Put the past behind you (and leave it there)

If you have put the past behind you,
then leave it there.
It is not like the things "written aforetime",
the past which upbuilds and strengthens.
It is the past of one doing wicked and sinful things,
things which you have since repented of,
things which you are now making an effort not to carry out.

If you have said "forgive me, Jehovah, for I have sinned,"
and with downcast eyes have torn away your right hand,
and are now seeking to do what is good with "a heart broken and crushed,"
then be of good cheer! Jehovah has forgiven you.
Indeed, He is "good and ready to forgive,"
and "there is more joy over one who repents
than over 99 who are not in need of repentance."

Listen closely, and you will hear the rapture in Heaven,
Jehovah and Jesus and the myriad angels
glad of your change of course.
Hear their joy, and may it be your joy as well!
Though it is only right for your heart to rebuke you
when you are doing what is wrong,
be sure to rebuke it when you are doing what is right.
Do not let your heart cause you to give up
in doing what is fine,
do not let guilt resurge over what no longer is.

Love can turn a ruthless queen / into a blushing young maiden

Love can turn a ruthless queen
into a blushing young maiden.
Love can take the crooked and twisted
and make them smooth and straight.
It can make the fanged smile of the devious
into the gentle smile of the upright.
It can take those who merely devour love
and teach them to give love freely.

Rare is the one beyond hope,
rare is the one who cannot change.
May all those whose hearts compel them to wickedness
turn around and seek a heart of righteousness,
a heart not of stone but of flesh,
a heart which The Almighty
can write upon with His finger.

Live Simply (Thoughts from Ecclesiastes)

Do not strive after desires,
but look at what is before you
and be content.

Do not seek recognition,
for after you are gone there is no guarantee
that you will be remembered;
the rich and the poor alike are forgotten.

Live simply,
and take pleasure in your hard work.
Eat and drink, your face ruddy with joy,
and sleep with the peace
of one having few possessions.

On Pain / You Are Precious Jewels

I remember talking with a man who had a positive relationship with pain. He told me: “I embrace pain, because it reminds that I am alive.” What an attitude to have! I could not help but be impressed. Pain is of course “not joyous, but grievous,” but the fact that one is sensate, that one is still able to feel and experience the world around them, that they are ALIVE...what great joy that is! Shall we not rather be here on earth, living the good days as well as the bad, rather than not living them at all? Every day of your life, strive to find some joy, even though you may be suffering.

Let your existence be a joy.
Let the sun in the sky be a joy.
Let the clouds covering the sun be a joy.
Let the rainforests,
dripping with moisture,
be a joy.
Let the parched desert,
baked by the fiery sun,
be a joy.
Let all the numerous things crawling
and swimming and flying,
buzzing and singing and crying,
let all of them be a joy.

Let God’s words to you be a joy,
even when you are trembling with pain,
your body alternating cold and hot,
your nerves on fire, causing you to gasp and groan,
and aches resounding in your tired bones,
let His words pierce through the veil of pain
and give your spirit relief;
may they help you to endure,
to continue on,
to see that life, no matter how hard it can be,
is something to be valued.

You are precious jewels,
my brothers, my sisters,
and you are held and appraised
in the hands of God.
How good and pleasant it is
for brothers and sisters to dwell in unity,
for you to be a treasure hoard
belonging to your heavenly Father.
Let this bond of unity
give you ever more joy,
and ever more reason to look on life
with a grateful heart.

30 I'll Be

I feel I have to start over,
clean the slate.
I have to regain what I have lost,
before it is too late.
To reacquaint myself with the deep things
belonging to Truth,
and leave behind my wayward youth.

In just a few weeks 30 I'll be,
the same age that Christ began his ministry.
I've squandered my childhood,
wasted my teens,
and become a man wasted and mean.
It's time to leave the path I'm on,
and follow Christ's footsteps forever and anon.

Help me, Jehovah, father of all,
to make the necessary changes:
some great, many small.
The reading of your word,
followed by meditation,
will help me to find my holy station.
Preaching and teaching,
fulfilling Christ’s commission,
this is something of which
there should be no omission.

Once More A Sinner

I have fallen, I have erred;
once more contravened His commands.
Miserable, disgusting wretch that I am!
Why cannot I get a hold of myself
and pummel myself
and lead my body as a slave to righteousness?
This sickness has eaten me up,
for most of my life it has held me
in its fleshly sway.

I am so tired of it.
I am so tired of life.
Do not worry, I shall not seek the grave
(I have no such authority to do so),
but I am tired of harming myself in this way:
eating junk and destroying my flesh,
corrupting my flesh with unholy pleasures,
and avoiding His word and his statutes,
preferring the unadvantageous things of the world.

My God, My God, why have I forsaken you?

The Wick of Life

You are not alone. 
You are trampled, but not completely crushed. 
The wick of life still burns within, 
a small flame that casts its flickering light 
to any who take notice. 

I know you are hurt. 
I, too, am a victim, though in my case 
I am both victim and villain, 
the cause of most of my pain. 
I do not doubt that you are your own villain too. 
Actually, I am sure that most of humanity 
is its own villain. 
We try to crush ourselves, 
and failing that, 
we try to crush others. 

What is the antidote to this? 
First, we must put a stop to this madness. 
We must look deep within 
and see not something to be punished, 
but to be pitied. 
Our own hearts condemn us, 
and then they condemn the world. 
Instead, let us rebuke our callous hearts, 
admonishing them for such abuse, 
and then gently encourage them to sing 
in strains of love and kindness. 

This is not something that will be accomplished overnight. 
Like strengthening a muscle, we must repeat this action, 
stopping our heart from violence, 
whether upon ourselves or others, 
and gently guide it towards love. 
We must keep a close eye on it, 
for of all things it is the most treacherous, 
and not allow it to fall back into abusive behaviour. 

And when our hearts overflow with love, 
then our mouths will drip with honey, 
and our eyes will sparkle like the sun on the lake, 
and we will reach out and transform others. 
The wick of life will become a thick, braided cord, 
you and I and Jehovah, 
burning brighter and brighter without letup, 
until the world is naught but light.

Life Bringer

III. 

Teary eyes upon an eiderdown.
The great king gives up breath:
a sacrifice for the people.
​
A passing zephyr brings
hope
and the rainbow bird
rains down life.
​
O Life Bringer,
come dancing
down
to us!
​
XI.
Birds suddenly return to my dance.
Spring songs in the jungle glade,
I warble like the newcomer.
​
Bygone men grace my footpath.
Youth is their aura.
​
So too I am young.
I call birds to the revelry of life joy.
I dine with the lamb, I commune with the cobra.
​
Hiss.

XVIII.
For my ears to hear 
flute song.
​
For my heart to jump 
like the sun at dawn.
​
But no, raised voices
in the pit of money and despair.
​
XXII.
​Oh that the fire would yield to a Word.
A ray of peace within my being.
​
The jagged knife
goes gently into the soul.
Tears cascade forth in numbers.
​
O Life Bringer, feed me.
Milk is not enough for this man.
​
XXVI.
​I am caught feverish among strewn books.
No words arouse my heart.
The spirit does not seem to be
with me today.
​
To lift the sun.
To warm the valley river.

XXVIII.
The skylark drags a third
of the evening sky.
The stars on the mountaintop
cascade
into the valley of dreams.
​
Crickets sing. Silent thoughts
become manifest, they grow
into tangible miracles.
​
The citizens of Corazon carry half-dead men
to soothing rest.
So love does still abound.
If only oil and wine
were pouring into my heart.
​
XXIX.
​Do you listen, O Life Bringer,
when I call?
​
For an emptiness has taken me
and reduced me to a wild man in the field.
Scarlet has bloomed in my flesh,
and I have hidden it from sight.
​
Must I reveal it? It pains me to do so,
O Life Bringer.
I cry out with birth pains among the secret.
It is trying to be born before them.

My spirit tank is empty,
and there is no station in sight.
O Life Bringer, make scarlet white.
Tow me to you,
and help me give birth to the truth.
​
XXX.
The sun through the trees. I am loving more and more
today, but
this heart dies.
Why do I love the broken cup of this world?
​
O Life Bringer, show me chains.
Lead me to the prison of freedom, of peace.
Your iron bars feel so soft and comforting,
like outstretched arms.
​
The sun is your loving smile.

Awakening 12/31/2018

I need to wake up to life again,
for I have slept for far too long;
These Days are no time for sleeping.

I need to remove the stones from the well
and allow fresh water from above
to fill it and overflow it;
the well is my heart,
and the water, words that speak of life joy.

I need to acknowledge God again,
for I cannot live without Him
(though unconsciously I have tried).
It is He who can wake me up,
it is He who can fill my well,
and it is He who can lead me into eternity.