Saturday, April 30, 2011

Ode to Millie

Oh, the joy of driving Millie
Highways paved or roads of dirt
Dancin’ rattlin’ cruisin’ filly
Dually with a hula skirt

Miles went by without a worry
Whether heat or ice or snow
Travelin’ slow or in a hurry
Jumped in Millie’n off we’d go

Crank a tune and she would hum it
Dieseled up to keep the pace
Wide expanse or mountain summit
Fit right in a compact space

Haulin’ gear for each vacation
Haulin’ kids and balls and stuff
Drywall, lumber, insulation,
Always held more than enough

Millie, you’re the best, I figure
Been more fun than I could tell
Not a rig better or bigger
‘Nless I had a CDL
~ae

Friday, April 29, 2011

A Bit of Dust

A bit of dust thinks it’s pretty big
until a shoe steps on it.

A shoe thinks it’s pretty big
until a foot can’t squeeze into it.

A foot thinks it’s pretty big
until it walks a mile.

A mile thinks it’s pretty big
until it climbs a mountain.

A mountain thinks it’s pretty big
until a cloud forms above it.

A cloud thinks it’s pretty big
until it rains.

A raindrop thinks it’s pretty big
until a bit of dust soaks it up.
~ae

“Then the Lord God formed man 
of dust from the ground, 
and breathed into his nostrils 
the breath of life; 
and man became 
a living being.”  
~Genesis 2:7

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Shadows...

   A close friend offered a challenge to me the other day... to sit on my front porch for a while and just observe God's creation and see what He wanted to show me... that was it!  And so I did just that for nearly 45 minutes until the chilling wind became a bit much for my bones.  
   As I sat encompassed within the afternoon shadow of my home, it overwhelmed me in a deeper, more meaningful way, revealing yet another dimension of God's Word.
I would like to encourage you 
to accept the same challenge...  
to taste and see 
a glimpse of God's glory; 

"Be still and know that I am God." 
~Psalm 46:10


Shadows...
lengthening,
a silhouette imitating that which is real,
encompassing and consuming
every rock or weed or uneven surface
without deference.

Shadows...
always inching, ever moving
while counterparts stands firm;
never content to stand,
yet completely unaffected
by breeze or rain or storm.

Shadows...
appearing to have two dimensions,
yet alone, occupy no space,
immeasurable in thickness,
weighing nothing.

Shadows...
tasteless, odorless, soundless,
yet can be felt;
illusive wholeness,
yet obvious
to the eyes, the skin, the soul.

Shadows...
offering a darkened chill
or pleasant relief from oppressive heat;
always, proffering assurance
of protection, of safety,
of rest.

Shadows...
enhancing the beauty of what is real
by contrast
defining depth of contour,
richness of color,
fullness of authenticity.
~ae

“He who dwells 
in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord,
“My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
~Psalm 91:1,2

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Light-Headed

Try really hard.
Just be creative.
You can do it.
Believe in yourself.
Make it happen.
Do whatever it takes.
There’s always a way.
Just do it!

Reality:
None of these common phrases apply.

I do not possess the ability
to conjure
or stir
or create a source of light
that would be enough to allow anyone
to see my own good deeds
in such a way
that would honor
the Father in heaven.

There is only one way for His Life
to be made obvious in me…

“Let”

Let… His light
Shine within my emptiness.

"Let your light shine before men
that they may see your good deeds
and praise the Father in heaven."
~Matthew 5:16

My own mind
is naturally
consumed with thoughts of me.
It is not possible to
make room for anyone else
to occupy me
unless I move out.

When a homeowner
lets his home out to a renter,
the homeowner no longer lives
in that dwelling;
It is now the home of the new tenant…
the one who has paid to live there
and occupy the home
in its entirety.

There is only one way for His Life
to live within my mind…

“Let”

Let… His wholeness
completely occupy me
       ... and own me.

"Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus..."
~Philippians 2:5

Earth Day

Recent conversation between several people...


"Earth Day makes me angry!"


"Why is that?"


"How come?"


"Friends!!  It's GOOD FRIDAY!  But I guess, in a very roundabout way, that makes it earth day."


"Hey! That's an amazing way to redeem this lame holiday called Earth Day... It's true; He was in the tomb (earth), but it could not contain Him.  Jesus burst from the grave, alive!  He conquered the earth day.... He is Risen!"

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Rags to Riches

Shredded into lengthy strips,
bound around His tiny form,
somewhat undesirable,
yet I kept Him snug and warm.

Illness had decreased her health;
desperately her hand reached out.
Healing power surging through
my being bade Him turn about.

Loved one passed away, I held.
Then He spoke, and suddenly
the encompassed rose again.
They removed me; he was free.

Men of great importance sat
pushing Him to testify;
when He named Himself I AM,
grabbed and ripped apart was I.

Soldiers of the governor
gathered Romans all around,
stripped Him what was left of me;
scarlet counterpart was found.

Laughing soldiers casting lots.
Bits and pieces here and there;
once I was a part of Him,
then was used without a care.

Uttering His final cry,
earth was quaking, Truth was known,
sky was darkened, stones were split,
I was torn from my top down.

Shredded into lengthy strips,
bound around His beaten form,
mixed with spices and with myrrh,
gifts to Him when He was born.

Suddenly, such fear and joy,
for I was glowing white as snow!
“Tell them He is risen now,”
angels bid the ladies, “Go…”
~ae

“…on His robe 
He has a name written, 
KING OF KINGS, 
AND LORD OF LORDS.”
~Revelation 19:16

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Burst of Flavor, Lingering Sweetness

So, who invented orange juice?
It is, no doubt, my favorite fruit juice of all time.

Each morning when I wake up,
it is with joyful anticipation,
and even a bit of salivating,
that I approach the refrigerator
and reach for the container
labeled “Lots of Pulp”

Mmmmm!!!

Orange juice is deliciously appetizing any time of day,
a cheerful accompaniment to any meal,
and effective to chase away any hint of unwanted aftertaste
with its refreshing burst of full flavor
and delightfully lingering sweetness.

Well, in all honesty,
I actually do know Who invented orange juice.
He is the same One Who so aptly displayed the reality of
God’s ultimate expression of love for us.

Like the orange,
Jesus became vulnerable 
yielding the depth and width and height and breadth
of His goodness
as He was crushed.

As the orange is squeezed until it no longer resembles its original shape,
His self-sacrifice was made complete on the cross,
paying for the wages of our transgressions in full.

As what is left of the orange is gathered into a glass,
so His blood was poured out,
His body placed in the tomb,
His obvious destiny sealed behind the lifeless, merciless, unforgiving stone.

As I drink of the vestiges of what was once an orange,
I am reminded of my need to
partake of His Body, of His Blood, of His sacrifice for my redemption.

And just as the torrent of succulent,
thirst quenching flavor of orange cannot be contained,
Jesus burst forth from the grave in glorious display
to the joyous elation of hundreds who loved Him
and billions to hope in Him.

Ultimately,
there is no sweetness that compares to that of
the purest, most holy expression of God’s love;

Jesus is Risen…
…He is Risen Indeed!
~ae
“Do not be amazed;
you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene,
who has been [crushed]. 
He has risen;
He is not here;
behold, here is the place where they laid Him…

“And He said to them,
‘Go into all the world
and preach the gospel to all creation.’” 
~Mark 16:6,15

“The righteous cry
and the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.  
The Lord is near
to the brokenhearted
and saves those
who are crushed in spirit.“
~Psalm 34:18

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Hidden Treasure

Thousands of gold coins
stacked inside coffee cans.

Important legal documents
concealed in a cereal box.

Precious heirloom jewelry
jammed into a hole in the mattress.

A human soul filled with God's holy presence
abiding in a frail, broken body.
~ae
"We have this treasure in jars of clay,
so that the surpassing greatness of the power
will be of God
and not from ourselves;

we are afflicted in every way,
but not crushed;
perplexed but not despairing;
persecuted but not forsaken;
struck down but not destroyed;

...Therefore we do not lose heart,
but though our outer man is decaying,
yet our inner man is being renewed day by day...

for the things which are seen are temporal
but the things which are not seen
are eternal."
~II Corinthians 4:7-18

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Able to Stand

We smiled to each other as I entered the room;
the foundation of a genuine friendship
was already established.


Before I could settle into the chair next to hers,
she braced herself with as firm a grasp as she could muster
and began the painfully difficult task
of standing up.


Fending off my instinct to insist that she sit down,
a quiet prompting encouraged me 
to let her continue in this excruciating effort.


Then there she was, standing beside me,
her body weaving unsteadily,
her face tense from the pain,
her eyes sparkling with the joy of accomplishment.


We exchanged a gentle hug
before she returned, with help, to her seat.


As we talked of lighthearted things
that didn't matter
and laughed because it felt good 
to go beyond just smiling,
my heart was speechless;


Overwhelmed and humbled
by the honor displayed in her loving action,
all the while mourning the passing 
of every day,
of every hour,
until her body would finally succumb 
to the merciless devastation of cancer.


My heart cried out to the God of Tender Mercy,
to the One Who Saves us from destruction,
to the Gentle Shepherd,
to Jesus...
...pleading to Him for
a very specific portion of His Word
that would bless her 
as only He can do...


...and He did.
After driving for twelve hours 
to our daughter's house for a visit,
my weary eyes were captivated 
by the calligraphy that hung on her living room wall,
just as it has for over six years.


The living, breathing
Word of God,
at times, may speak in a whisper
... and once in a while 
His Word is handwritten on the wall!


"Now to Him Who is able 
to keep you from stumbling 
and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory 
with great joy, 
to the only God, our Savior, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, 
before all time 
and now 
and forever.  
Amen."  
~Jude vs. 24,25
Thank you, Jesus!
~ae

Friday, April 1, 2011

One

“Why don’t you take this half of the car, Honey, and drive to town to do your shopping.  I’ll take the other half of the car and run my errands, o.k.?  B’bye… Have a nice time!” 

This is my husband’s creative description of what oneness in marriage is not.

A husband and wife who view their roles as
functioning better together
than when they operate independent from each other
are missing one simple fact: 
they are one.

One is one. 
When one is divided, it is not two.

When one is divided, each piece is a fraction,
incomplete and inoperable,
unable to function as a whole
because each fraction is not a whole.

Marriage represents the oneness of Christ and His beloved church;
expressing and acting upon His desire, self-sacrifice,
and unconditional love for her. 

Once the bond is established through salvation,
there is no separating or becoming amputated from God’s embrace;
His promise is never to leave me nor forsake me. 
This promise holds true for each believer
who enters into the bond of His love.

He is Life.
This attribute, along with every other aspect of God,
becomes my lifeblood
which flows throughout every part of me.
His Spirit absorbs and saturates the void of my soul,
likened to a cloth dipped into colorful dye.

It is not possible to break this unit into two fractions,
to separate me from God or God from me.
There is no line of division.

Can a heart be ripped into two halves and continue to function?
Can a brain be sawn in two and proceed to think whole thoughts?
One being contains one heart, one mind, one soul.

Each holy union of marriage
carries within its framework the solemn responsibility
of representing the union of Christ and His Beloved.
Yet all people who fill these shoes
are imperfect, incapable,
unqualified.

Oneness in marriage
is not made more whole by trying harder,
is not gauged by notions of what is good enough,
is not weighed by who serves whom better or more.

At the moment they are declared husband and wife
and the husband lifts the veil
to see his bride’s beauty,
just so,
God’s provisions of unfathomable mercy,
of undeserved grace,
of profound forgiveness,
unveil the mystery of oneness in marriage;
each imperfect mate serving the other imperfectly,
together wholly invested in His Perfect Love.

One plus one equals…  one.
~ae