Poetry Sunday ~ Dry My Tears

Pss. 6:6 “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.”

Dry my Tears

The sun slants over the horizon

Fears in the night fall asleep

A new day dawns of which I wake

Darkness slides into the deep.

Tears they dry by mornings' breath

I dare not tell a soul

My heart it hides a rhythmic beat

Broken body bears the toll

Silence slithers in morning mist

Unspoken words decay

Alone am I on desolate land

Dried are tears I face the day

Frost it hides from rising sun

Scattered is the cold

It is with Light I dry my tears

Amid the mornings gold.

Pss. 116:8 “For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.”

Goodness Makes The Badness Go Away

John 14:21 (NIV) "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

“Goodness makes the badness go away”

This song was a part of the Smurfs Christmas special one year. They sang the song to dispel an evil curse that was poured over them by mysterious dark man. Even Gargamel was under the curse and only the Smurfs could save them.

The lyrics go like this:

Goodness makes the badness go away.
Goodness makes you happy every day.
Badness cannot start if there's goodness in your heart.
Goodness makes the badness go away.

This song came to mind as I posted my blog. Yesterday I tried to post a blog about the evil taking over the world but wouldn’t you know it, a force kept me from logging in as our internet went out completely in the morning and didn’t return until bedtime 10 pm. So I posted my blog, The Legion Puzzle, on 6 16 16. Ironic isn’t it, that 666 is in the date?

The earth is being swallowed up by the evil permeating the souls of humans. In the news, images, lies, deceit, corruption all smother the mind and keep it away from the goodness that might be had in a day. Yes, there is goodness in the world but when you wake in the morning, is that the first thing you think about? Is all the good in the world the first thing you read about or fill your mind with? 

The newspaper, online or offline, never focus’ on the good happening in the world, they have to target all the bad and ill will that is suffocating humans in every part of the world. People find pleasure in reading about a botched facelift, they cheer on broken marriages, they post and repost about all that is wrong in the world and rarely posts about the good going on in the world. 

There has to be more than the rescue of animals that makes the good news rounds. While I’m all for the saving of animals lives, isn’t there ANY good happening out there in the human form? Are people so consumed with sharing all that is wrong in the world isn’t there anything going right?

Is it possible for goodness to make the badness go away? Am I just a dreamer who wants nothing but good things for this world? Am I alone in my quest to see a turnaround? If every single human alive today took one day out of their lives to consciously become aware of the hate they’re spreading and instead traded it in for something positive, I DO believe the world could be changed.

But such as it is, we don’t want a universal good in the world. We’ll justify our anger by saying, “Well he’s not spreading love and good thoughts, why should I?” That is the problem, you see? You are so worried about what the other person is doing and not caring about what YOU are putting out into the world. 

We live in a click-bait world where you see something interesting on facebook, click it and share because someone said you are heartless if you don’t share. You then have opened the door for advertisers and prey to follow you around posting what they KNOW you’ll click and as a bait, you snag it up and are ensnared and are also blindly walking into a web of deceit.

We live in a self-serving world; ‘if it doesn’t benefit ME than I’m not interested’ attitude. So I’ll ask, doesn’t goodness interest you? Does sharing good positive thoughts hurt you? No? Then why cling to anger and hatred as a daily sport?

I know that this is a political year, and I know everyone has their opinions of who is the best choice but the way I see it, the darkness has taken over the world so much so we are left with two bad choices. This is the way that evil works. You don’t get to choose the best man/woman for the job, you have to choose what is offered universally and there is nothing good left in the world; no light at the end of the tunnel.

Control the input that seeps through your veins and into your mind demeaning your brain. I’m so tired of the ‘If you’re a true friend, you’ll repost this’ as a way of GUILTING me into action. I cannot be made to do anything I don’t want to do but I see so many committing the action because I guess they ARE a true friend? All of us who don’t repost are just normal, non-caring, insensitive souls.  I see fewer people on facebook because it has become a mission of some to destroy the many people and their joyous being.

Why is the world wrapped in badness and sadness? Why do people choose pain over joy? Why is evil over saturating the innocent? Why has darkness swallowed the Light? You can’t blame religion, politics, the Muslim, Islam, radical Islam on this alone. No, EVERY single person who chooses hatred over love is a part of the problem. Your anger and rage should be targeted at YOU! 

A friend’s friend C. Amsden wrote: “Hate is so much easier and less painful than love. Hate allows us to feel superior and righteous. Love tears at our guts and emotions. It leaves us vulnerable and weak. Hate builds an altar to our own egos and lets us worship our own perfection. Hate is never really about the person it is directed toward, it is always about the person it stems from. Love is always about the person receiving it, not the one giving it. Hate is the ultimate selfishness.”

We now accept sin as a way of life. There is only one defense and that is love and forgiveness. Here are the words from a man who just lost his daughter in the Orlando, Florida brutal carnage. 

"We forgive the shooter. We talked about it," said Deonka's father, a pastor who runs a nonprofit that helps the poor and elderly. "Hatred will find a way to destroy you, so we forgive the shooter. It wasn't very hard to do. Anger was in me and there was no place to release it. Forgiveness was the way to release it." 

Can goodness make the badness go away? I fear I’ll never find out. I fear it is too late. So continue what you’re doing and never change. We’re right on the path that was set at the beginning of time.

The Legion Puzzle

James 1:21 (NIV) “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

This past weekend we the people saw what the people of this world are capable of these days. A young up and coming singer/active YouTuber became a victim of violence and her vicious death was overshadowed on Sunday when a mad man went into a nightclub and opened fire killing and maiming as the bullets swept the floor. 

The pieces of the puzzle are falling into place and I, out here in my own little world, am not oblivious to what is going on in the world, I’m saddened by it. I remember a time when we safely walked the darkened streets, listened and respected our parents, and enjoyed life as we knew it to be. Today, we walk the streets with hidden weapons in our purse, mace attached to our hip and extra locks on our door because of fear and hate.

Fear and hate rule the world and don’t you for one minute think politicians in any country rule. Religion does not rule, love knows not where to live, and a legion of darkness is swelling across the world in record heights ready to make this world an afterthought.

Mark 5:9 “And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.”

Are you a piece of the Legion puzzle? Do you wake finding yourself so full of rage and hate that the only way to release the hatred is to go and share asinine posts with others so they can mount their hate also?

The media throws fresh animosity on the fire by fanning the flames with whichever political party they’re affiliated with and those from the opposite side eat smores around the flame just waiting to spew new fire among the masses. A vicious cycle that can be annihilated through the power of love and prayer but people are too smothered with the Social Media scene, lies and hate that they can’t get out of the stronghold that their addiction to media-spew holds on them.

I sometimes fear that people are addicted to hate. They wake in the morning and just like their coffee they need to drink in the hate to see what mean hurtful things are out there that they can put their spin on and feed their fellow [virtual] friends. They thrive on hostile illusions with clenched fist. The world is consumed with filling themselves to the brim with hate so much so the days are darkened in every part of the world. 

I know exactly what Jesus felt like when he tried to spread love and the people laughed and scoffed, mocking Him at every turn, willingly hanging Him on the cross to die. I am the outcast that everyone laughs at because I want to share love. I’m the one not liked for not being a part of the Legion of evil hate-mongers of the world. I will not swim with the fish that are so full of bitterness that it’s getting very difficult swimming against the malignant flow.

Not many are willing to stand up for love and positivity because they’re too busy swimming in venom. They are the cancer of our society and are a part of what is destroying the world. It’s kind of ironic that people are willing to ‘share’ the scripture and follow it up with the evil angst that has a grip on them through their malicious rants. Don’t they see that THEY are part of the problem?

The more and more people that feed off what the media spoon-feeds you, you are then becoming filled with their agenda filled animosity. You are not your own person, you’re a sheep being led into slaughter and you don’t try and fight, you just join in and sling mud with them [the media] hoping you look good but you look as demented as them, you have willingly become a part of the Legion Puzzle! 

You are the darkness that hides the Light. You are the evil that permeates the soul of the human species spreading like a wildfire out of control and all that is left is the singed embers that once were known as love.

God is gone. God is dead. He isn’t alive in the many, He is alive in a few and that is why the world will come to an abrupt ending because you didn’t care. Your anger and hatred was more important than your salvation. Millions share your ill will and like lava, the moving flow will destroy all it comes in contact with.

I’m alone. I sit and watch the flames of demons lick the faces of people I once loved and devour them. I watch as the world is pulled into the sweaty palm of satan and squeezed for their very last breath of pure air that they can no longer taste. I look and see people being chewed and spit out of the black teeth that have bit them and left a mark on their soul. Ravaged is the human race that has become victims of the beast. You are now a piece of the Legion Puzzle fitting in nicely where satan would have you placed.

Awake you sleeping nation!

Rev. 6: [1] And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
[2] And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
[3] And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
[4] And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
[5] And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
[6] And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
[7] And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
[8] And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
[9] And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
[10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

This Is The Year

Acts 4:22 “For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.”

This is the year people point fingers and say there she goes, talking about ME! Rest assured friends, I in no way am targeting any single one of you; actually I am targeting you as a collective whole. If you find what I’m saying to be true or you feel a tinge of guilt, or shivers run up and down your arms like ants on breadcrumbs, then I am reaching YOU!

This is the year of change. I don’t know why I’m clinging to those words but upon rising each morning it feels as each day is a new day to embrace change. What goes in my body, food or drink or what goes in my mind, images or negativity, and what I allow to circle around me!

Things I plan on changing:

I plan on making a change in my writing first and foremost.
I plan on not allowing people and their negative views of the world, cloud mine!
I plan every day to post ‘what’s on my mind’ on facebook not with the annoying tactic of memes but with WORDS, real words! (hopefully)
I plan on using the benefits of twitter more (as a writer)
I plan on making new acquaintances this year that the Lord will lead to me. (or I to them)
I plan on changing the world with my words.

These are just a few things that have begun changing in just seven days of the New Year. They started surfacing in the end of last year but I didn’t feel these changes in my bones until the advent of the New Year.

I swore I would put the mourning-filled year behind me and by daggone it, I will! I got so lost in the grief of the year I forgot to mention that my niece and her husband had a baby as well as my nephew and his wife, both had girls! I was so clouded in the darkness I totally brushed aside the good that happened last year and good things DID happen, I DID marry my best friend, y’know! 

So as my plan for change is moving along smoothly there are things I plan on NOT changing:

I will not be changing my prayer schedule, which is daily in the morning and thoughtfully throughout the day as needed.
I will not be changing my praise and worship!
I will not be changing my faith. It will be as profound and earnestly as it has ever been for over forty years now with added growth.
I will not stop drinking coffee. < - - just a little smile thrown in there for you

Now go and change what you can, accept what you can't change and be who you are! God Bless one and all!

Seeing The Light

Gen. 1:4 “And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

Not all light is man-made.

Last night, as the fan churned behind me, we were gearing up for movie time; an enjoyable daily event for us. As we get everything ready, hook up the HDMI cable and watch Netflix on the television and Adam hunkered down in his room on his computer ready to game the night away; we were ready for our quiet evening. Quiet evening amid sounds mind you.

Perched on the sofa like birds on a wire, we were ready for the movie. We sat for about 15 minutes of the movie before we heard a sizzle sound, followed by a BOOM, the house trembled and the lights and sounds of the day came to an abrupt halt. Clocks stopped telling us time, computers stopped humming and the refrigerator sat silent as a tomb.

Running (as fast as my wobbly legs allowed) to the front door then to the back door, hobbling down the steps to, thankfully, seeing no fire. One neighbor was already in his jeep (he lives two houses over) and came to our house asking us what we saw and heard. When I said a sizzle and a boom he right away said the substation and went on to call the electric company.

From Google: A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions.

Our neighbor came back to tell us he had called the electric company and also told our other neighbor, who came to hear the news, that no electricity had enveloped our little county. It would be hours or days depending on the problem before electricity was restored. The pump to the well runs on electricity so that also means no water.

Before the daylight blinked away we hustled in the shadows of the house to gather the bottled water and candles. We had not used the kerosene lamps since we’ve been here in Nebraska, but the kerosene was easily found in the darkened corner of the shed.

We hurriedly gathered candles, filled the beautiful hurricane kerosene lamp, pulled out the flashlights and hunkered down by candlelight wondering what to do as darkness fell over the house and silence filled the air. The electric guys appeared on the scene and got to work almost immediately. There was hope that this darkness would be short lived.

My husband and son, computer nerds, needed their gadgets while I was babbling on and on saying this must be what Laura Ingalls lived like. As I prayed and joked in the stillness of the house my son asked, “So what did they do?”

“They prayed! Pa played the fiddle and they found things to do like read.”

I went on to say, “I am an optimist and there is something positive in all this.”

Adam said jokingly, “What’s your positive spin on this, Sherlock?”

“Well this is God’s way of showing us to appreciate what we have in the heart of the darkness. We will be indebted to the light and gadgets in a new way. We’ll see light in the darkness.”

I know his eyes rolled and Steven sat on the sofa contemplating what Sage Joni had spoken. In the quiet you hear well. As Adam struggled to find the toilet in the dark (that he couldn’t flush by the way) Steven sat on the sofa embracing the dark that once belonged to him. After being blind for two and a half years, he had the upper hand in this blackened house. I sat at the kitchen table and Adam joined me.

Out of the silence came a choir of angels that God sent, okay that was over dramatizing. Out of the candlelit night the sound of the saxophone began piping out Amazing Grace. (It’s not a fiddle but I felt like Pa Ingalls was here.)

After 25 minutes and no musical accompaniment from the buzzing computer, the house fell silent again, the sax stopped. The electricity went out about 6:45 and the darkness swept over the house by 7:30 and here it was almost 8:30 p.m and we were still sane.

“CARDS!” I bellowed out in the peaceful night.

Adam rose to the occasion, went to the basement with his penlight and made it back with a very new deck of cards. We gathered at the table lit by a kerosene lamp and some candles and we played cards.

By ten thirty the refrigerator had moaned back into existence. Nothing else lit up because we hadn’t had any lights on when the power went out. We played on. My neighbor drove by the house and saw us through the window playing cards by candlelight. She stopped her car, came up the path and knocked on the door; happily she exclaimed, “The electric is on.”

Adam said, “Yeah we know.”  She sounded kind of surprised as she said, “And you’re still playing cards by candlelight? COOL!” Adam chuckled, we chuckled and we continued to play, by candlelight, until 11 p.m. at which time I won my version of 500 Rummy!

Something happened in the total vacuum of darkness. We saw the light. It had been there all the time waiting for us to tap into it and as we sat listening to music on a battery operated radio and playing cards by candlelight, we were embracing being together and sharing our time as a family.

I said afterward to Adam, “That was fun. I really enjoyed myself.”

He smiled and said, “Yeah, me too.”

With the light of a new day, I thanked the Lord for showing me the way. 

~ Amen!

Through the darkness, we saw the light.

Acts 26:13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

The Shadow Knows

Psalm 27:13 (NIV) I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Writing for myself…

These days I’m writing for myself. If by chance you pass on by, lucky you but I’m no longer promoting my blog on facebook, so if I’m not one of your bookmarks, you more than likely miss what I’m writing. I might on occasions share a poem on facebook or maybe my quotations but no, facebook isn’t working out for me these days. Maybe with the New Year as I take hold of doing new things, new classes, writing, remaining sane in an insane world, I will write to inspire.

I’m distancing myself from all things that bring a negative energy into my life. While facebook is okay, there is a negativity that cannot be cleansed simply by bathing. I visit, click a few likes, thank the two people who still remember me and sometimes think of me, then I’m on my way with the busyness of my day.

Here lately my household has been taken over by what I feel is dark negative force. So eliminating facebook and all its false images and negativity has driven me to take a deeper look at my surroundings physically. I see a collapse in view. Crumbling of walls where only rubble is left to pick through and I feel a pain in knowing this and the inability to stop the movement that has begun.

My son loves The Walking Dead and now Steven has found it on a site where he can watch TV shows with listings from A-Z. I understand that people are fascinated with Zombie’s and wanting to watch people eat people but where do you draw the line? Steven’s list started with the innocent watching of Gotham then Agents of Shield but now includes Fringe, Falling Skies, Walking Dead, Sleepy Hollow and Hemlock Grove, which he lost interest in, I think. Hemlock Grove looks like a soft-porn show with demons, vampires, lesbians and nudity on Netflix, but I could be wrong about the soft-porn. (Too judgmental?) Sometimes I do judge a show too harshly but it is only by MY moral standards, apparently.

People crave these dark shows because just as when they sought God and the Light, they feel they are protected in some way and can walk with the dark being for a bit uninfected. How wrong is THAT assumption? Yes, it’s just TV shows but again, where do you draw the line in what you allow to seep into your conscious? How can the dark shadows be in your outer conscious awakening, without leaking in bits and pieces to your sub-conscious to your very consciousness of being?

What comes over people to make them take steps toward the evil calling them? Well I just answered my own question. Evil comes over people. Satan licks his finger and touches a person and you can hear him joyfully boasting, “Tssssssss, gotcha.”

What starts out as innocently watching a few dark shows, grabs a hold of you and pulls you in a direction you no longer have control of. You can pretend to have control but darkness is nothing to control, it is something to push away, something to obliterate from your life.

From the very first man, a woman smote Adam, and they began their lust-filled adventure, one that we as humans cannot get control of in this lifetime. We can pretend, we can ask forgiveness and be forgiven a thousand million times, so we feel the sin is worth it because hey, we’ll be forgiven.

I understand it is our human nature to sin. It is impossible to live a sinless life but we can strive to be better humans and walk with the Lord, who IS sinless, and maybe just maybe His traits will rub off on you.

I am so thankful every day that the Lord is my breath and life sustaining virtue. That He carries me through the darkness whether by His side, or in His arms, He’s there to see me through all the darkness that tries to grab hold of things in my life. That’s one thing I can say, not boastingly but rather confidently; I am a beacon of Light in a household that succumbs to dark shadows lurking. Praise the Lord, Amen!

Poetry Sunday ~ When Darkness Calls

When Darkness Calls

I crawled onto the naked floor:

wet from tears I cried before.

Clawing, clenching, my nails they bled

for want of need for to be fed.

I heard the solemn cries above

shedding droplets of forlorn love.

I saw a ray as it streamed on by.

passed my wavering longing eye.

In the gallant bristled light

Tis' where I knew I had to fight.

Slithering in the dark too long

I seek the edge of rhythmic song.

Darkness sought me when I was low

played the game of revelries blow.

Believing he had the promising cure,

I fell for Lucifer's haunting lure.

His nails felt like a warm embrace;

his fire lit my empty face.

Parts of me they tingled within,

leading me down the road of sin.

It felt so right, so warm and true,

betrayal a game I never knew.

Lies, deceit the blackened stares

with him my guide I had no cares.

When he had me in his clutch,

reality hit me; I lost too much.

I begged I pleaded for simple release

I wanted refuge, my inner peace.

It was that moment I felt a hand

reach from Heaven and make me stand.

Brought me forth from the darkened night,

into the morn of a new dawns light.

Anguish and pain were in the pit

while Lucifer he growled and spit.

Trying to tug me back into his realm

where he alone could man the helm.

As sweat rolled down my chafing cheek,

returned my strength no longer weak.

Angels of grace were at my feet

True Light of love our eyes did meet.

I am the master of my own domain

Truth will abide in Light I'll remain.

No longer a victim, I'm on the mend

Thanks to the Lord my newfound friend.

Banished

Num. 11: 33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

Job 5:2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

It has swept over her doorway in a tiptoe of silence. Hatred pounded on her door and as she stood looking, unsure if she should open it, a loud crashing sound left her no choice. In an explosion of sound, slivers of wood spread everywhere. She stood with jaw hanging open. A deluge of rain smacked her in the face cutting with its fingers, bleeding, she was knocked to the floor.

They circled round about her with their steel toe boots eagerly waiting to pounce, looking angry with gnarled lips and squinting eyes, judging, sizing up her small frail frame. As she reached to shield the light from piercing her eyes, they began kicking ceaselessly in the face, in the back and anywhere they could get their foot. A boot reached in with fierceness into her mouth and blood dripped as teeth fell to the floor.

Imagine if you will a person who is down on the floor, suffering in pain, being kicked and beaten so that they never stand again. Also look at the faces as they surround the victim as she bleeds. They all look familiar, they...were all once... people she called friend.

“What did I do? What gives you the right to treat me this way?” she says.

“Look at you. You’re pitiful. You think you can do what you want and be crowned the big thang? Not on our watch! We will not allow it.” they taunt.

She wipes the blood from her mouth and begins to try and stand and then one wobbles over, her fat little face all full of smiles, and knocks her down again. A bellow of laughter rings out and tears begin streaming from the eyes of this once pivotal person in each of their lives.

Her mind is wracked with memories, of training these very people, befriending them, praying for them, comforting them, being strong when they were weak, feeling as if she had respect from them but in one swift kick in the stomach, it all ended for her. She began ascending, lights flickering in her head, brilliant radiant streams of light took her, floating to new heights, carried away by the dawns brightness. Nothing to hold her down, she drifted farther and farther away until the stars became a welcome home.

But wait...one last breath caught in her throat. The will to live, to stay, to be part of the magnificent earth was hers once again. As she was tugged back she looked down and saw that her perpetrators had descended into a lowly abyss. Every fiber of their being was rendered useless and God’s wrath set them to slither on their bellies for all of eternity, because heaven was no place for these kind of people. Shattered they were, a compensation for damaging an already ill child of God. They wriggle and squirm as all they held true falls. They are not blameless; they have a scar across their soul that has stained them, never to be removed.

Ps. 79:Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

She stands tall, she walks with ease; a smile has replaced the bloody lips. Her eyes shine with a light that will never be put out. Because what they didn’t know, no one can take away the Light of God shining within her. Yes, she has changed, she is a beacon of hope to all that seek; a light at the end of a tunnel, a promise of beauty...she is your...Angel...Always!

John 1: 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

What a difference...

Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

...a day makes.

Wow, all I can say is, WOW! I said I wanted change, and I just can’t stop looking at my blog page and thinking, Wow! Now this is change! Many years have passed through in my life and many have been full of change, but this one has to be the one that will stand out as one of the most exciting years of change. This is why I wanted the drastic overhaul of my blog, so you all can change with me.

I decided a few months back that things needed to change in my life. After I made that decision, oh about the end of September I’d say, that was when things began to swiftly change. I peeled off layers of pain, let go of the darkness that tried to swallow me, left it to build it’s own little playground of dark matter and I moved on, at a snails pace.

I was consumed with life! You know this thing we must live, in a physical world. Life, the reality of things in real-time happening, not virtually. I got off of the maypole, slid across the sand on gravel-burnt knees and embraced, LIFE.

Have you ever read a book, gotten so consumed with the character(s) that you lost track of time and space? That’s a writers job, to make sure you are consumed with their characters so much so that you forget your reality. That is exactly what the virtual world holds in its clutch. Sure, some folks will say, “There are some good things too, that the computer holds.”

Sure there is, and just like God himself is a struggle to find when you are in the pits of darkness, the computer wraps you in its tentacles, squeezes you real tight, until you are gasping for breath, never really knowing who you are or the insanity that has taken over your life. You dig and plow your way though the mire, stab through the muddy waters, and find pieces of the light as you surface.  What am I saying? That the computer, IN MY OPINION, holds more dark than LIGHT!

In October, a realization hit me, that it isn’t about consuming myself with the virtual world. Life is not about building walls of defense to protect yourself. You should be able to freely live and appreciate the snowballs that are tossed in your face, and with great strength, brush away the powder!

Life is about change, characters are about transformation, story line is about variations, so why would we not take the precious care of our lives as we do with the characters and worlds we form? You can not produce something of context, if you haven’t taken the time to shape the content of your life.

It’s not about consuming all you can of the virtual world, because change only comes when you’re brave enough to tackle your inner world.

All Hallows Evil

I did not become a Christian to be like YOU.
I do not follow Christ, so I can do what YOU do.
I do not owe my life to God, so I can give thanks to YOU!
I do not like the things YOU like, I like what Jesus likes,
And I’M okay with that! ARE YOU?

I will respect our differences...all I ask is that YOU, RESPECT ME.


"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16

Remember...what YOU do, affects your temple.

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Have you ever noticed that people use God and their religion, whatever it may be, as a mask. They say things like, “I’m a Christian.” But then their actions say they are in cahoots with the dark one. They drink, they lie, cheat, steal, lust, revel in anarchy and I think to myself, “Where is Jesus in that picture?”

Then I hear people say, “I went to church as a kid. I was raised on God.” And? Your point being? Because your mother made you go to church as a kid, now, 40 years later entitles you to call yourself a Christian? Living the title: Christian, entitles you to suffering, persecution and the gates being opened to Heaven when you pass on in death.

As you swig the beer are you thinking of dying? Or are you just covering up a hidden pain? Are you justifying your actions? That’s my favorite, the justifiers. “God won’t mind. He said I can drink, lust, look at pornographic images, be a pervert among society without ramifications.”  He did? Where did He say that? And it is YOU who call yourself a Christian?

No, our society justifies everything they do, never thinks about dying, death or WHERE they are going to wind up at deaths door. They have this idea, that they’ll sin now until their dying day, THEN ask God for forgiveness and get into heaven. Yeah, I think that’s what Satan tried to pull; and he was given his very OWN heaven! In the accolades of Hell!

Halloween to me is reminiscent of the Hell people will endure. Everyone justifies lies, deceit, masks, all in good fun. Christmas even mocks the Lords birthday with Santa and his reindeer.  But I’m going a bit far there because all of the liars will come down on me. Hey, don’t come down on me, I chose NOT to lie about Santa, the Easter bunny, and all the other hoaxes society tried to push me to do. Nope, I’m a follower of Christ, not a follower of society.

As tomorrow rears its head and many celebrate what is deemed All Saints Day. (I was raised Catholic; converted to Christianity at 14) Remember this...we don’t need to be Saints in this world; we don’t need to be perfect to be Christians. What we need to be is respectful of the God who created us. And that means...being One with Him, and cherishing the temple within. Desire to be Christlike.

Did you know that WE are in the Holy Bible? Yup, a story about US!

We are all sinners! (Yup! Me too!)

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.

I may be a sinner, but I strive each and every day...to be a saint! With all glory to God!

Worldly Wednesday ~ Conformity

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
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Those are words I don’t just read, they’re not just words, to me. To me, they are THEE Word! Sometimes I find that people, understandably, have a hard time practicing what they preach, or what they read in their bibles.

Practice meaning, exercising, making constant use of, or putting into action. We can not just read the bible and put our own spin on it so that we shape it into us. We have to be molded into it, and I mean that in a good way. Conforming to this world, is reading what you want, watching what you want, doing what you want and never giving a second glance at the Bible to see what God wants. He wants us different, and rightly so. Every religion wants us to be different, not just Christianity. We might all have different Bibles that we use, but I believe, we all have the same God.

How would you feel being invited to someone’s house, only to be ignored or disrespected? You wouldn’t like that now would you. That must be how God feels when we ‘claim’ to be Christian, but then disrespect Him by not living as one. He comes into our house, sits at the table, you bring out the food, jam to some rap music, read your book Twilight or The DaVinci Code, drink a beer, and then look up at God and realize, “Oh, you’re here?”  He looks at you and says, “YOU invited me!” What’s your reply? “Wanna beer?” How does that make you feel? Good? Bad?

What I said is exactly what people are doing. They’re conforming to this world, inviting God over, then asking him to partake of what THEY believe in, not respecting what HE believes in. And you’re okay with that?

My writing has taken on a dark nature as of late. When someone comments that my poetry is saying the same thing over and over, then it is time for me to take a double-take and see what it is I’m hooked up on that is giving me a dark edge. Well can you say LIFE?

I look around and see a world where people are conformed to lust; (yes, watching half naked women (or men) prance ANYWHERE, and having the thought of, ‘man I’d like some of that’, is called LUST.) greed, (yes wanting more and more of everything is called greed); idolatry, claiming Christianity, but practicing astrology, so many other things that just bring me down as a human being trying to be righteous in an unrighteous society.

I’m not perfect and surely don’t claim to be. I am a sinner just as each and every one of you are. The only difference is this, when I invite God over, I want HIM to be the center of attention, not me me me and my selfishness. Him and all His glory! I’ll put praise music on, I’ll have a good meal and ask that he add blessing; I’ll tell Him how much I adore Him, and go right on drinking some tea and having a wonderful conversation with Him, only to open my eyes and realize, He’s been with me ALL THE TIME!!!

He’s not a stranger in my world. I don’t invite him just for dinner, or on Sunday’s because that’s what the world wants me to believe, He only want to come to dinner on Sundays? Or invite me to His house on Sundays?

My writing reflects the darkness that tries to consume my soul and the Light that owns me.  I will work on writing what GOD wants me to write...oh wait...I just did! :)

Poetry Sunday~ Wellspring of the Season~

Psalm 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and del- ivered them from their destructions.

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Wellspring of the Season
(c) Joni Zipp
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Spring flourishes as buds burst through the soil
branches have nubs that appeared without toil;
long winter nights have now given swift rise
to sweeping old leaves from the cloudless skies.

Earth has shaped this beautiful display
of fragrant pleasantries and colorful array.
We take for granted the burgeoning blooms
looking for light where all darkness looms.

Hand in hand we walk through the meadow;
orange collides with buoyant yellow.
The warmth of the sun; the tickling grass
all give rise to Springtime's sheer glass.

The beauty is wrapped in a myriad of shades;
sunbeams dance off of dew-laden blades.
We inhale the life of this glorious treasure
wrapped in the love of heavenly pleasure.

Humans who falter in the deceptive lure
bother not with keeping things pure.
Guilty and gullible with nary refrain
never enjoying the soft-spoken rain.

Dance in the sun, let its fingers drizzle ~
your body is sculpted by its gentle chisel.
Allow it to shape and mold your being,
relish our God and all things you’re seeing. 

All rights reserved: copyright © Joni  Zipp

Poetry Sunday~ Cimmerian Morn

2 Sam. 22: 29 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

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Cimmerian Morn
***
A cloud descends
like a brick of gold
a new year begins
memories unfold.

Snow it glistens
steadily falling
no sounds to hear
but my heart calling.

Goodbye pain
so long to sorrow
may intimacy fill
my longing tomorrow.

The winds strong gust
it steals my heart
loneliness holds
a poisonous dart.

Fate will lay
its palm on me
carried off
by destiny.

The Lord will fill
my veins with bliss
Ascend my soul
to happiness!