken reigns,
Will not be unheard,
Will not be defeated.
God’s truth reigns.
            dfav 1/24/17

—Donna

Prayer for the New President

Jan23

Photographer & Creator of flag: Angel Kaye

May the leadership mantle
Granted to you today
Never sit with you well.
May it always chaff you,
Always threaten to topple you,
Because it is serious.
Even in lighter moments of humor
Your office cannot be taken lightly.

May the job you’ve agreed to do,
Always come before all else,
Even family and holidays,
Because it has no time off,
No responsibilities to put off,
Or decisions you can delegate
To escape having to make them.
This job begins and ends with you.

May those who openly despise you,
Always be truthful in their hate,
They’re easier to handle
Than those who are pretending,
Than those who are fair-weathering,
And you stand a better chance
Of changing their hearts with honesty,
Than those sneaking around you.

May this leadership weigh heavy,
And push you to your knees,
Where you turn to God and
You learn to trust openingly in Him.
May you know Him as you’ve never known Him,
Thanks to the station of this job,
The responsibilities you now have,
The leadership of America.
                dfav 1/22/17

—Donna

It’s Easier

Jan20


It’s easy to say “I love everyone”,
When the everyone is mostly like you.
But it’s harder to do we’ve discovered,
When the other is nothing like you.
It’s easy to push for equal treatment,
When the fight is for what you believe.
But it’s harder to make sure it happens,
When it’s against all you can achieve.
It’s easy to “live and let live”,
When the living is one of your own.
But it’s harder when what they’re selling,
Threatens to black out what you’ve grown.
It’s easy to applaud the winner,
When the trophy goes to one you gladly claim.
But it’s harder when the winner turns out to be,
One you’d never choose for the fame.
It’s easy to snatch up and go running,
Declaring “this isn’t the way”.
But it’s harder to stay and invest,
When the harvest comes in another day.
It’s easier perhaps, to give up,
When the other side has the win,
But easier may not be the answer,
Considering the shape that we’re in.
So I put my hand to the plow,
And I lift my heart to the Son.
Trusting He will be forever guiding me,
So in the end then He will have won.
         dfav 1/20/17

—Donna

A Memory Slice

Jan19

The memories slice right to my heart,
Reminding me of a separate time,
When I believed myself to be,
A woman who’d cast her own part.
Who stood up and saw the prize,
Bent will to work and determined win,
Daily gave only my absolute best,
Shoved forth the smile, left behind the sighs.
I believed she was who You meant me to be,
Assisting those whose greater work,
Was to save “at-risk youths” and family,
Help them healthy in mind and spirit be.
Though Your name could not be freely spoke,
It mattered little if we but kept them well,
Surely someone else would plant Your seed,
We would certainly break burdensome yokes.
Yet I see now between those pictured memories,
How wrong to do good for good’s sake alone!
I offered hope of merely man kinds hand,
Not of You Lord, who would have set them free.
          dfav 1/19/17

—Donna