Monday, December 15, 2014

Hope. Peace. Joy.

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! And a Happy New Year. 

Now I don't want to be Johnny Rain-cloud here, but I was thinking: what would it be like to receive the news that you have some sort of terminal illness? What would be your first reaction? Would it be a reaction of sadness, anger, dismay, or even confusion? 

Trust me...I am NOT a morbid person. I was just watching the movie God's Not Dead and there is a character in there who receives this very same news. She is told that she has terminal cancer. Her reaction is one of shock (at first). But then her life takes a twist for the worst and she comes undone: she rages and screams in her room one night against this terrible fate dealt to her.  

I can only imagine what that must feel like--to rage and fight against fate itself...and ultimately against God. This person's reaction seems pretty normal. 

This seems like a frightening experience; to be filled with such uncertainty and hopelessness. The world, as this character view it, is dead: there is nothing to live for and there is nothing to die for. Life is filled with darkness and despair--neither of which seem to have a purpose. 

In some way, I guess you could say that I have been feeling a little under the weather. The subject of death doesn't haunt me; rather, the evil in the world is constantly at the back of my mind. 

I see things that shouldn't be happening; Christians being mercilessly beheaded, lies being spread, bombs detonating, disease spreading, and evil prospering. 

However, this time of year (Christmas) always reminds me that there is HOPE. There is PEACE. And there is JOY to be found. These things can't be found in the world.

In the darkest of hours on earth, a light emerges. 
This light is the reason for Christmas.
This light has a name. 
This light is CHRIST.

Consider the lyrics to the following Christmas carol: O Come O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.


May this song bring you hope, peace, and joy this year and the following year. 
May the hope of Christ take root in your life. 
May the peace of the Father dry your tears. 
May the joy of Christ's birth rejuvenate you. 



Cheers. 

Friday, October 17, 2014

Loving

Heart throbbing
Head pounding
Mind bending
Love. 

Head spinning
Mind racing
Time ending
Love.

Hope soaring
Faith growing
Frame craving
Love.

Knees shaking
Skin sweating
Lips daring
Love.

Gift expecting
Life accepting
Life rejecting
Love.

Soul breaking
Head bowing
Hands clasping
Love. 

No crying
No mourning
No pining
Love.

Time halting
Year stopping
Age growing
Love. 

Sleep silencing
Dream deepening
Night beckoning
Love.


Cheers.

that love



i run the blade across my skin
and hope that death may bear my bones
our love was something that had been
and now that feeling is as stone


that love the sun could not outshine 
the moon itself could not endure
my mind the thought of you outlines
but scarce can take it for a cure


to die in love is not much lost
but life without is not much gain
to feel the bitter bite of frost
is better than false love attained



To earth I give my last goodbye
To you I let my love defy. 



Cheers. 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

The Sun

I watch her rise above the moon 
With precious warmth so bright, 
That golden lady robed in light 
With flames' surrounding flight 
She stoops to kiss the earth so round. 
The leaves with dew so wet 
Do shimmer in her light 
She looks to Him who did beget 
Her feet dare tread the softest earth, 
Those feet that light the way. 
Her burning flames that light the world 
All man can do is pray. 
Cheers.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Eyes Wide Open


What's a body to do? 
We search the world for meaning 
But come up empty handed. 
We reach blindly for something to grasp
But there is nothing to hold onto
Because we aren't searching in the right place. 
The universe seems to be darker than a bottomless pit. 
But that's because our eyes are closed:
We can't see the Sun illuminating the world
And chasing away the shadows of the night. 
The only night exists in our nightmares
We don't wish to see the light, 
So we cover our eyes
And therefore stumble blindly
Through ground that was meant to be walked upon with open eyes
When we fall, we blame it on foul play
But we have no one to blame but ourselves; 
The path is illuminated by the Son, 
But we don't bother to open our eyes. 
When the Sun shines brighter
And our tears spill over, 
Only then do we open our eyes. 
We find that dear thing which we were looking for;
Salvation and the meaning to life. 
With purpose, meaning, and the Son leading the way, 
We falter less
And stumble little. 
The thorns are still sharp
And the rocks are still hard, 
But we can see where we're going; 
We're going Home to be with the Son. 


Cheers. 

Here's to Another Year of Being Alive


As the weather changes from the balmy heat of the sweet summer of 2014 to the frost autumn of 2014, may our hearts be warmed by the enticing scent of pumpkin spice and warm coffee latte's. May memories flood our minds and make us never want to leave the warm colors of autumn. May the leaves display their vibrant hues of red, gold, and orange. May laughter hang in the air like the smell of cinnamon. May smiles be contagious. May friendships be kindled and rekindled over cups of steaming hot cocoa. May loved ones never be forgotten. May no one go without a friend this autumn. May God's grace fill us every day. May tomorrow be a new day with no mistakes in it.

Well, here's to another school year. May this one be the best 2014-2015 we will ever have.
Cheers.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Helpful and Not-So-Helpful Cures

It never ceases to amaze me how many different ways there are to hide from painful memories or uncomfortable situations. It's gotten to the point to where I say to myself: (1) I should like to try that myself, or (2) what the HECK are they thinking?
The following is a pithy list of things people do to escape what the experts call "reality" ":

1. BECOME OBSESSED WITH FAN-FICTION. This is the worst one because people think that they are escaping "reality," but what they don't realize is that they are subconsciously trading one sad reality for another one. All this accomplishes is making the person crippled by the fact that they cannot live within the alternate reality of their imagination. TRUST ME; I've tried doing this, and it doesn't turn out well for anyone. 
2. GO CRAY-CRAY FOR FASHION. This one is pretty interesting, considering that it's a win-win-lose (you win because you look good, others win because they get to see something aesthetically pleasing, and you lose because you could possibly become a self-absorbed prude). Again, I've tried this one. However, the problem with this one is that it allows people to become SO self-focused. (But, then again, it IS pretty fun).
3. WORK OUT. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we have a real winner here! This one is the REAL DEAL: there are so many benefits to doing this. It takes your mind off of things, gets your body in shape, makes you feel good, and lets some steam loose.
4. DIVULGE IN EATING FOOD. Don't get me wrong; eating food is GREAT! (I do it every day) But I think that, if the food isn't healthy, this could possibly be a lose-lose situation (a lose for you because you will slow down and consume too many calories, and a lose for others because it sets a terrible example). But this can be a good thing if you  need to GAIN weight! Just don't make it a habit and you'll be chipper.
5. WATCHING COUNTLESS HOURS OF T.V. In our day and age, T.V. is almost heaven-sent. However, some people abuse the power of the remote. If this works for you, well...GREAT! But I, personally wouldn't do it because sitting on your backside for hours on end isn't exactly a productive use of your time.
6. GETTING ON YOUR KNEES AND PRAYING FOR 5 MINUTES. This, by far, is the best cure for a sore heart and a mind that's drowning in thoughts. The key to this one is CONFESSING ANY SIN in your life, then POURING OUT your heart to God and lastly, the most important thing to do is to LISTEN. If you pray for peace, you will find yourself no longer in angst.


I'm sure that there are many more ways to "cure" soulful aches and pains, however, I only wrote down the most relevant ones in my life (the ones that I've tried). There are lots more that I know of that I could write down, but for the sake of my privacy and out of consideration for my viewers, I have not written them down.
Just remember that #6 is by far the most important one! Take it to heart and actually DO IT!

Cheers.