Joy! Joy is still a peace that all of us can claim we've found,
In unceasing waves of calm to wrap life around.
Joy highlights hope.
Hope! Hope is still very much alive and well,
Countless occurrences of praises to tell.
Hope gives way to prayer.
Prayer! Prayer is still flowing heavenward from our lips,
It is possible to just touch Your hem with fingertips.
Prayer breaths love.
Love! Love is still within most human hearts,
Even of those determined to keep us apart.
Love provides forgiveness.
Forgiveness! Forgiveness is still what we all seek,
For our deepest wounds and anger make us weak.
Forgiveness flows to grace.
Grace! Grace is still that which we are in great need,
There are unknown harvests from Your gospel seed.
Grace gives birth to joy.
Joy links hope causing prayer where love reveals forgiveness,
Forgiveness gives way to grace and joy returns selfless.
All joined by God.
----dfav
4/9/21
Waking in the wee hours of this morning
There is a thirst in my soul
And I pray and read Your word
Aware
How my innermost core
Longs for a drink from
The everlasting Living Water.
How I long to sink my roots
Deeply into the earth
Beside the rivers mighty flow.
Somehow You see,
Somehow You know,
Grant me what I need.
Breathing in the Sonrise as dew dissolves
Knowledge warms my wounded heart
And I pray and devour Your word
Aware
How my soul aches deeply
For You in my hearts
You shaped missing puzzle piece.
How everything in me responds
To Your urging self-examination
Of me in Your Word.
Somehow You know,
Somehow You have heard
Grant me now Your wisdom.
Warming as the Son warms the earth
Stretching to see what God fulfills
And I pray and feast on Your word
Aware
How perfectly You respond
To my specific needs right here
Right where I am.
How blessed I am O Holy One
That You love me
Completely as Your own.
Somehow now my eyes are opened
Somehow Your knowledge to me is known,
You are the the Great I Am.
----dfav
4/7/2021
When the full light of God's being
Is shone into Your heart
What becomes visible unseen before
What remains when the shadows depart?
When God calls for blinders to fall
Scales to drop from your eyes
What is the truest picture revealed now?
What stretches toward the Son, what dies?
When the truth of who God is, has been
Slams against your false beliefs
What do you recognize now as truth
What shackles fall so you have real relief?
When we believe we believe in Jesus
Never realizing it is a false assumption
What happens when honesty bursts forth
What truth comes with the revelation?
----dfav
4/6/2021
This is it.
Here.
Now.
Where the strong are separated from the weak,
Where the image in God's mirror
Sends you to His side or you driven to your knees.
This is it.
Here.
Now.
Where pretenders fall behind the true,
Where your actions prove your hearts core,
Here, in this moment are you for Him or you?
This is it.
Here.
Now.
Where your soul speaks the most loudly,
Where truth takes center stage,
Does it collapse or stand up proudly?
This is it.
Here.
Now.
Where that voice is Jesus' calling your name,
Where the eternal home of your soul
Is decided in seriousness for this is no game.
This is it.
Here.
Now.
Where you answer Jesus' knock at the door
Where you confess, believe, accept or reject
Will you choose or risk it coming no more?
----dfav
4/5/2021
Here ---
My soul has longed to be here.
Surrounded by reminders
Of Your power
Of Your grace
Of Your awesomeness.
Here ---
Where my heart can beat with each swell
As the waves crash on the shore
Against the sand
Against the rock
Against the cottage.
Here ---
Where burdens flow out with the tide
Return battered and bruised
In broken pieces
Broken chains,
Broken strongholds.
Here ---
In the vast openness of the ocean
Where the wind snatches
Every stench away,
Every forgotten truth,
Every failure.
Here ---
Where my heart and soul know
The wonder of Your might
Is ever present
Is always felt
Is always welcoming.
Here ---
In our Cottage-by-the-Sea
Our prayer closet expanded
Though You remain
Steadfast
Proclaimed.
Here.
----dfav
4/1/2021
There is still God.
Regardless of the situation
Or the crisis at hand.
There is still God.
Though the earth shake
Beneath your feet.
There is still God.
Let man attempt to wipe
Him from everything.
There is still God.
Government may actually
Destroy us altogether.
There is still God.
There is always God
Ready to lead us
Out of our own folly.
There is always God.
Though shaken to our
Deepest inner core.
There is always God,
Even if evil takes your life.
There is always God,
More faithful to His children
Than we are to Him,
There is always God.
----dfav
3/29/2021
Vowed to follow You anywhere,
Wherever You said, "Go",
But, it was never convenient,
Thought You'd never know.
Promised to glorify and honor You,
Regardless of life's circumstances.
Yet, serving at the wedding wasn't fun.
I hid Your truth as I joined in to dance.
Said I was praying for those around me,
Citing their sins and misdeeds,
But, You said, "Love your neighbor"
Maybe I just misread?
Saw the harvest out the window,
Started eagerly out to gather them in,
But the sun it was so hot,
Later, in the cool, I'd go out then.
Living my life I heard You calling to me,
Ever echoing as I went, "Adam, where are you"?
But, hey, You're God, I figured You knew,
Shutting my ears I kept on doing what I do.
Pledged to feed the hungry on the streets,
Thought of rescuing the drowning woman,
But, God it was never-ending stream of need,
Casually I disappeared, I slipped away and ran.
Thought You and I were solid until
Death, judgment came for me,
I hear faintly an echo of Your call long ago,
What I see in Youe eyes, I am shocked to see.
Every broken promise since I knelt at the Cross.
Every time I put You off to do my thing.
Every broken soul my eyes denied they saw.
Finally I hear the music, the words to the tune I sing.
What have my broken promises cost?
Will You now break a promise to me?
Will I hear depart from me, I never knew you?
Which decision is the one You now see?
The Lamb's Book of Life opens with a whisper,
What is on its pages, is my name still written there?
Weakly I look to see where I am pointed,
Your unbroken promise, my name is here.
----dfav
1/25/2021
Eyes are weeping, weeping,
Rivers overfill their banks.
Still the eyes keep weeping, weeping.
Blinded no more by evil's lies,
That freedom could be free.
Eyes are weeping, weeping.
Ears are hearing, hearing.
Stolen lives for many reasons.
Innocent blood those ears are hearing, hearing.
Silenced no longer by ignorance,
Life's blood is a gift of God,
Ears will keep on hearing, hearing.
Tongues are tasting, tasting,
The bitterness and bitterness of sins,
Palates aren't cleansed tongues are tasting, tasting.
Sour, smokey, rotten, hot,
Shovels are force feeding ashes
Tongues are tasting, tasting.
Hearts are shattered, shattered,
For goodness can't be found.
Worthless promises, hearts shattered, shattered.
But the Evil Beast is well fed
The flesh and bone of the vulnerable and innocent
Hearts completely shattered, shattered.
Arms are empty, empty.
Children, the young, the old victimized.
By those whose souls are empty, empty.
No longer does any one breath fresh air.
Is there hope or is it too dead?
Arms achingly empty, empty.
Souls are turning, turning.
Some to view the Eastern sky.
Souls are turning, turning
Some to continue to rob, murder, steal.
Some strain to see their Jesus,
Souls are turning, turning.
Ears are hearing, hearing.
Eyes are seeing, seeing.
Tongues are praising, praising.
Hearts are rejoicing, rejoicing.
True, forever freedom is arriving, arriving.
Arms lift hands towards, heaven, heaven.
----dfav
1/25/2021
Across the expanse of all of Heaven Where sun glints off the streets of gold, Translucent glows the gates of pearl Every being there prepares for all to unfold. Angels ready their flaming swords to defend, Saints cry "Hosanna to the Lamb of God"! On Earth believers cry out for intervention Jesus waits for The Father's knowing nod.
A brillant, gleaming white and perfect steed With no need for man's jangling bit or harness Stomps and sparks fly beneath his hooves He's ready for the Christ's return with no distress. From the blue, green and brown planet spinning All citizens watch the final approaching of the end Hearing the saints still cry out the name of Jesus Our Savior, Redeemer, Resurrected friend.
God welcomes these newest travelers Knowing each and every individual testament, For He's seen the evilness trapped in Satan's plan Of those who even turned from the love He sent. Every eye with sight, physically or spiritual mind Sees God stand and silence falls like a purest snow Without hesitation, seeking any advice or guidance God speaks firmly and all understand He's always known.
There's been a storm for weeks now.
Sometimes sitting off shore and churning,
Sometimes bashing at the door howling,
No way to venture out for anything.
Feels safe here, or at least it did.
Yet the howls are now clear voices,
Yet the winds are now vital choices,
Safety is fast becoming an illusion.
An army seems to wait to lay to waste,
Everything in the storms pathway,
Everyone who looks for a new day.
A battle is raging and no one listens.
Your Word is my deepest comfort.
Statements of joy, love and hope,
Statements of calm, peace, a way to cope,
My heart cries out for intervention.
Your presence, Your Holy Spirit,
Wraps me in Your unfailing arms,
Wraps me close though the storm alarms.
My eyes must stay focused on You.
Your Voice keeps me focused.
You tell me to trust solely in You,
You remind me You will see me through.
You are my unwavering strength.
Outside the storm is raging,
Been stewing, blowing for months on end,
Been hammering, cursing, it is not my friend,
Dear God, will this ever be over?
To the East a different rumbling,
Does the storm not yet understand,
Does the unbelieving again defy Your hand?
Will the clouds part any minute?
There are wonders still approaching,
There are winds He will quiet by speaking.
The world outside is passing.
There's a Homecoming in the Heavens,
A celebration on golden streets,
A celebration, hear the multitudes feet?
Going home, going home at last.
The Eastern clouds are parting,
The storm can no longer block the view,
The Christ is here for us, this journey through.
My body rises upward in the sky.
There's a Homecoming with the Father.
Going home, going home at last.
Going home this weary life has past.
No more storms, no sin, no tears.
Going home, going home at last.
---dfav
2/1/2021
