Twisting Fires

Two lovers from heaven
One heart beating before time
An idea risen
From oceans it did climb


For God knew you before
In His ocean of passion
His lavish love He did pour
Into your heart's inscription


Married, joined, united
Two spirits entwined
Each the other's beloved
A priceless, eternal find


Unity breathed in fire
To shake earth's foundations
To pull hearts from the mire
To form new creations


People will look in awe
At the love you carry
God's Spirit without flaw
Setting their hearts free


You will show people
The dreams inside their heart
Earth shaking yet simple
Revealing their own art


Your love transcends the heavens
Is felt by God constantly
Every day it brightens
As it grows into a tree


4-19-12

The Orchards

Come with me on a walk
Through lush orchards abounding
Where the most wonderful fruit grows
And birds can be heard singing


Come with me through green fields
Until we reach the grove
With the most delicious fruit
A delectable treasure trove


Let us run, now fast
In the bright noon sun
With the wind in our face
As we jog, skip, and run


Endless hills of grass
Lead to the great orchard
Where the fruit has such rich texture
Let us run faster, onward!


There they are!
The fields of goodness and wonder
Let us pick a bushel of apples
And eat them while sitting under


The canopy that shades our picnic
As the squirrels come to see
Birds and animals gather
From a rabbit to a chickadee


The lions and sheep come
To join our excursion
Then bears and deer too
All sit with expectation


We toss some fruit to each
And we all eat in peace
Enjoying each other's company 
Joyful love that does not cease


4-24-12

A City Upon A Hill

I gaze upon the mountain
As the golden sun beams
Bright blue sky with trees 
        all around
The city atop the great mountain
Shining with golden brilliance


Hiking the smooth trail I climb
Til I reach the golden gates
It's pillars shine with pearl white 
Two mighty angels guard the entrance
They smile at my arrival 
Eyes of fire
Swords of steel


The gates open in silent beauty
The courtyard golden brick
With a great fountain springing 
        hundreds of feet into the air


There are guitarists playing
People dancing
Drummers drumming
Poets writing
Singers singing


The floor made of beautifully 
       colored gems
Creating a great picture
Of an orange sunset on a purple sky
A vast courtyard of breathtaking beauty


I venture into the city's interior
Passing wonderful houses
Every one unique
Architecture earth hasn't seen


Climbing up and up
I notice a strange thing
There is no castle peak
No house for the king


The city is simply filled
With beautiful houses
Gardens, rivers, pools
That number in the thousands


A child informs me
Why there is no palace
"We are all one" he says,
"And filled with thankfulness"


"No king need rule here
For we serve but one master
Our great joy and source of life
The loving heavenly Father."


4-15-12

Vineyards Beyond the Clouds

Long table arrayed in golden splendor
Finest cedar with plates made of diamonds
Gem studded goblets, ruby and sapphire
Grapes, berries, and melons from all seasons


Jesus invites us to sit in our seats
My chair golden, cushion made of linen
I gaze at the wonderful wine and treats
The aromas of plum and cinnamon


I lift my goblet filled with ruby wine
And inhale the most beautiful bouquet
Scents of spice, vanilla, plum so divine
Complexities beyond what I can say


Swirling the dark liquid grown in heaven
My eyes peer into the shifting whirlpool
New colors appear in this concoction
Sapphire, amethyst, heavenly jewel


Slowly taking a drink and overcome
Such intense dark berry, plum, and melon
Then honey, vanilla, and cardamom
Citrus, peach, nutmeg, and then cinnamon


The body feels like a smooth, heavy weight
Gliding across my rejoicing palate
In the middle heaven's spices elate
Pounding my senses like a smooth mallet


Vapors and flavors diffusing as one
Tingling, lifting, and growing sensations
Then comes the finish and I am undone
Such intense power, it could move mountains


Pronounced and developed heavy tannins
With hints of spice, blackberry, and cocoa
Timeless ruby drink of the high heavens
Experience beyond what earth can know


4-09-12

My Garden of Worship

Energy coursing in green
A ring of growth and birth
Colors so lush to be seen
Trees, gardens, and flowers
Rich shrubs are encircling


A grassy shaded meadow
Vegetables, fruits and squirrels
I dance in the trees' shadow
Birds chirping sweet melodies
Open space where grasses grow


Sun shining through the morning mist
A rainbow in the heavens
This garden the daylight kissed
As I worship Jesus here
Presence I cannot resist


His love courses through the trees
And the bushes shout His Name
Rabbits, spiders, and the bees
Weaving webs and honeycombs
Timeless artists in the trees


A free, wild, worship dance
Warrior angels circle
To join in the romance
As heaven invades the earth
As fire ignites the plants


Burning bushes all around
Rivers overflowing
Creation dances to the sound
Bodies and Spirits alike
To joy springing up from the ground


4-3-12

A Discovery without Time

A never ending expanse

A gloriously deep romance

Trumpets of angels sound

Light and majesty abound

Never closing pearl gates

An army of angels awaits

The river of life flowing

Shining waters slowing

Draining into the lake

What only God could make

Beautiful fish and coral reef

Tropical colors beyond belief

Light from above and from below

Colors surpassing earth's rainbow

Gliding across the lake I inhale

Leaving a rippling, warm trail

Surfing barefoot and boardless

Traveling into openness

Rapid acceleration

Timeless joy and elation

Liquid light and holiness

An ocean of happiness

Magnificent fish appear

Into the waters I peer

The sea as clear as the sky

It seems I'm miles high

Above the visible ocean floor

Endless creation to explore

God's Presence so thick in this place

I can feel His warm embrace

A school of heavenly creatures 

With odd, beautiful features

Swim rapidly to the surface

Beauty leaving me speechless

A tornado of colors

Breaks the surface waters

And fly like birds through the air

Twisting column of fire and flare

Plunges back into the sea

Temporary canopy

They rush back into the depths

Twirling down like winding steps

Enticed, I follow them down

Impossible to drown

I breathe in the liquid light

As I continue in flight

Like a torpedo I shoot

To discover the oceans' root

What awaits I can barely explain

Cities across a vast plain

Farms, gardens, and vineyards

Civilization beyond words

Saints dancing in large circles

Like moving white hot coals

They smile and invite me

Undersea community

So I dance underwater

Passionate steps without falter

I decide to remain here

For well beyond a year

I long to know all their stories

To hear of all their glories

To know this heavenly culture

With rich past, present, and future

4-1-12

The Greatness of You. A Psalm of Lament

I desire that all people would know the 
         greatness in themselves
I long for all to know that they don't have to
         try to be good enough for You


Repent! O you nations!
Turn, all you peoples!


Know that there is glory inside you
Created by the One Who loves you


You are worth more than diamonds
More precious than rubies
More beautiful than sapphires


The treasure within your being
The person you were meant to be
Is worth more than all the riches in the world


You don't know how wonderful you are


You don't know how God's heart 
         leaps at the thought of you
You don't understand that He
         moved mountains for you
You don't understand that He sheds tears for 
         you everyday and every night,
         longing to be with you


But He will not force Himself upon you


He invites you, 
         He waits for you


Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
His heart bleeds for you
         You are why He dances


Did you know?
The thought of you puts a great smile on 
         His face and a wild dance in His feet
Did you know?
There is an uncreated lover beckoning 
         you to Him


Have you heard?
A great King wants to elevate
         you
         to a high position in His royal family


Have you seen?
The beauty of spring
The grace of a flock of birds
The colors in the sunrise
The majesty of the ocean
The greatness of the mountains
The wonder of the stars
The warmth of the sun
The beauty of a blooming flower
The grace of a blue heron
The colors of orange and purple across the
         morning sky
The majesty of the coral reefs
The greatness of the green forests on the
         Appalachian Mountains
The wonder of the shining band of the milky way 
         in the night
The warmth of a summer morning


All created for you


The earth is groaning since the dawn of creation
         for you to become who you were meant
         to be
For you to realize the dreams God has placed upon
         your heart


Will you dare take this journey?
Will you embark on this great adventure 
         of love?
Will you let God honor you?
Will you accept His invitation to a 
         high place of royal honor?
Will you let Him love you?


He gave His Son to die and rise again just so
         you 
         would have a chance to be with Him
Will you accept His sacrifice for your sins?
Can you comprehend the vastness of His violent love
         for you?


It is a fire the world cannot comprehend


But you


You were not made in the world
You were a dream of God long ago in heaven


And now you are here.
What will you do with freedom?
Will you throw away His sacrifice?
Or will you drink deeply of the vast,
         living well of goodness from heaven that is 
         available?
Will you dive deep into an ocean of
         endless love?
Will you let the King Who has waited for 
         thousands of years
         for you to be born
Will you let Him love you?


3-21-12