Dancer

I once met a dancer
Who knew all the answers

I asked for truth in prose
But she responded with a pose

Because there was no band
I couldn't understand.

Birds and Daisies

Oh, what pain a mind can bring
Force upon unwilling soul
Keep a body from finding rest
All for a sense of control

Pressure not real so tangible
Can make you lose your mind
Lose sight of things that mean the most
Like listening and being kind

Be present under loads of stress
For you are in God's hand.
You surely won't die, or maybe you will;
It's all in His good plan.

If birds and daisies worry not
Then why the heck should you?
If God promises to take care
Then trust that it is true.

Angels

I once met a girl with a broken face
Her beauty poured from selfless grace
Now she's gone with hardly a trace
And I will never be the same

I once met a man who talked straight to my soul
His words of wisdom soon took their toll
I felt like I died, but he left me whole
And I never knew his name

Both angels, but less entertained
For I am the one whose life was changed
Now I am no longer estranged
For those have shown me the way.

I once met a child who was six foot-three
Stared at the mirror and a man stared at me
And wondered at the people who've made me be
The man I am today

Leader

Why did God make me a leader

When living passively would do?

I didn't ask Him for this voice

But God sees in His view.

My life and heart, let alone words

Are shaped and crafted by his hands

A passive voice can be made active

When God speaks through a man.

There's freedom in the knowledge of

The fact that God has His own plan.

I have ideas for my life

But His are always greater than.

Being passive's like being dead

(Our state after the ancient fall)

But God made us alive in in Christ

So be intentional.

Give your fellow man the same

Attention God has given you

With strength from Him you're strengthened by

Give daily grace daily renewed.

Beautiful Bridges

Beautiful bridges left unburned
Beautiful hearts not turned
Against me
Against me

They say to always leave
A place like it was found
But when you build a bridge
You shouldn't burn it down
When you go
When you go

I say you're better off
When when you look back at your life
You see a road of beauty there
Not selfishness and strife

Stay kind and humble
Never demanding
The best kinds of bridges are the ones left standing

Friends, be friends

Mind so full
Heart so hurt
Feel the pull
Torn apart

Why have I
Been abandoned here?
Should have been strong
But crippled by tears

Friends so close
Have been so far
My tender wound
Is now a scar

How so now?
Must move ahead
Summer looms
Past final dread

The here and now
I want to be
Happy and healthy,
So take care of me.

Once, just once
Spend time with me
Without me asking,
Just be there for me

Friends, be friends
And do what they do
Be there when I need you
To your word be true

Salvation is now alive

Today's the morning to end all mournings
For on a tree Salvation died
But death had no power over Him
For Salvation is now alive

I realize much more each day
I have no power over who I was,
Am, or will be tomorrow
But I thank God He does

Snowflakes, atoms, rocks and the heavens
The God who crafted these with his hands
Reached into hist'ry to befriend
And save this wretched man

A friend in need

The best of friends is not the one
Who would do whatever you asked
Who knows your entire past
Whom loving is never a chore


This friend, though he cares,
Is no good if he's not there
So the best friend I suggest
Is the one at your door


God cares for roses, thistles, and weeds
Flowers have thorns; flowers know pain
People e'en more are in pain's dark domain
A friend in need needs a friend in deed

Beautiful...

This has been a beautiful weekend. Its been a tough weekend, but a beautiful one. God has given strength and relief exactly where and when it was needed. This next week will be full of really big decisions, but I know that God is with me and I'm not afraid. :-)

Food for angry thoughts

Dear friends,

I have been seeing the reactions to the news that the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas is planning to protest at the funeral for one of the Chardon shooting victims, and I thought that I would add some needed perspective.  First off, I think you *should* be angry.  I too was physically furious when I read the news.  Anyone in their right mind would and should feel anger in regards to the proposed actions of WBC.  If you did *not* react strongly, I would be worried.  Here are some things to think about:

The Westboro Baptist Church is not connected to or supported by any of the major Baptist denominations.  The Southern Baptist Convention has the following answer to an FAQ on their website:

20. Is Fred Phelps (the pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church and leader of those who protest under the slogan "God Hates Fags") or his church affiliated with the SBC?

We share concern over the unbiblical views and offensive tactics of Fred Phelps and his followers at Westboro (Independent) Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Westboro does not have now, nor has ever had, any relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention. His extreme positions not only stand in contrast to the SBC, more importantly, they stand in contrast to God's Word. (http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/faqs.asp#20)

Westboro Baptist Church is an unfortunate misnomer.  Its hateful beliefs and actions are not representative of the word “Baptist” in any way and are in fact contrary to and generally condemned by both Baptists and Christians at large.  Evil is evil no matter what it calls itself.  

So in your anger, please be careful not to vilify Baptists or Christianity as a whole as a result of the actions of one church.