Holy Week ~ I See Him

Eph. 3:3-4 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)"

I See Him

I see Him in the light of day

I see Him in the clouds that sway

I see Him in the breeze He breathes

I see Him in the soul that seethes

I hear Him in the songs of praise

I hear Him in intuitive ways

I hear Him in the reprimand

I hear Him in the Promised Land

I touch Him in my daily need

I touch Him in diurnal deed

I touch Him with my active prayer

I touch Him with each wisp of air

I taste Him in the scented dew

I taste Him in His words so true.

I taste Him in the daily bread

I taste Him in the cross He bled

I see, hear, touch and taste

The scent of Him in honor placed

For all I see and all I do

It is my God I share with you.

Deut. 4:29 "But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul."

Poetry Sunday ~ Soul Harvest

Gen. 8:22 “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Soul Harvest

The time is near, the hour nigh 

Moonbeams droop in a blackened sky 

Blazing sun scorches the land 

Earth erupts in a quivering stand 

Encircling us is ravaging hate

Lust and greed severs our fate 

I sit and watch as lives unravel 

The boulder of strength now merely gravel 

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust

Souls bewildered by mistrust 

Doubt and fear, they give rise 

To muted pleas and mournful cries

As souls ascend and souls descend 

It is our own that we must mend

Bringing forth joy, love and peace 

The decorum of beauty will never cease

Firmly tread as the time is here 

To boldly proclaim, all we revere 

The harvest of souls its beckoning plea 

It's craving you; devouring me

Come forth and share your wholesome beauty

Unleash love, as is our duty 

Reap what you sow, seek and find 

Then you my friend, won't be left behind. 

Copyright ©joni zipp

Rev. 14:15 “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

I wrote this many years ago and have posted it before but this seems timely to this very day. God Bless you all.

The Call Came...

RtoL: Uncle Richie,Aunt Gerald,Aunt Betty, My Dad!

note: only Aunt Betty is alive

Matt. 8: 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

The Call Came…

Let me say first, if you have recently lost a beloved soul, read no further as I don’t want you tearing up and opening old wounds. God be with you.

The call came last night after we had just finished watching Casper. Poignant lines rang throughout the movie such as:

Kat: What's it like to die?

Casper: Like... being born, only backwards. I remember, I didn't go where I was supposed to go. I just stayed behind, so my dad wouldn't be lonely.

Amelia Harvey: James, I know you have been searching for me, but there's something you must understand. You and Kat loved me so well when I was alive that I have no unfinished business, please don't let me be yours.

Kat: “My mom. Just certain things. The sound of her making breakfast downstairs. The way she'd put on her lipstick, so carefully. I do remember, she always used Ivory soap, and when she'd hug me, I'd breathe her in, so deep. And I remember before I'd go to sleep she'd whisper in my ear, "stardust in the eyes, rosy cheeks, and a happy girl in the morning."

This brought memories flooding back; like my dad wearing Old Spice, his favorite cologne; after Bethlehem Steel closed down him and I spent many mornings home and he’d often make his famous Omelet, never leaving the fresh vegetables and dashes of this and that out; the aroma of the kitchen while said breakfast was being cooked but most of all I remember his tight hugs where puffs of cologne would kiss my cheek.

After the movie ended my mother called. This was one of our nightly calls when she got home from the hospital where she would tell me how my father was this day and I’d remind her to take her medicine. My dad wasn’t good this day. He slept through my mother, sister, brothers and aunt who were visiting. His hand would twitch, his toes would move and he squeezed my mothers’ hand as she whispered memories to him. She told him she would be okay and that it would be okay if he passed. Her last words to him were, instead of I’ll see you tomorrow, “I’ll see ya when I get to heaven.”

Everyone left the room and the halls fell silent as visiting hours were over. She went home and called me. She was finally eating some food and sounding like her old self (no, not with her mouth full), feeling not so sad and just trying to make peace with letting go of the man she adored for sixty years. I didn’t cry too much and tried so hard to stay stoic and in charge of my being. I again reminded her to take her medicine; we said our ‘I love you’ and I told her to call me if anything happened. She was exhausted.

I don’t even think 20 minutes passed when the phone rang again. I said, “There’s the call.” I knew who and what it was going to be and sure enough it was my mother in tears, pain leaking through the phone like a raining night and a hole in the umbrella. She told me how she had just laid down and was falling asleep when she felt someone touch her foot, she jumped and the phone rang with the devastating news of her husband, her best friend, had passed away. I guess that was my dads way of saying goodbye to her.

She made the necessary calls, me being one of them. I then called my brother, then my mother called again. We sat on the phone until 11:30 est. time when she said she wanted to rest. She just wanted to be alone; alone with her thoughts. I understood but I didn’t want to let her go. I wanted to be there hugging her tightly and NEVER let her go.

It’s been a long road my dads illness, and the last two weeks of him wanting to go home but the doctor not allowing it have been agonizing pain for all involved but I felt a blessed comfort wash over me when I knew, the call came…he was called HOME!

Be at peace, Dad…inhale the breath of heaven.

Psalm 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

When God Calls

Luke 9:57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Well it comes with great sadness that I say, our pastor of four years, with the church twelve, has been called to Minnesota. It is laying heavy on my heart but I know, in the grand scheme of things, God’s master plan is never our plan.

It is in the heart of a Christian that when God calls us to act, we must do so. Many of you won’t understand that, but allow me to elaborate a bit.

Many people think that being a Christian is just believing in Christ, reading the bible about Christ, and having faith in Christ. It is so much more than that; it is about FOLLOWING Christ where and when He calls you also. I capitalized following because believers have the faith, read, share the word part down but a Christian has to have the FOLLWER part down too, and we must understand when God calls someone. Instead of being sad, we need to be supportive.

I want to whine about it a bit, Pastor Mike leaving. For four years he and his staff have been a constant source of a shoulder we as a family could turn to. Every Sunday we get up, drive the 25 or so miles to church, whether it was piping hot or freezing cold, we go.

It was always a heart touching, thought provoking service that kept lingering in our minds throughout the week until the next service.

Whenever it wasn’t pastor Mike, granted the pastors gave a good sermon, it wasn’t Pastor Mikes fire! You get used to waking up on Sunday’s and looking forward to your pastor and his sermon.

We’ve been through a few pastors in our church life. First we had Pastor Wells at a UCC church in Texas, then Pastor Don and Tim and at Grace (an evangelical church) then Pastor Mike here, our first church in Nebraska, at Efree.

We were called to Nebraska via Steven going blind four years ago. We had to follow Christ in where He was calling us, and he was calling Steven home. We found the best church in the area (for us) after visiting a few others, Steven found one of the best doctor’s in the state (to operate and give him sight again), we found the perfect home, a perfect school, and to me a perfect life.

Wait, wait…perfect by no means; we have had our share of struggles. When we had no Thanksgiving meal, it was our church who handed out bags of groceries to the needy families to see that they had a meal (Easter too.) When we needed tires, it was a friend from church who supplied two brand new tires, when I had no insurance for a dentist, it was the church that saw to it that my bill was PAID IN FULL! When we couldn’t afford propane to heat our house, it was the church who paid the propane company. Perfect no but Godly provided in a perfect manner? Yes!

I see this going on across the nation, Churches being the backbone to families when they struggle. Mission trips to foreign lands and home, our church is there. It is what God has built his community of believers FOR. To be Christlike one must GIVE more than receive. God calls and the community FOLLOWS! (No we’re not all following him to Minnesota)

Pastor Mike might be leaving this church but our community of Christians will continue to carry on the mission he started 12 years ago. Pastor Mike has done so much for our church seeing it built up to the height of 900 + parishioners, he is now being called to serve at another church where he might do the same thing to God’s community and with that I say, "Go with God Pastor Mike! He’s leading and you must follow."

Mark 16: 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Poetry Sunday ~ Destiny's Call

Ps. 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

***
Destiny's Call
(c) Joni Zipp

Oh gentle flowing whispering stars,
Guiding my shaking hand.
Echoing through my body and soul,
I fight to take a stand.

Angelic points of light behold,
My eyes can see your glory.
Quaking in my tattered shell,
Beseech me with thy fury.

I want forever more to taste,
Thy golden drips of sight.
To bask amid your glorious rays,
So still throughout the night.

Carry me in thy humble embrace,
Into the brilliant realm.
Where no man breathes a flux of air,
As destiny mans the helm.

All rights reserved: copyright © Joni  Zipp

Poetry Sunday~ Radiance

Job 18: 5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.
***
Radiance

A source of light shines on me
rain-droplets on my being.
Something strong and powerful
I share what I am seeing.

The rays fall upon my skin;
caress the intricate line.
Shield my eyes to catch a glimpse
of the radiant love so fine.

Fingertips run across
my arms, my neck, my face,
prickled hairs stand on end
a momentous act of grace.

Standing in a humbled bow
I raise my eyes to see,
my wondrous Lord and Savior
staring right through me.

Melting in His presence
I drink from his beauty.
Never turning away from Him,
His call my earthly duty.

Psalm 13:3  Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;