I Was

I was
Unwanted by my parents;
Tolerated but not treasured;
Provided for but not held precious;
Alone and afraid.

I was
Ignored and rejected;
Seen but not noticed
Heard but not listened to.
Alone and hopeless

I was 
Wanted by God,
Loved by God
Treasured by God.
Held precious by God. 

I was 
Sought out for,
Died for,
All my sins paid for,
All my tears seen 
All my cries heard.

Change

I cannot change,
Your decision,
Your attitude ,
Your perspective,
Or your opinion.

But these things in me,
I CAN change.

I can make a wise choice,
Put on a good attitude,
Have a positive perspective,
Think well of others.

Change begins with me. 

The Old Tool

he Old Tool

The old tool came in handy as a child.
It was readily available,
And easy to use:
Be Good.

Filled with aloneness & emotional neglect, 
The Old Tool was used 
To gain acceptance and security,
To get noticed and be brought in close.
It worked well to meet my simple needs. 

Time passed.
The acceptance of others was harder to win.
My needs were more complex,
The Old Tool was redesigned:
Be Perfect.

The Old Tool was used 
To Avoid hurt and rejection from others. 
It was used to prevent judgement or misunderstanding. 
It stifled joy, creativity, & spontaneity 

Now I'm a woman
And the Old Tool remains.
I'm familiar with its design and function
And feel comfortable with it in hand.

But I've seen it ineffective.
I cannot be perfect;
Others still hurt and reject,
Acceptance and security fade.

I've cast the Tool aside. 
Jesus Christ is my source of 
Acceptance,
Security,
Sense of belonging,
And worth.
I need the Old Tool no longer.

A Recipe for a Happy Marriage

God is the bowl for your ingredients;
Love God with all your heart.
Make Him #1 in all of your afffairs.
Desire His presence above all things.

Two cups of respect go into the bowl first;
Wives, have high regard for your husband.
Trust him to care for you,
Believe in him.

Two cups of crazy love go in the bowl next;
Husbands, love your wives deeply.
Cherish her; woo her.
Serve her each day.

Fold in forgiveness to hold your love and respect together;
Don't let the sun go down in your anger.
Forgive as Christ forgave you.
Give grace upon grace.

Add date nights and weekend getaways to sweeten the pot;
Look into each other's eyes.
Listen to one another.
Encourage one another.

Make love often to strengthen your union;
Learn to please one another.
Give freely to each other.
And be creative:)

Add leaven through kindness and appreciation;
Speak sweetly to one another.
Say Thank You for big things and small.
Be sincere.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pour into cake pan;
Bake for many years.
Adjust the temperature as needed.
Let cool and enjoy!

I Am

I am 
A child of the most high God,
Precious in His sight,
The apple of His eye.
I am not my failures or the sins committed against me.

I am 
Bought with a price,
All of my sins forgiven,
Destined to live forever.
I am not my achievements or good reputation.

I am 
Part of God's family,
Blessed with spiritual gifts,
That others may be built up.
I am not my natural talents or physical attributes.

I am 
Made in God's image,
Fearfully and wonderfully made, 
Secure in His unconditional love. 
I am not the good or bad opinion of others.

I am not 
The clothes I wear,
The degrees on my wall,
Or the number in my bank account.
I am complete in Christ. 

One Year

In the time of one year, 
God poured His Spirit on me, 
Healing, pruning,
His image bloomed in me.

In the time of four seasons
God gave me new tools,
New truths, new attitudes,
His image bloomed in me. 

In the time of one turn around the sun,
God gave me new friends,
A sponsor, an accountability partner,
His image bloomed in me.

In the time of 12 moons, 
God gave me greater freedom,
Restored joy, renewed hope. 
His image bloomed in me. 

In the time of two birthdays, 
God gave me a greater love,
Love for Him, love for others,
His image bloomed in me. 

Thank You Lord for an incredible year!

Blessed

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

Who desire to be emptied of self-importance,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn,

Who grieve all things that impede spiritual growth,

For they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

Who are unwaveringly loyal and unconditionally submitted to Christ,

For they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

Whose supreme desire is to be obedient to God and know Him better,

For they will be filled.

Blessed  are the merciful,

Who forgive and give love when there is no reason to,

For they shall be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

Who have unmixed loyalty to God in their thoughts and emotions,

For they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

Who strive to bridge gaps and heal breaches among men and with God,

For they will be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

Who are mistreated for the things they believe or the life that they live,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Brody Manning: Sunshine At Night

I wrote this poem in honor of Brody Manning, who went home to be with the Lord on June 15,2012 at the tender age of 17 months old. 


Brody Manning:
Sunshine at Night

Brody's Sparkling Blue Eyes,
His Captivating Smile,
God gave us Sunshine at night.

Brody's Trusting Embrace,
His wholehearted laughter.
God gave us sunshine at night. 

Brody's Quick scampering feet,
His inquisitive spirit.
God gave us sunshine at night. 

Sunshine at night,
Beaming bright in the dark,
Precious Brody Manning,
God's gift of light.

Mother Wound

Mother Wound
The mother wound strikes deep
Deep to the heart and soul
Deep to crush the spirit. 

The mother wound Internally bleeds
Bleeds insecurity and despair,
Bleeds worthlessness and fear

The mother wound leaves scars
Scars that understand the pain of others
Scars that bring passion to love well

The mother wound is not God's plan,
Plan for a hope and a future,
Plan to treasure and hold precious.

The mother wound needs time, 
Time to heal through love from others
Time to forgive when others fall short. 

Worship: Let My Words Be Few

A Perspective on Worship:
Let My Words Be Few

I will worship in the truth;
You are God; I am not,
You're on the throne; I am on earth,
You're the Creator, I am the created.
Or let my words be few.

I will worship with a worthy response;
I stand in awe,
Dance undignified, 
Raise my hands and voice,
Or let my words be few.

I will worship with an unwavering heart;
I give my time and energy to your word,
Seek to walk in your ways,
Love You with all my heart.
Or let my words be few. 

God

God's face...

I see anger, impatience and annoyance.

He says, "That is not Me;

I am loving, patient and full of compassion."

God's voice...

I hear criticism, condemnation and rage.

He says, "That is not Me;

I speak forgiveness, encouragement and abundant grace."

God's touch...

I feel afraid, ashamed, rejected

He says, "That is not Me;

My touch brings peace, comfort and complete acceptance."

God's face, voice and touch,

They are like no other.

I see Him, hear Him and feel Him;

And I am whole.

Jesus is Faithful

Others may lie to you,

Breaking trust and security.

But He tells you the truth;

Jesus is Faithful.

Others may make empty promises,

Choking your expectation and hope.

But He does that which He said;

Jesus is Faithful.

Others may ignore your needs,

Bringing worthlessness and neglect.

But He comes to your aid;

Jesus is Faithful.

Others may cut you with their words,

Wounding your heart and soul.

But He lifts you up;

Jesus is Faithful.

Others may take your possessions,

Invading the places you thought safe.

But He gives you heavenly treasures;

Jesus is Faithful.

Someone may even steal your innocence,

Bringing confusion and shame.

But He restores all things;

Jesus is Faithful.

Papa

Trust me.

I keep every promise I make,

And I am never late.

I am your Papa.

Confide in me.

I understand your pain,

And I will heal you.

I am your Papa.

Ask of me.

I will show you the way through your struggles,

And lead you on straight paths.

I am your Papa.

Stay with me.

I am with you always,

And will never leave you.

I am your Papa.

Receive from me.

I own the whole world,

And I meet all your needs.

I am your Papa.

Lean on me.

I am your strength in weakness,

And I have defeated your enemy.

I am your Papa.

Trust, Confide, Ask,

Stay, Receive and Lean,

And I will deliver.

I am your Papa.

It is Finished

To prove my worth I tried,

To be perfect,

To be smart,

To be pretty,

To be witty,

To be a model Christian,

Pleasing and serving others.

But now,

It Is Finished.

Christ did the perfect work

To prove my worth.

In Him,

I am perfect,

I am wise,

I am accepted,

I am beautiful,

I am of great worth.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Jesus

Jesus is the Commander in Chief.

Enemies flee from Him,

Opening prison doors,

Setting captives free.

Jesus is the Pure, Living Water.

He quenches your deepest thirsts,

Leaving you refreshed, whole and secure.

Jesus is the Powerful Doctor.

He heals broken hearts and bodies,

And even raises the dead.

Jesus is the Best Teacher.

He explains the secrets of life,

And gives insight into your pain.

Jesus is the Shrewd Broker.

He exchanges beauty for ashes,

Joy for mourning,

And a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness.

Jesus is the Straight Shooter.

He boldly tells you the truth,

Giving warnings for the future.

Jesus is the Faithful Friend.

He prays for you daily,

And takes the blame for your wrongs.

Jesus is the Perfect Son.

He obeys His Father in all things,

Even to the point of death.

Jesus is all of these and more.

Will you trust Him?

Will you make Him your Lord?

The Closet

Darkness fills the closet.

My eyes open, but I see no exit.

Built and designed by my enemy,

Its walls are Fear and Insecurity.

Rejection and Shame pave its floor,

Lies shut its door.

One day, the door opens.

A LIGHT beckons.

He holds LOVE, ACCEPTANCE and FORGIVENESS,

"Come", he says, "Receive of my goodness."

I hesitate and doubt.

It's more natural to pout.

My enemy shuts the door,

That I see the LIGHT no more.

"These gifts are not for you.

They are for the new.

You are damaged goods,

To deserve them, you never could."

I take his words to heart.

Why should I get a new start?

Time and again the door opens.

To this LIGHT should I quicken?

One day He offers FREEDOM,

Another day He sets out HOPE.

I believe,

I rise to my feet.

I see His pierced hand stretched out.

It's LOVE, He is about.

I grab on to New Life,

To call Him Daddy is my right.

Never let go,

Defeated is my foe.

Never look back,

Nothing I now lack.

The Search for Security

Security, where are you?

A six figure salary?

A dream home?

Finding Mr. Right?

An excellent education?

A perfect fitting job?

Religion?

A fit and thin body?

Notoriety?

Praise and admiration?

Achievement?

A strong military?

Security answers,

"You will find counterfeits of me in these things.

But they are not lasting and will leave you in want."

"I reside in the Creator of all things.

He is the embodiment of all that I am.

I, Security, dwell in Christ."

"Come to Him and you will find me.

You will be satisfied and whole.

You will no longer fear,

You will no longer want."

The Shawl of Shame

The Shawl of Shame is knit with many threads:

Illegitimate birth,

Secrets kept,

Family rejection and disdain.

The Shawl is heavily adorned.

Sexual abuse keeps the Shawl in place,

Suffocating freedom and life,

Hiding the real person underneath.

Sexual sin and pride then tighten its fit,

Creating guilt and a desire to hide.

Darkness fills the future...

Then LOVE breaks through.

The perfect sacrifice lifts the Shawl.

Forgiveness and New Life are adorned in its place.

Followed by garments of Joy and Praise.

Freedom is now within reach.

God's purpose lived out,

God's name lifted up.

The Shawl of Shame adorns no more.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is power,

Power to move mountains of despair.

Forgiveness is freedom,

Freedom from from attachment to the offender.

Forgiveness is faith,

Faith to let God be the judge.

Forgiveness is maturity,

Maturity to understand the wisdom in letting go.

Forgiveness is strength,

Strength to get up again.

Forgiveness is healing,

Healing from deep wounds.

Forgiveness is life,

Life abundant that Jesus promised.

Weeping in the Night

Weeping may remain for a night,

But Christ brings joy in the morning.

Confusion may come in the darkness,

But understanding dawns with the new day.

Heartache may strike like a thief,

But healing breaks through by His touch.

Lonliness may linger for a season,

But comfort arrives in His presence.

Disillusionment may come in a moment,

But new dreams are born in the heart.

Anger may arise in a flash,

But forgiveness is found at the cross.

Trappings may come by another,

But freedom comes through the Son.

Fear may grip in the shadows,

But power comes by His light.

Sickness may strike in a moment,

But healing comes in His time.

Even death may pass through your doorway,

But life everlasting awaits on the other side.

Weeping may remain for a night,

But Christ brings joy in the morning.