Silent Potential

A Belgian draft horse alone
Can pull quite substantial weight
But two brought up together
Can pull four times as much freight

Unity binds and builds us
To do the impossible
Hands gripped firmly together
Strength becomes exponential

Invest in one another 
Let love overcome offense
Bring the gold to the surface
Authentic without defense

Minds and passions connected
Stir such powerful forces
A whirlwind that can move earth
Like two united horses

12-5-13

The Thinning Divide

I am walking on the water
What might men now believe
And gaze with stillness and wonder
What might they in this dream perceive?

For this realm transcends our own dirt
Fading into the other side
Where bones and muscles do not hurt
Where angels and demons reside

Blending through the film, I walk on
And through the haze and light and wind
I find myself seated upon
A throne with Christ beyond the end

And then I put one foot forward
And walk upon the weightless waves
Ripples around my toes are blurred
As I follow the One who saves

12-1-13

What a Wonderful Day

It happens.  The world darkens.
You think you can see but the
     clouds get in the way.
A foggy light through cloudy water.
Then beautiful arms reach through
     and grab you.
When you're fighting, clawing, 
     striving, then stop...
They grab you.



And then...
The world stops.
Everything is still. And
     grace envelops you.
The fog clears.
The cloudy water becomes clear.


Then the world brightens.
Peace transfuses chaos.
Inhale slowly, eyes closed,
     head tilted upward, air in through
    the nostrils then back out.
He's here.
God is here!
And He's not going anywhere.

11-20-13

Honor and Generosity

Of what do I know?
How did this come to be?
Such ways that one could grow
To understand mercy

When hardships befall
And insults are common
A wave engulfs them all
Beyond logic or reason

Kings serving their subjects
Children lifted high
Words that pierce what fear protects
A brighter dawn is nigh

Take the stairs to grow higher
Sacrifice passivity
Refuse the escalator
To achieve tranquility

Notice the little things
The whispers of the pain
The unheard murmurings
People shout inside their brain

Stillness allows you to hear
Souls crying to be cared for
Sorrow of the unshed tear
Wounds buried in their core

When you can grasp at the roots
Feel and heal the brokenness
Find the gold beneath the suits
And melt away loneliness

Then you will have discovered 
The beginnings of honor
Focus on what's uncovered
Gold with worth beyond measure

People do soar higher
Value beyond their thinking
A touch can light them on fire
An ocean of oil burning

Though blinded from the treasure
Most people's eyes are sewn shut
By threads of lies so clever
That weave and wind and curl and cut

Eyes shining with blazing glory
Can see deposits of gold
And rewrite a dark story
Of a heart that has gone cold

10-29-13

The Glory of Heaven

A little sound, a whisper,
From where does it come?
Little voices echoing through the
Halls of time, resounding for those
     who choose to listen
Of purity, of innocence, of wonder,
Where imaginations and dreams
Have yet to be stamped out by the 
     world
Glories missed by many whose ears
Have been shut by the grasp of 
     condescension
Glories yet unheard in many of our
     our own halls of glory
Treasures stored in God's private stash
The voices of children of which the 
     trees are keen to listen
No one has to teach a child how to 
     dream
But when teachings and temperance
     and logic have done their work,
The vibrant colors once painted across
     the sky often fade to gray
Oh!  That dreams and innocence and 
     purity might be preserved!
It is no wonder that God taught us
     that we must all become like 
     children

10-5-13

Autumn

A breeze blew like a wave in the ocean
Rippling through trees
Rustling the leaves
Creating a beautiful transition

Blistering heat has been carried away
And now there's stillness
Sunshine with coolness
What a glorious and beautiful day

The breath of the clouds brings the crisp cool air
Scent of cinnamon
Orange of pumpkin
Drinking in the beauty without a care

9-26-13

Hope

Hope, a hand that reaches out and
     says that everything is going to be
     okay
That rush of peace that envelops your
     heart and soul and spirit and deep
     down you know that you can rest
That moment when you can sit back,
     exhale, and inhale.

Can we live from such a place?

9-6-13

A Life Well Lived

I'm floating away on an island.

Floating away, losing attachments 

     to this reality.

Through a mist of unknown mysteries

     I travel

Through cloud and storm and wind

Then suddenly, like a curtain being

     pulled from before my eyes, 

     I enter.

Floating like a cloud,

I am taken back by the scene 

     before me.

A lush rain forest beneath my feet

A massive waterfall in the distance,

     towering into the most beautiful

     clear blue lake before me

A rainbow, mist, and brilliant sunshine

A chill of awe and inspiration runs

     up my spine

I can feel the joy in my bones.

I am revitalized.

9-2-13


This poem is a metaphor for personal growth.  I describe the struggle and price to pay for learning.  I then describe the place I find myself when I'm benefiting from that growth.  I titled it 'a life well lived' because I believe this place of discovery and glory is where we are meant to live.

Laying Hold of Other Realms

The God of angel armies
Echoes throughout eternity
Glory in the heavenlies
He has been and always will be

He speaks now as He did then
Such a hopeful, wonderful King
He loves us from now 'til the end
When from the next life we will sing

Though heaven is available
For us to bring to this place
Love and hope undeniable
Healing, prophecy, and grace

Peace, purpose, and all goodness
Passion, wonder, and trust
Can invade through acts of kindness
And melt this cold world made of dust

An encouraging word
A joyful song or joke
Can heal an offense that occurred
Brighten the day with one stroke

Joy of the Lord invading
A lifting into the clouds
I slowly begin rising
Above the earth, the sea, and the crowds

8-17-13

When Lightning and Thunder Collide

A field burns bright
A fire raging all around
Thunder claps and trumpets sound
Piercing, beautiful light

Angel armies march
The war cry has sounded
Echoing fury resounded
Underneath God's arch

A great war has begun
The outpouring of love and power
This is the enemy's final hour
When man and God become one

This surge of power and grace
Will echo in the marketplace
Revival in business
Leadership with purpose
Love flowing through organizations
Power and glory beyond our imaginations
From on high God has struck with His Fist
All the loneliness, brokenness, and depression 
       that exist
No more! He cries from Heaven
Worlds created that were once hidden

For all the works of the enemy will come to nothing and all the wicked schemes of the devil will be crushed underneath God's feet with judgment, wrath, fury, and vengeance.  For God is a jealous God, and He will not relent until His lost sheep are found and restored.

8-5-13

Treasure Created Eons Ago

She smiles and the sun turns its gaze

She laughs and sets my heart ablaze

So many ideas and dreams

Both are unspoken and unseen

Blank canvas with treasure inside

Wonderful beauty we will guide

Peace, love and hope that makes me weak

Comes from someone who cannot speak

A little bundle of Heaven

Come to our lives to reside in

A great ocean of joy inside

Those beautiful, bright blue eyes

7-23-13

A Mist Remains

Raindrops fall on leaves of green
Wind blows the warm summer air
I breathe in this misty scene
At peaceful stillness I stare

Fickle and warm summer rain
Falling like pillows on cloth
Splashing with a colorless stain
Steam rising from summer's broth

Through the mist, color is born
Light split through water's prism
On the earth, beauty adorn
A painting born in wisdom

7-8-13

Heaven on Earth

I have a dream,
That the once undivided Church
     will again join hands.
When Calvinist and Armenian will 
     embrace in love,
And every older brother accept 
     every prodigal.
One day, we will stand.
Confident in our Father's love,
Knowing who we are,
Not defining ourselves by anyone's
     opinion but God's
One day, God's love will be so 
     pervasive in our hearts
That nothing will stand to divide us.
The walls will come down.
The gates will be crushed.
The ground itself will tremble.
When we can hear from the mouths
     of women and children from the
     pulpit, and no one will think it
     strange.
When Charismatics and Pentecostals and 
     Baptists and Catholics and
     Presbyterians and Methodists can
     have dinner in peace.
We do not have to agree in order to love.
We do not have to believe the same 
     theology to shake the foundations
     of the earth with the Presence
     of God.

What will it look like when leaders and
     followers of every denomination 
     decide to love unconditionally?
What will it look like when women's 
     and children's voices are viewed 
     just as important as men's voices?
I have a dream of an army that marches
     together.
I have a dream of a powerful Church 
     filled with love.

It is beginning already.
Many are truly learning of our Father's
     heart of endless benevolence towards
     everyone.
Just as when Nehemiah brought unity to 
     Israel to rebuild the wall, many are
     coming together in love.
The prophet Habakkuk says it well: "For 
     the earth will be filled with the 
     knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
     as the waters cover the sea."
Our Lord Jesus Christ says that love is 
     the most important thing in life.
The apostle John says that God is love.

So many people are afraid of failure in 
     life.
But the apostle Paul tells us that love 
     never fails.
One day we will be fearless.
One day we will be so confident in our
     Father's love that we will bring so
     much of heaven to earth that all
     will see: The earth is filled with the
     knowledge of the glory of the Lord!
His people, His family, us:
We will be one.

I can see light pouring in between the 
     clouds.
I can see clear blue-green streams 
     flowing throughout the earth.
I can feel a cool breeze and see trees
     and plants growing everywhere.
The peace of the Lord will rest upon 
     the earth,
And all will see the riches of the 
     Presence of God.

6-19-13

Between Fire, Wind, and Water

Standing in the shallow water
Ripples echo from my feet
Small pebbles float upwards 
     through the air
A trail of fire slowly crawls
     up the streams of air
A breeze brushes my face
Slowly, I raise my hands from
     my side until they are parallel
     to the ground
Clockwise swirls of wind begin 
     circling my feet
Slow burning fires light the 
     ground with an orange glow
Peace pressed into my chest
Glory flows into my fingertips
     and toes, flowing from within
Rocks float upwards in the air
The shallow water burns brighter
     with orange fire
The swirls of wind travel higher,
     growing more intense
I stomp the ground and let 
     out a deafening roar
The fires reach above my head
I twirl my arms and jump in the 
     air, spinning
I dance a wild dance
A tornado filled with water, 
     fire, and rocks surrounds me
A torrent of power, a whirlwind 
     of peace, a storm of hope
And with this weapon of worship,
     God will destroy the enemy

4-5-13

Mysteries and Beauty

In the stillness of the air
Our whispers grow loud
Flowing beauty so fair
Secrets ride upon the cloud

Years and years under the bark
Circles of history gone by
Layers of depth in the dark
Treasures hidden in the sky

But if you peer into the heavens
You may yet see a falling star
See value through the invisible lens
You may yet learn to fly far

Find glory locked beneath the sea
Wonders beyond earth's measure
Pull the gold from where it's unseen
And fill life with Heaven's treasure

4-1-13

Underneath the Darkness

The eagle lands next to me on top of the mountain.  It invites me to board.  I hang on, and we fly straight up into the air.  We fly out of the atmosphere, passed the sun, outside our solar system, and onto a grey planet.  I dismount the eagle.  There are sharp gray rocks and small mountains.  I climb over a small hill on foot with the eagle following.  At the crest, I gaze into a crater below.  The crater is filled with cerulean blue water that emanates light.  I see transparent fish and mer-people swimming in the lake.  The sky is black, but this oasis glows blue.  I climb down and take a swim.  The water brings warmth and life to my body.  

3-16-13

Angels

Beings of eons past
Knowledge of history upon history
Protectors in the wind
What stories might their 
      rustless shields tell?
Of battle in Moses' day,
Of victory in resurrection,
Of light through invisible shadows,
Of fire that burns the spirit,
Of love and wonder and pain,
Of sorrow over God's people,
Of a blood-stained earth that
      God redeemed

3-15-13

Through the Cave

While examining the exotic plant life in the jungle, I see a large crystal creature.  It looks similar to a crab, but it has large crystal scales that angle upwards towards the top of its back.  It looks almost like a crystal cone with cracks in it.  It walks on four legs and has two claws.  Its eyes are red, full of passion and courage.  With a look in its eyes, it invites me to follow.  It turns and travels down into a hole in the ground.  I follow and find myself in a cave with gemstones.  Other small creatures crawl on the floor and walls.  The crystal creature walks through the room and stops at a pool of water.  It looks at me to question if I'm willing to swim.  The creature plunges into the water.  I follow and find that I can breathe underwater.  We swim for a distance, seeing other fish pass by.  The tunnel opens into a large underwater chamber.  In the distance, I can see multiple tunnels branching off into all different directions.  We enter through the tunnel that is straight ahead.  After swimming down the tunnel for a while, we exit the water into an open chamber.  There is no water in the chamber.  I look back to see the water suspended by nothing.  I turn the other direction to see giant, golden twin doors.  The crab opens the doors.  A huge, grassy meadow leads into a mountain with snow on top.  I follow the crab out and enter the light.  Looking back, the cave seems to be a large rock protrusion out of the ground.  I turn and follow the crab up the mountain.  The snow is beautiful but not cold.  I discover other small crabs.  They appear to be rocks, but then they open and crawl.  God gives me x-ray vision to see inside their little bodies.  They have no organs, just fluid that keeps them alive.  It is Holy Spirit fluid.

3-12-13

The World Beyond the Veil

Floating through the ceiling, I rise
I can see the bright blue sky and 
     floating cotton balls
I continue rising outside of earth's
     atmosphere
Traversing space, I see a blue
     planet draw near
Quickly, I am lowered to the surface
I land on a lone island amidst
     a vast ocean
The island is only thirty feet across
     and ten feet wide
I see a large sun in the distance
Then, a wondrous creature from the
     deep emerges a quarter mile
     away
It is like a gargantuan worm colored
     with green and yellow scales
Another beast surfaces, with the
     head and body of a plesiosaur
     but colored bright blue with 
     large yellow eyes
A massive bird flies by
It has the body of a large horse,
     but with four large wings instead
     of legs
It has the neck of a brontosaurus
     and the head of a large seagull

An eagle lands next to me on the island.
     It stands seven feet tall with a 
     twenty foot wingspan.
It looks at me with firey eyes, then
     stoops for me to climb it
I mount this eagle, and it takes off
     with tremendous speed.
We fly miles over the ocean, until we
     reach a large land mass.  It has
     mountains, jungles, a desert,
     beautiful beaches, snowy mountains,
     grassy hills, waterfalls, and an 
     active volcano with a river of lava.
I ask the eagle if we can land on a 
     grassy mountain leading down into
     the jungle.
We change our course and head for the 
     hillside.
Upon landing, I dismount the eagle
     and run down the mountain.
Inside the jungle are lush green plants
     and tropical trees.  Vegetables and 
     fruits are in abundance.  A lily pad
     on the ground moves, and a family
     of bulbous, green, bioluminescent 
     frogs jump out.  They are each
     about the size of a grapefruit.  
I continue walking and see a purple
     bunny-like animal with two 
     companions.  Their purple ears
     hang down to their face, and the 
     bunnies stand about four feet tall.
On the tree next to me, a plump, lime-
     green glowing caterpillar is about
     four inches in diameter and a foot
     long.  
There are glowing flowers of pink and
     green and purple and yellow.
I lift a plant to see the soil.  I can see
     different colored minerals and 
     sediments in it.
I look back to see the eagle change
     forms into a white tiger with 
     flashing eyes like lightning.  I mount
     the tiger and ride on further.
I then dismount to gaze in awe at the
     detail in the tree bark.  There are 
     so many mysteries and treasures to
     discover in this foreign land.
I stay off of the tiger so I can slowly
     explore.  He assures me I can ride
     or fly with Him anytime I want.  I
     thank Him and continue studying 
     the wondrous trees, plants, and 
     animals.

1-15-13
    

Eloise

A word from heaven has come to our home
A cute and cuddly bundle of joy
She may not know it yet,
She may not understand,
But she has the ability to 
      suspend time and space

She stops my heart
She makes me forget my concerns
She is the beauty of God born
      from the most beautiful mother
      in the world

Her name is Eloise

1-9-13