Grafted in and Grateful

I want to quit “quitting”
To the utmost extent To see just “one” thing through to completion For me would be an event

I tend to give up the ghost
When the going gets rough
With only excuses as to
Why my situation is too

“Tough to handle”

For Some of these issues

I say I just don’t have the time
But to tell you the truth
That’s just a

Tired

Old line

I keep telling myself
That maybe one day
When I retire
I’ll do what I say

Can’t be done at the moment
Because time’s not
On my side
But that is such a cop out
That derails and derides

My motivation, momentum
Determination and drive
To finish the course
See what’s on…the other side

Of procrastination
Lack of determination
Intimidation and
Sloth

Wrestling with low self esteem
As my bones and dreams
Turn to
Rot

But “TODAY”…as they say
“BEGINS THE REST OF YOUR LIFE”
Don’t squander it, abuse it
No YOU have the right

To see your dreams
come to pass
Each endeavor hit the mark
But they will never come to fruition

If you don’t ever START

To focus on the goal, the prize
How you’ll feel when you begin
To Stop it! Quit Quitting!
And see one dream through…To the end!

Put to rest the hurt and shame of days gone by, or like a Monarch tied to a stone…you’ll never be able to fly.

Carrying the weight of a negative past, keeps you chained inside…to an emotion, place or event,  that was not meant to last a  lifetime

But ordained by God, so that He could use your life as a testament, of his abundant grace and prove to you…that’s why his Son was sent.

So, to you and others like you and me, who still cling to that heavy stone, He will never leave us or forsake us…our sins have been atoned.

And yes, we have to let go of the old, so we can accept the new.  A clinched fist  cannot accept His grace, but an open palm…He will use,

To bless our lives going forward, as we journey on our way.  Closing our hand, only to take hold of…what our hearts are willing to give away.

 Yes, we are all on a specific journey, our days here are numbered…it’s true. It is appointed unto man, once to die. There is none invincible… not me, not you.

So as we contemplate this life we’re given we must not ponder over all the “why’s?” but in reverence, bow our heads to the Thee…asking Lord what would you have us do now?

Looking for inspiration
I began searching high and low
For something of meaning and value
But for what…I didn’t know

I longed to captivate my readers
Engage their hearts, their minds intrigue
By words given to me from The Father
A rhythmic story with…

Much to perceive

Today He speaks to me on criticism
With loving acceptance when we’re wrong
But in turn He is expectant of us…
To sing our debtors the very same song

Constructive criticism from a loved one
May sound harsh at best
By Not allowing it to fall on deaf ears
Will lead to greater happiness

Yes, critcism can be hard to swallow
Especially when believed it’s undeserved
But with closer introspection we may find
What we needed… is just what we heard

Like iron sharpens iron it is our duty
To Instruct and admonish one another
Helping each other stay the course
Losing not one sister…not one brother

Because the heart is inherently selfish
Of this fact we don’t have to learn
Yet, the heart is also giving and caring
Expressing the deepest of concerns

Yet, sometimes it takes harsh words
A wake-up call to make you realize
Due to your own actions or misgivings
You, yourself…compromised

Your own integrity,
Respectability or situation
Your work, your health,
Your dreams, your goals

So we must lovingly give and accept
Constructive criticism
Especially…
When it hits home!

Who steals your peace? Who steals your joy?
And why do you let him? I implore of you
To take control of your Joy and your Peace
Keeping them tucked away
From the robber’s reach

Peace resides in the hearts of those who believe
Joy fills every heart that lovingly receives God’s Grace
With an open palm and arms raised to the Heavens
In Praises and Songs to the Giver of Peace
Which surpasses all Understanding

Who Steals your Joy? Who steals your Peace?
And why do you let him? Are you asleep?
Awake! Stand Guard!
Keep Watch! Listen!
Killing the robber is the soul’s only mission

Take away his ability to steal in the night
When he pilfers near your heart
You must shine your light
Bringing to the forefront his dastardly deeds
Till up his garden, throw away his seed

Into the Fire
Hear it crackle and pop… for this is the only way to
Make
The robber
STOP!

Yes you control your Joy and your Peace
And you alone can make the robber cease
Cease to exist in your heart and mind
Cease to exist for all space and time
By staying vigilant…let your light continuously shine

Darkness is put to death
When you stay in control
Never allow it
To overtake
Your soul

For darkness lurks near the unguarded heart
Sneaking into your Head
Ripping sanity apart
For it was Your Peace he was after
From the very start

Stay Awake! Stand Guard!
Keep Watch! Listen!

This Heart pants for living water
To quench its thirsty soul
This Heart aches from pain and anguish
Of sin that has taken its toll

This Heart longs to meet its Maker
And to see Him face to face
To bow down before King Jesus
Who mercifully took its place

Upon the Cross at Golgotha

Where This Heart
Should have been nailed to that tree
But King Jesus loved This Heart so much
That He intervened

On its behalf
Taking upon Himself
Its judgement and
The Creator’s wrath

For every time This Heart disobeyed His commands
For every time This Heart could not conceive
Of an agape love so strong, so deep
That it rebelled in disbelief

Yet His mercy and grace flowed freely
Pumping into This Heart of mine
Words that penetrated This Heart
Which brought the renewing of my mind

Changing This Heart from the inside out
It is no longer blinded
Renewing This Heart from the inside out
It is no longer double minded

But holds steadfast to the Word of God
All His Words printed in red
So that This Heart would not be deceived
But trust in exactly what The Father said

And as I continue to paint His Words on This Heart
I’m certain that You will find
That sharing His gift of grace with You
Is exactly what The Father had in mind

So when Your Heart pants for living water
To quench Your thirsty soul
This Heart longs for You to accept Jesus
So Your Heart too will know

The agape love so strong, so deep
The love that lives within our soul
The never ending Love of The Father
Who sacrificed His Son to make our brokenness whole

You must add tension
To the longbow string
Or the arrow will not shoot
Very Far

Likewise…
Adversity creates the tension needed
For God to propel you
From right where you are

What should take years
God can accelerate
In a fraction
Of the time

So we Praise You, Lord
Through adversity
Knowing you are turning our
Water into wine

Yes, Faith is the accelerant
That ignites the fire
Down deep within
The Believer’s heart

When we allow God’s plan
To be the tension for our arrows
We become a
Shooting star

He can promote
Without education
He can prosper
And it won’t cost a dime

He can heal
And restore so we can
Sew and reap
All at the same time

“For the day is coming
When the plowman overtakes the reaper
And the treader of grapes overtakes
The one who is called the seeder.” (Amos 9:13 (NIV))

So let not your heart be troubled (John 14:1 (NIV))
But… Trust
Let faith accelerate you
To the Finish line

Though not the end
But the place
We’ll abide
When eternity… begins

Today’s post was inspired by the reading of God’s Word from the (NIV) New International Version of the Bible, from Chapter 13 of the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 13:2 (NIV): “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Are you somebody’s Angel
Or do you long to meet
A majestic, messenger of God
As you walk down the street

A hallowed, attending Spirit
Well-meaning and kind
That descends from the Heavens
And stands right alongside

A troubled soul… when they need it the most

With encouraging words
Or perhaps a monetary gift
Comes at just the right time
When you needed a lift

Their gentle, sweet, smile
Comes
Out of the blue
To comfort…

And you thought no one cared for you?

Sometimes these angels
Are people we know
They love us and pray for us
Yes, they too are sweet souls

But the encounters with strangers
Whom we’ve never met
The ones we happen upon
But won’t soon forget

How they materialized
With kindness we didn’t expect
When we thought God wasn’t listening
That’s when they stepped

Into our lives…

What a beautiful blessing
God not only heard our cries
He sent His Angels
Addressing

The needs of His people…

These celestial beings are
Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems
Too perfect for this world
Ethereal?

Yes, that’s right

Now
When you come upon a stranger
Will you treat them
As such?

Or will you
Be the Angel
Their soul needs
So very much?

If you were being mislead
Wouldn’t you want to know
That the killing of so-called “infidels”
Won’t lead to where you think you’ll go

With an arsenal of weapons
You believe you are in the “right”
To stand against The Lord God of Israel
To draw your weapons and fight

For the illusive “utopia”
With young virgins awaiting
Offering sexual favors
So now you’re anticipating…

Really?

Do you really put faith
In a god who contemplates
The sexual desires
Of a radical caliphate?

And why do your leaders
Not strap bombs to their chest?
Because they’re counting on all those
They’ve cunningly mislead

Yes they are cowards, not leaders
Hiding behind your skirt
Then watching from afar
As you go up in smoke

Now that is definitely called
Not using your head
Allowing the one below your belt
To make your bed

But sleep
Will not be restful on the other side
No virgins await
Where you are going to reside

As for your burning desires
You’ll plead for them to stop
Giving a whole new meaning
To what you find sensually hot!

Your god calls you to hate
Mine calls from above
Even in the midst of your dastardly deeds
My God calls me to love…

You and others like you
Though you raise weapons
To kill me
Dead

My God tells me
To reach out to those
Who’ve been deceived
Who’ve been mislead…with the Love of Christ

So I share the love of Jesus
Only His grace will let anyone of us in
To Heaven…where the Angels sing
Only He can forgive all sin

And as iron sharpens iron
So one brother, sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17 (NIV))
And what God has called together
Let not man put asunder

For we are “ALL” God’s children
Even those who’ve been deceived
And Christians are called to witness to Islam
So they too…will believe

In…

The One True God of Israel
Who’s love was and is universally spread
By His disciples down through every generation
So NOT one of us would be mislead

At times we are our own worst enemy
Snared in traps, not set for you or me
Yet everywhere we step, we seem to stumble upon
A minefield unearthed by things we’ve done wrong

What causes the earth to react to us this way
To the things we do or the things we say
Does our tone need a key change?
Do our actions present… the Love of Christ inside our hearts?

Or are our actions bent

On gaining the respect
Given freely each day
But to others around us
Who don’t come across this way

Do our actions stem from living
In times where some resent
Affirmations given to those
With money to be spent

And why do we care to have
Accolades from the earth?
When not a soul here knows the value
God sees in our worth

So, let’s relax, let down our guard
Step back and assess
How our own words and actions
Got us into this mess

Let’s change our tone, our body language
With what we try to convey
Tiptoe out of the minefield
Getting out of our own way