From the Cottage-by-the-Sea #5, 5/5/2021

May5
Art & photo by dfav.
O Father!  I am here!
You are too let there be no mistake.
My heart leaps with acknowledgment,
My soul drinks in Your peace,
Though outside the pounding storm does not cease.

O Father!  I am here!
Should I rush outside into this gale?
My heartbeat quickens with the waves,
My soul gasps at this darkness mid-day,
Though I see the Son is waiting to show the way.

O Father!  I am here!
This storm is greater than any hurricane.
My heart cannot deny the danger,
My soul remembers You provide for the sparrow,
Though it seems there may be no morrow.

O Father!  I am here!
It is time to pray and praise only You.
My heart longs for Your continual presence,
My soul knows any rescue for anyone is in You,
Though the winds shrill with evil in what they do.

O Father!  I am here!
This wall of darkness slammed down is even worse.
My heart sees in it those fallen and confused,
My soul sends me outside to scream, "Come home",
Though they turn from us wanting to be alone.

O Father!  I am here!
Will You not send me though destruction flies?
My heart cries for what will never be again,
My soul clings to You to withstand the probability,
Though this country is called to accountability.

O Father!  I am here!
Light returns as the storm recedes.
My heart rejoices that our cottage still stands,
My soul mourns for all that is now gone,
Though it is as if the USA never stood alone.

O Father!  I am here!
We search for all the other survivors.
My heart weeps for those freshly wounded,
My soul for those completely wiped away,
Though still proof exists You are here this day.

O Father!  I am here!
Is this vision for now or a future time?
My heart stirs as I look at You,
My soul trusting in Your true direction,
Though others balk let me follow Your instruction.

----dfav
5/5/2021

Craving

Apr28
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
The moon is high above the trees,
The stars look down to witness me,
The air I breath deeply in and out,
My soul,
My heart, 
My voice give shout,
I crave You Lord
Deep, deep
Within

Like food for the physically hungry,
Like the eye seeks symmetry,
Like parched earth starves for moisture,
My soul,
My heart,
My voice without censure,
I crave You Lord,
Deep, deep
Within.

As a carpenter seeks for wood to build,
As an artist seeks the fine to guild,
As a bird flies high to sing its song,
My soul,
My heart,
My voice sighs long,
I crave You Lord,
Deep, deep
Within.

As a baby longs for mother's touch,
As wanderers search for more and much,
As You Yourself seek the worshipper,
My soul,
My heart,
My voice cry sure,
I crave You Lord,
Deep, deep
Within.

While addicts exist for their obsession,
While misers count each possession,
While greedy seek for those to control,
My soul,
My heart,
My voice extols,
I crave You Lord,
Deep, deep
Within.

Fill me Jesus 'til I am overflowing,
Fill me Jesus 'til my soul is swimming,
Fill me Jesus 'til You splash onto another,
My soul,
My heart,
My voice joins others,
I crave You Lord,
Deep, deep
Within.

---dfav
04/28/2021

Joy Rose With the Sun

Apr23
Photo by Hernan Pauccara on Pexels.com
The memories were easier this year,
The attacks lessened by COVID life in 2020.
Violence and control though bathed in tears,
Seemed decades and decades ago.
In the light of all the violence feeding off fears
In the grief of massive losses,
Offering others silence in a noisy year

Joy in unexpected bravery stepped in,
The Son has gotten my attention.
That deep dark well of loss fills in,
Though scars exist flowers bloom.
In a year of fear and of death again,
Healing truly makes its way seen.
Flight of peace finds a way to begin.

----dfav
3/30/21

First Breath

Apr22
Photo by Nita on Pexels.com
You breathed air into Adam's lungs
And he drew his first breath,
His lungs filled up with Your essence
Not only created but alive because of Your Holiness 
Living, breathing designed by the Creator no less.

From those few moments in time
With an exchange of essential, priceless air,
Adam became the start of all mankind
We're all tied to Adam's beginning,
A truth we're all now forgetting.

When the world's population grew wicked
Only Noah and family would be saved
By way of an ark never heard of before
Along with duos of every creature created
So that breath You shared with Adam survived.

Countless wars and ongoing disputes
Stiff-necked people, the faithful, all in part wrong,
Oh, the blood runs deep into the ground
Man's foolishness masquerades as wisdom
Your breath continued though men sought division.

Swirling through humanity's history
Living in disobedience Adam's breath survived,
While it appears man gambled with each breath,
As a baby's cry signals their first lung of air,
You've kept us breathing proving You still care.

Even when Jesus drew His last breath
On that cross raised high at Calvary,
Our breathing didn't cease to come and go,
Three days later when Jesus rose from the dead,
You were still proving Adam's breath was real.

According to prophecies and what I see
We're all drawing in that last borrowed air
As it escapes to join Heaven's winds
But as long as Earth and man exist
Adam's breath will survive finer than mist.

How can we have lost this ancient truth?
To God and only God we owe our very breath
Skin color, gender, family situation
Nor wealth or need, free or bound, it comes to be
The breath shared first with Adam breathes on in me.

----dfav
4/19/2021

In Your Presence

Apr20
Photo by K Brower 2021
There is sweetness in Your presence,
Rejoicing in Your grace and mercy,
As we come to worship this morning,
We are filled with Your glory,
As we hear anew the old, old story,
Resting in its perfect truth.

There is awareness in Your presence,
Unexplainable richness in our souls,
Though we see evil choosing evil,
We are overwhelmed by Your hope,
Assured You will be how we cope,
Though we don't know when, how or why.

There is assurance in Your presence,
In the Holy Spirit's calming touch,
The awakening of our sleeping souls,
Though the future isn't known,
Our lives in Yours has grown,
It's almost time Lord, almost.

----dfav
4/19/21

Watching

Apr19
Photo by Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels.com
All my life I've heard
That Jesus is coming back.
Could be any moment.
Could be any time.
I've waited,
I've watched.

As rumors flew through history
Muddling people's minds.
Is it ever happening?
Is it in our lifetime?
We've waited,
We've watched.

Currently more signs come true
Awareness is on high alert.
Is it today?
Is it tomorrow?
We're waiting,
We're watching.

Seems like evil is winning
Casting God and His people out.
Will they succeed?
Will they not?
We're still waiting
We're still standing.

Should the worse happen,
Lord, don't let me wimp out.
May my lips praise,
May I follow to the end.
I'm waiting,
I'm watching.
I'm ready.

----dfav
4/17/2021

Keys to the Father’s House

Apr12
Photo by Kristina Paukshtite on Pexels.com
The Father's son, Jesus Christ
Held it out to me, from atop His scar,
A  beautiful but select old fashioned key,
Openly displayed not hidden in a jar.
His eyes seeing me as only He can
How do I fail to know all we can be?

With trembling fingers I gently touch
Unsure of what doors it unlocked,
My finger tip glazed His scar
All I thought I knew just disappeared,
My knowledge sank in my simple mind
As His wisdom briefly in its place appeared.

How precious this key He gives,
Surely I must protect it regardless of the cost?
It comes from the One who overcame death,
Affording us every protection, every security post?
This is the eternal key to the Father's house
How can it be used to reach the lost?

Do I hide it, guard it, silence it
Even in times of greatest need?
Do I keep its presence a secret
Let rumor and legend grow their seed?
Is this the best to keep thieves away
Make silence my lifelong creed?

Should I refuse it after all
Though I asked Jesus into my heart?
For I am not worthy of His trust
Could I really complete my part?
Do I not have doubt in myself
Down to a dark type of art?

Then almost as I backed away
I heard Jesus whisper in my ear,
"At Judgment when asked the question
You were offered the key so dear,
The key to Our Father's house,
How did you use it year after year?"

Did you accept all the possibilities
Of what the Father could open for you,
If you took the Father's house key
Perhaps opened a door or two?
Invited people in to meet the Father?
What did you do, who did you woo?

How will you answer this question
"What did you do with the Father's key?"
What will be your honest answer?
Will Jesus receive the truth of what you believe?
What will Jesus oh, so clearly see?
Did you use it so the lost receives?

---dfav
4/12/2021

Grace Gives Birth to Joy

Apr9
Art, quote and photo by dfav.
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

Free Souls

Apr8
Emerging from the depths of soil
Of what was but days ago
Frozen,
Cold,
Still.
Now life bursts forth in glee
Proof that somehow life
Finds a way,
Continues on,
Has a will.
Beneath us one and all
In a cycle of continuing
Miracles happen,
Time marks passage,
Birth occurs.
From depths of human hearts
Acknowledgement as Spring arrives
Despite COVID,
Shutdowns
Separation.
Resolutions, determinations unfurl
The hibernating hope in us
To reawaken,
Feel the Sonshine,
Unfurl our wings.
Seeds opening in prepared soil
Buds bursting beneath nests
Babies soar,
On newly found wings,
Free souls.

----dfav
4/8/2021

Somehow

Apr7
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