tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097513492701388752024-02-07T03:36:41.311-05:00Eyes of FaithJerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-18003200331799732762014-04-06T15:22:00.003-04:002014-04-06T15:25:19.701-04:00Light Bearers<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I have wondered sometimes</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">If I have what it takes to be</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">One of God's light bearers</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In the world.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Jesus is the light of the world</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And we are ordained to be</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">His light, carrying life and love</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And telling the Good News.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I witnessed brilliant light r</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">eflected in the sunrise</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Over the gray-green ocean's vast horizon</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And in the colorful artwork in the sky</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">As the day faded in the sunset over the bay.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I heard the light, and not just saw it</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I heard it in the pouring out of souls</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Of both heartache and joys</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And I felt it in the ringing laughter</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The light is all around me</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Because it is not just in the loftiness</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Of the greatest things that can be accomplished,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">But it is in every single person and every ordinary moment.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I see the sparkling God-colors in the world</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I see it my world, in my space, in my backyard.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I see it globally, and in my own community.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I see it in my home and beyond it's walls.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I feel the light inside, the touch of the Holy</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And I know it is there for a purpose</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Not to be kept to myself, but to be shared</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">All I need is to take the leap of faith</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The light has overcome the darkness</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The light guides and nourishes and saves</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">The light comforts and compels and sustains</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And the light cannot be hidden.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Let Your Light Shine!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">“<i>Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the </i></span><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">God</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">-</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">colors</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> in the world. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">God</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">God</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">, this generous Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16 The Message</span></i></b>JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-88651634375173672652014-03-20T19:37:00.001-04:002014-04-10T10:06:23.132-04:00Telling Our StoriesThere is something so deeply personal<br />
About telling our stories<br />
Of our life, of our faith<br />
In growing even deeper on the path.<br />
<br />
We have an opportunity<br />
To see through a different view<br />
Of what others have carried<br />
In burdens and joyful trimuphs<br />
<br />
I love the openness and authenticity<br />
That telling our stories encourages--<br />
The way listening deeply<br />
Seems to stir something in our souls<br />
<br />
And allows God's glory<br />
To be shown to the world<br />
And, it seems, it helps us hear the melody<br />
And sing the song of our lives<br />
<br />
We speak of evangelizing<br />
But really it is telling our stories<br />
And understanding<br />
How God transforms our lives<br />
<br />
Telling our stories<br />
Helps us nudge each other along<br />
In this journey of faith<br />
Worshiping the One<br />
<br />
Who creates<br />
And knows<br />
And loves<br />
And sustains<br />
And shepherds<br />
And redeems.<br />
<br />
For eternity.JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-71089511954106196132014-03-08T09:58:00.002-05:002014-03-08T09:58:50.471-05:00Masks<img align="bottom" src="http://www.tekeme.com/eof/sig.jpg" />Maybe it is in the many hats we wear—<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Woman, wife, mother, friend, sister</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Worker, volunteer, leader, listener</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That we learn to wear masks sometimes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The “everything is fine” mask</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or the “I’ll smile even if it kills me” mask</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The “I feel like I could die, but I must grin and bear it”
mask</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The “anyone can do anything for a short time” mask</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And especially the “I’m just not good enough” mask</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But God knows something more about us</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Creator of our lives that knows</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our innermost being that He knit togehter,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who sees deeper than we can imagine</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And loves us in spite of ourselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our Creator, the One true God of the world</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And of our lives—Our Sustainer, Our Redeemer,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our Shepherd, Our Friend, Our Majestic God,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Beginning and the End.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And He is the One we are seeking</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He looks at our beat-up hearts and souls</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He takes in our choices and our mistakes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And He loves with His unending, unrestricted,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfathomable, unobstructed, unlimited love.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our masks don’t matter, but he tenderly, gently</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Asks us to let them fall away and see ourselves</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As He sees us…reflected in the light of His love</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the beauty with which He created us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And on this journey of faith</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He urges us to remember His love--</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To live in it, spread it, and widen it</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That unbelievable love..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love from the cross.</div>
JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-27996895672451618692014-03-06T07:57:00.000-05:002014-03-06T07:57:56.626-05:00EmptyingI enter Lent and look toward the cross<br />
And I know there is emptying to do--<br />
Emptying myself so I can be filled with the Spirit--<br />
With reflection, paying attention to attitudes and actions.<br />
<br />
What is required as I empty myself?<br />
Putting myself aside, certainly<br />
And awakening to the rhthyms and flow<br />
Of another's heart is needed on the journey.<br />
<br />
Always in Lent you draw me to see<br />
The parts of my heart that lie dormant<br />
The ways I become complacent or content<br />
When I need to be striving and alive in wonder<br />
<br />
Open my soul deeply to hear your voice<br />
As you whisper my name and move me<br />
Allowing the Spirit to flow within me,<br />
To draw me to the throne of grace. <br />
<br />
Give me a heart for introspection<br />
And let me see and hear.<br />
Create a humbe spirit within me<br />
And show me the ways to serve you<br />
<br />
Help me to love as You love<br />
And to offer Your heart of compassion<br />
Letting all pretenses fall away<br />
So that I am face to face<br />
<br />
With the One who knows me mostly deeply<br />
The One that shaped me and formed me<br />
Sculpted from nothing to something<br />
Everyday already prepared from the beginning<br />
<br />
Empty me so that I may be filled.JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-42616035724245206172014-03-05T13:34:00.001-05:002014-03-05T13:37:44.253-05:00Lenten Poem: A WATERED GARDEN<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Thinking about the journey to the cross and Jesus' time in the wilderness began my thoughts of our own wilderness, our own hunger and thirst for the Holy, the sacred.</span><br />
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6568715242673649150" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">The earth, still untilled </span></div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6568715242673649150" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 578px;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Surface layer hardened by winter</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Barren, brown and dry</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Brittle and broken stems</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Lifeless, dull, fruitless</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">But through the soil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">The tiller digs in deeply</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">And uproots the dried blossoms</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">And gives new life to what lay dormant</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Forcing its way through a winter crust</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Feel the blazing of bright sunlight</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">The warm wind blowing freely</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">The deep thirsting for rain</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">To bathe with refreshment</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Waiting, wanting, longing</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Sensing the approach of a rainstorm</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Hearing the wind and the thunder roar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Its rumbling drawing nearer</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Crack of lightning blazing the sky</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">And now just stillness...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">The air is heavy</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">And one raindrop falls</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Then another and another</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Tumbling down upon you...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Splashing and dancing and dribbling</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Through the openings of the soil</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Falling faster and faster</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">A steady pace now</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Trickling rivulets</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Sinking deep into all</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">The readied and prepared spaces</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">The watering refreshes</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">The newness invigorates</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">The roots deep within and new shoots</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Cleansed and purified, now flourishing</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">From wilderness to thriving</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">From emptiness to fullness</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">From bleakness to abundance</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">From death of resurrection</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">From despair to hope</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;"><br /></span></div>
JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-21494998966720704132014-01-07T07:48:00.002-05:002014-01-07T07:48:42.317-05:00WonderSometimes I forget to live in wonder--<div>
With amazed admiration and awe</div>
<div>
Of each breath we are given,</div>
<div>
Of each precious moment we live.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We walk through the Advent season</div>
<div>
And we reflect and introspect</div>
<div>
And we make room, open space</div>
<div>
For the gift of the Savior--</div>
<div>
Emmanuel, God with us.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And then we take the decorations down,</div>
<div>
And the parties stop, and life gets back</div>
<div>
To the normal routine in which </div>
<div>
We entered into the season.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But God keeps putting the gift of wonder</div>
<div>
In my heart -- that mystery of faith</div>
<div>
And I am filled with such gratitude</div>
<div>
For no matter the circumstance</div>
<div>
There is this sparkling wonder in every day.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And when I am attentive and awake</div>
<div>
When I am alive and thankful</div>
<div>
I can see God's fingerprints in everything</div>
<div>
To be on this journey is such an amazing gift.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am filled with awe when I recall</div>
<div>
All the abundance with which God has loved</div>
<div>
And all the ways that even on the darkest nights</div>
<div>
God never leaves, never abandons, never lets go.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Let me live each day looking for the wonder</div>
<div>
Let me trade in my worry for wonder</div>
<div>
Let me turn my despair into hope</div>
<div>
Let me see even in the dark the amazing light ahead</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For Christ has come</div>
<div>
In glory and in wonder.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-79192130394556459032013-12-25T09:00:00.001-05:002013-12-25T09:00:27.970-05:00Gift of a Savior<div class="MsoNormal">
May the journey to Bethlehem</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have the power to change us –</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our perspective, our actions, our hearts</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the wondrous Gift is given</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If Christ is in us</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are we welcoming each one we encounter</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the same reverence and honor</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With which we approach the holy manger</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a world around us that is broken</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do we carry the hope with us</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That we know to be true </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through the Savior born to save us</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do we carry an abundant joy within our souls</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that we are carrying the news of the Light</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Into to a world that was as dark as night</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reflecting and illuminating the True Light</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gift of a Savior</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Softened heart, renewed spirit</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Love for all, joy abounding</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hope has come, spread the word.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Emanuel, God with us.</div>
JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-70423102910233580662013-12-21T09:02:00.001-05:002013-12-21T09:02:35.695-05:00Advent ReflectionThe journey to Bethlehem is filled<br />
With so many thoughts about preparation<br />
Is everything ready? Are the decorations hung?<br />
Are the cookies made? Are the presents wrapped?<br />
<br />
Yet my reflection leads me to knowing something more<br />
Is the depth of my soul ready to receive my King?<br />
Have I looked in deeply? Have I softened my heart?<br />
Do I have a generous spirit? Is His joy the melody I carry?<br />
<br />
For when I take the time and relish a quiet moment<br />
And give myself in prayer, do I truly surrender?<br />
To the One who comes? To the Savior of the world?<br />
To the Savior of my heart and life?<br />
<br />
If we are preparing to see the King<br />
We might think of our ouside appearance<br />
Do we look presentable enough? Is our hair just right?<br />
But Our King cares enough to know our hearts<br />
And He invites us to come as we are<br />
<br />
How humbly He comes, this Savior of the world<br />
He comes to lift our burdens and look into our eyes<br />
He comes to wipe away the tears and never leave us<br />
He comes to save a world that needs rescue<br />
<br />
Are you ready?JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-31783467301434291312013-12-09T07:59:00.000-05:002013-12-09T07:59:30.944-05:00Making SpaceIn Advent I am called more deeply<div>
To a sense of attentiveness</div>
<div>
To the world around me</div>
<div>
And the soul inside me</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
No matter where I am on my journey</div>
<div>
God shows me new things with new eyes</div>
<div>
In the waiting there are so many gifts to behold</div>
<div>
And in my life of prayer and contemplation</div>
<div>
I am called to draw in deeper</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When I can settle into the peace</div>
<div>
And let go of the busyness of the season</div>
<div>
There are gifts in the reflection</div>
<div>
That allow me to see, to notice, to awake</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In each Advent season, it seems</div>
<div>
I need to make space in a new way</div>
<div>
To reflect, renew, restore</div>
<div>
So that I am ready to be led</div>
<div>
By that little Child</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What is familiar becomes new again</div>
<div>
The singing of the hymns resound in my soul</div>
<div>
The reading of the texts are understood in a new way</div>
<div>
And there is an illumination of what is coming</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But it requires silence and thought</div>
<div>
Not rushing through the days</div>
<div>
Not running to Bethlehem</div>
<div>
But putting one step in front of the other</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Being aware of the journey</div>
<div>
In the waiting. In the reflecting.</div>
<div>
In the attentiveness in my heart</div>
<div>
In the opening of my soul.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-29848943360530336992013-11-26T07:28:00.000-05:002013-11-26T07:28:23.501-05:00Touching What Is HolyI can touch what is holy<br />
And it is around me at every moment<br />
For it is a natural course:<br />
Loving ourselves, loving others<br />
But also being deeply and profoundly<br />
Loved by God.<br />
<br />
Beloved.<br />
<br />
"The kingdom of God is within you."<br />
When I really concentrate on that love<br />
That love that is so encompassing<br />
That love that is so abundant<br />
I am left in awe. <br />
<br />
Allow me to be grateful enough<br />
To be trusting enough<br />
To accept this God-given grace<br />
Because I then see and can embrace<br />
Creation alive within each me and others.<br />
<br />
With age comes greater gifts:<br />
I long for simplicity and humility<br />
I am not caught up with measuring up<br />
At least not by the world's stndard<br />
<br />
I have a greater gift now<br />
In my ordinariness there is<br />
A deep need for vulnerability<br />
For breaking myself wide open<br />
<br />
To embrace all that I can be<br />
All that I can learn<br />
All the ways I can serve<br />
When I listen to that<br />
Still small voice within.<br />
<br />
Beloved.JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-71141290664827681892013-11-01T07:55:00.001-04:002013-11-01T07:55:26.696-04:00Crossing the BridgeI find that I can't cross a bridge<br />
Just watching from the other side<br />
I need to take a leap of faith<br />
And take one step at a time<br />
To being the journey.<br />
<br />
Pressing on, moving ahead<br />
Requires faith and bit of courage<br />
<br />
But crossing the bridge<br />
Moving from despair to hope<br />
Is worth the peservance<br />
To get to the other side<br />
<br />
Life is indeed a journey<br />
There dreams to dream<br />
And a life to live<br />
And wisdom to gain<br />
<br />
And at the center of it<br />
Is love to be shared<br />
Through a heart of faith<br />
Wth fortitude and strength<br />
<br />
Crossing the bridge means<br />
Forgiveness<br />
Awareness<br />
Awakening<br />
Understanding<br />
Freedom<br />
Healing<br />
<br />
To get to all you are becoming<br />
And the life that's unfolding<br />
At every moment.<br />
<br />
Reach out your hand<br />
Take the first step<br />
Move the first stone<br />
Cross the bridge<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-46151810989496862362013-07-11T11:42:00.000-04:002013-07-11T11:42:05.367-04:00A Different LensIf I just take a moment not just to look<br />
But to really see through a different lens<br />
I see new colors, no longer faded but vivid<br />
I notice something different, because I am different<br />
<br />
The world is not just black and white<br />
But so many different hues and shades<br />
And sometimes I think something should be my way<br />
But taking the time for a different view brings light<br />
<br />
When I put aside judgements or preconceptions<br />
And just live for this precious moment I'm given<br />
I can let go of things that hold me back<br />
And have the courage to see in a new way<br />
<br />
The old has passed away, the new has come<br />
And there is precious grace in that knowledge<br />
That letting go means beginning again<br />
And taking a leap of faith<br />
<br />
And seeing. In a new light.<br />
<br />
Just by changing the lens.<br />
<br />
<br />JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-21726391656640688572013-06-25T07:48:00.002-04:002013-06-25T07:48:24.531-04:00CourageWhat does it take to be courageous?<br />
Not afraid of danger or pain, I am told<br />
I wonder if there is anything<br />
Courageous within me.<br />
<br />
But the examples are all around<br />
In physical strength<br />
And changed lives<br />
In new perspective...<br />
Even my own.<br />
<br />
And I have been faced<br />
Through suffering<br />
With those that show me<br />
Day by day<br />
How they trying to get it right.<br />
<br />
One breath, one step<br />
In front of the other<br />
Trying and striving<br />
And leaning on the One<br />
Who has saved us.<br />
<br />
Lost and then found<br />
Suffering and then healing<br />
On death's door, and now alive<br />
The old has passed away,<br />
the new has come.<br />
<br />
Courage.<br />
<br />
"Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up. Expect God to get here soon." (Ps 31:24)<br />
JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-10694213442589479352013-06-08T08:36:00.001-04:002013-06-08T08:36:22.676-04:00Letting GoIt is amazing when you<br />
<div>
Have the courage to let go</div>
<div>
Of the things that have held you</div>
<div>
Like a bird in soaring freedom</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So many times</div>
<div>
I have thought there were</div>
<div>
Choices that belonged to me</div>
<div>
But they were for others to make</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And there is freedom in knowing</div>
<div>
It is not in the rescuing </div>
<div>
Or sweeping in and fixing</div>
<div>
But in one thing that matters: loving</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Not loving based on good works</div>
<div>
Loving unconditionally,</div>
<div>
No matter the circumstance</div>
<div>
Or whether I thought choices of others</div>
<div>
Were the best ones.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because I can only choose</div>
<div>
What is mine to choose--</div>
<div>
And I am learning </div>
<div>
To let my judgements</div>
<div>
Go by the wayside. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And when I heal,</div>
<div>
What I know is that</div>
<div>
I am learning how not to react</div>
<div>
But rather, respond, with love</div>
<div>
And THAT choice is mine:</div>
<div>
How to respond to the circumstance.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And when I can see that growth</div>
<div>
I know for sure</div>
<div>
God is leading me</div>
<div>
Changing me</div>
<div>
Growing me</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Every day.</div>
<div>
One day at a time.</div>
JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-13150899012783970632013-05-09T13:17:00.001-04:002013-05-09T13:18:12.442-04:00On the Gifts of Being a MotherWhen I first became a mother<br />
There was only one thing I wanted to be: Perfect<br />
And I must say, looking back, I was far from that<br />
But with God as my foundation the adventure<br />
Was and is the most glorious part of my life.<br />
<br />
I can't begin to express how being mother<br />
Formed me into the person God created<br />
It took a great deal of love first and foremost<br />
Something most would say I'm good at.<br />
<br />
But my greatest lessons as a mother<br />
Came out of the struggle and the sacrifice<br />
They are those moments that still<br />
Sparkle in my memory.<br />
<br />
Being a mother takes courage<br />
Being a mother takes perseverance<br />
Being a mother takes wisdom<br />
Being a mother takes gentleness<br />
<br />
And it also took a great deal<br />
Of baseball practice and fishing<br />
Of hockey games and reading<br />
Of creativity and immense adventure<br />
An amazing heaping of concern maybe<br />
But a bigger dose of joy and laughter<br />
<br />
When I became a single parent<br />
I thought I had to be everything to everyone<br />
And that took me down such a difficult path<br />
Now I know I am only myself.<br />
<br />
But when I look back to the joys<br />
And to the heartaches<br />
I see all the good that came<br />
I think mothers are a priceless jewel<br />
<br />
And the thing of it is that we are<br />
As different as the colors of the rainbow<br />
But we are all doing Kingdom work<br />
Raising up the next generation<br />
<br />
And by God's grace<br />
Maybe these children in our care<br />
Can see our faithfulness and love<br />
Our hope and dreams for a bright future.<br />
<br />
Because we have been pursued<br />
By a God that will never let us go<br />
Will never leave us alone<br />
Will never forsake us<br />
<br />
And we are planting seeds.<br />
For the Kingdom.JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-62437482523716316202013-04-25T07:44:00.000-04:002013-04-25T07:44:27.672-04:00Finding Solace...EverywhereThe rush of the city, the honking of taxicabs<br />
People hurrying by, pushing through<br />
And the distinctive sounds ring in my ear<br />
And the wafting smells of the city rise<br />
<br />
It is a dichotomy of sorts<br />
This girl who grew up on the farm<br />
Who by all accounts is quiet and introspective<br />
And longs for the slow, sunshine filled days<br />
<br />
I think of all the ways my Spirit has taught me<br />
That my soul needs rest and to find solace<br />
Because it is there--at the throne of grace<br />
That I can listen, and hear and be.<br />
<br />
Yet, I laugh at the surprise of knowing<br />
Even in the city with all its busyness<br />
I find the solace, the peace, the serenity<br />
I am looking out on a new day<br />
With the sparklin sun rising up over<br />
The Brooklyn Bridge--an exquisite sight.<br />
<br />
And even in the chaos that is around<br />
I found a chapel and I retreat there sometimes<br />
To their noontime vespers to settle and quiet<br />
And meet the One who created me and sustains me<br />
And holds me, even when the world is clamoring<br />
<br />
The chapel houses a beautiful labyrinth<br />
And I find myself almost running there<br />
So I get to the peace, commune with the Holy<br />
For that is where I find the source of my life<br />
<br />
And now I find that it isn't about running away<br />
Or finding the silence of the chapel so much<br />
But quieting my soul, and practicing Sabbath<br />
Learning to expereince Resurrection.JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-9709296886370079132013-04-19T08:35:00.002-04:002013-04-19T08:35:49.528-04:00Mystery of LoveIt is a great mystery<br />
When I think of the way I am loved<br />
Deeper than oceans and higher<br />
Than the highest mountain.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I forget<br />
Or I wander trying to find love<br />
But am I always brought back<br />
To the one who loves me most.<br />
<br />
For the one who created me,<br />
The one that pursues constantly,<br />
The one that molded me<br />
And the one that sustains me<br />
Is the whose love I want and need.<br />
<br />
No matter what I do<br />
No matter how far I run<br />
I am consumed with that love<br />
And now I can say for sure,<br />
I feel that love in the bottom of my soul.<br />
<br />
And the question is:<br />
How do I show that love back<br />
to the One who loves me most?<br />
How can I be faithful enough?<br />
How can I be transformed enough?<br />
How can I be all I was made to be?<br />
<br />
Only with an open heart<br />
Only in obedience<br />
Only with all that I am.JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-44052586577237952252013-03-13T08:05:00.003-04:002013-03-13T08:05:46.659-04:00OPEN VESSEL<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Mystery of faith, transformer of life</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">
You have descended, Spirit of the Living God<br />Shaping my soul, awakening my core<br />Creating the path, leading me on.<br /><br />Astounded that I see gifts I never possessed<br />Welling up inside so fearlessly and boldly<br />Tearing down the walls I had built up<br />Making what was broken, whole.<br /><br />My cup of life that had seemed<br />Broken, flawed and damaged<br />My perception, not Yours<br />Perfection never the goal<br />But my humanness, formed by You<br /><br />You have given all for me<br />As witnessed by the gift of the cross<br />But have I received—really received<br />And surrendered all I am back to you?<br /><br />Accepting the forming of my soul<br />This developing, slow growth inside<br />Instead of my anxious control<br />Embracing Your grace, my humanness<br />Rejoicing in the gift of the Spirit<br /><br />Cherishing the unsolicited<br />As offerings of your design<br />the unknown<br />To treasure the unfulfilled<br /><br />Learning to love the flaws<br />And sure now of their purpose<br />As I let go in gratefulness<br />To be used for your glory.<br /><br />Finally, an open vessel.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-45583466721611514142013-03-11T09:51:00.002-04:002013-03-11T09:51:45.456-04:00Little SolitudesThis morning when I take a little solitude<br />
I am so aware that my loneliness<br />
Has dissipated because in this silence<br />
The solitude I find is in You.<br />
<br />
I sit on the deck before the sun is up<br />
And I overlook a small patch of woods<br />
The birds are chirping<br />
And squirrels are already climbing<br />
<br />
I love finding you here<br />
And I am so aware<br />
That you constantly pursue me<br />
And I need these solitudes<br />
<br />
For in these small moments<br />
Even if the world is busy around<br />
I find in the inner life the solace<br />
That teaches me about listening.<br />
<br />
I listen for the rhythms of life<br />
And listen for the whispers in my heart<br />
And the way you direct my path<br />
And for the one true voice I need.<br />
<br />
In these solitudes<br />
I find peace in resting in You<br />
I find love that envelops me<br />
I find hope that pushes me on.<br />
<br />
All found<br />
by resting in You.<br />
<br />JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-90196225736893131792013-03-04T19:40:00.000-05:002013-03-04T19:40:01.785-05:00Creative ListeningHow attentive am I?<br />
To the world that is around me?<br />
Do I desire to know each person<br />
And see where the Holy is at work in you?<br />
<br />
It is only in listening--to both what is said<br />
And many times to what is not said<br />
To the perspective and glimpses I hear<br />
That teach me to listen to my life.<br />
<br />
For my life is not about me<br />
But about all I encounter and experience<br />
About each sacred moment I am giving<br />
And how see Christ's movement in it<br />
<br />
My eyes need to be wide open to the world<br />
And my heart needs to hold that openness too<br />
For I need to pay attention to the path<br />
To the touch, the smile, the whisper I encounter<br />
<br />
Let me "Be Still and Know that I am God"<br />
And recognize the solace and serenity<br />
That I am given as a gift<br />
And find You in the solace.JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-51211376069014109352013-02-18T09:12:00.002-05:002013-02-18T09:12:56.816-05:00Running the Race<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run</span><sup class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30214A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> with perseverance</span><sup class="crossreference" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30214B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:11</span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>We want to run the race of life</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>And we want to run it well</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>With goodness and perseverance</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>So we can hear the welcoming words, </b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>"Well done, good and faithful servant."</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>And we are engaged in running that race.</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b><br /></b></span></i>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>But sometimes we're a world that runs a different race</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Runninghere, running there, do this, don't forget that</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>A frantic pace, fitting all we can into our days</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>And sometimes forgetting the gift of solace.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>And as Easter people</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Don't we want to run up ahead?</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Let's get to the joy</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Let's move beyond the cross,</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>to resurrection.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>But Lent calls us to do something so different--</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>To fall on our knees, to stop and to sit in silence</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>To just be, spending time in solitude and quiet</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Learning to truly be still and listen intently</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>And to think about the cross and what it means</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>God gives us the courage to look deeply inside</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>And longs for us to give our extravagant attention</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>And sit in the gift of communion He gives.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>To </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Explore</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Observe</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Consider</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Transform.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>A journey worthy of the cross.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-41594374984888830192013-02-17T07:52:00.002-05:002013-02-17T07:53:55.209-05:00WonderLet us live in wonder<br />
Allowing our faith stories to take hold<br />
Reminding us to learn to live the Word<br />
Within our hearts and in community<br />
<br />
Let us live in wonder<br />
Of your amazing love<br />
As we mediate on Jesus' teachings<br />
And His sacrifice for our sins<br />
<br />
Let us live in wonder<br />
As we see ourselves<br />
In the cast of characters<br />
Of those who loved Him,<br />
Who rejected Him,<br />
Who betrayed,<br />
Who put Him to death.<br />
<br />
Let us live in wonder<br />
Because through this journey<br />
We know that Resurreciton comes.<br />
Intensify our need to strive to be<br />
"Christ in You"<br />
<br />
Let us live in wonder<br />
That by recalling and understanding<br />
Our own flaws and darkness<br />
We live in the amazing, unconditional love<br />
That only our Creator gives.<br />
<br />
Let us live in wonder<br />
For our Maker<br />
Our Sustainer<br />
Our Shepherd<br />
Our Friend<br />
Our Redeemer<br />
<br />
The lover of our souls.<br />
<br />JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-29648869058831068102013-02-16T12:50:00.000-05:002013-02-16T12:50:35.732-05:00My Heart GardenIn my mind's eye, I can see them--<br />
The amazing and brilliant<br />
Flower gardens<br />
On the family farm where I grew up.<br />
<br />
I can remember my mother's<br />
Joy in working on them<br />
In planting the new flowers<br />
And weeding so they would flourish<br />
<br />
Or the Mother's Day<br />
That my sisters and I planted<br />
A whole new garden of annuals as a surprise<br />
In the rock garden that was shaped like a heart.<br />
<br />
And I think about the lushness of those gardens<br />
How my mother would teach us the names of the flowers<br />
And how the pinks and purples and hues of orange and red<br />
Would grace those gardens, bringing so much beauty and joy<br />
<br />
And that's the gift of Lent--<br />
What is broken and what needs restoring<br />
Can turn from winter into spring<br />
As the earth breathes new life<br />
<br />
And slowly what is dull and lifeless<br />
Becomes vibrant and colorful<br />
For the soil has been nurtured<br />
And there is a resurrection song<br />
<br />
But we are on the journey<br />
Reflecting and examining and changing<br />
Growing somehow the garden<br />
Of our hearts and souls.<br />
<br />
Journey On.JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-81542900888253338292013-02-15T07:35:00.001-05:002013-02-15T07:35:20.284-05:00ListeningAs I walk the Lenten journey<br />
Help me to examine myself<br />
With introspection, let me see my soul<br />
And open me to your transformation.<br />
<br />
More than that, help me to listen--<br />
To listen with ears of faith<br />
To listen not to just what is said<br />
But what is left unspoken<br />
<br />
Keep my eyes focused on You<br />
And keep my heart focused on hope<br />
As you do the work in me to draw me<br />
Ever closer to Your throne of grace.<br />
<br />
Let me listen to the cries of the world<br />
And teach me how to respond in loving compassion<br />
And let me not be quick with my words<br />
But thoughtful, taking in all that I am hearing<br />
<br />
Let me listen for seeds of promise<br />
To the earth and all its life<br />
To hearts of others that dream<br />
Let me listen for hope and healing.<br />
<br />
Let me learn that solitude<br />
Is a gracious of gift<br />
Of sitting with you in silence<br />
And being wrapped in your generous love.<br />
<br />
Teach me how to listen.JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509751349270138875.post-25612277996032913872013-02-14T07:54:00.002-05:002013-02-14T07:54:24.789-05:00A Watered Garden<i>A friend of mine kept a Lenten poem I had written a couple of years ago, and asked if I could share again during this Lenten season.</i><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://eyesandheartoffaith.blogspot.com/2009/03/lenten-poem-watered-garden.html" style="color: #3244ff; text-decoration: initial;">Lenten Poem: A WATERED GARDEN</a></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Thinking about the journey to the cross and Jesus' time in the wilderness began my thoughts of our own wilderness, our own hunger and thirst for the Holy, the sacred.</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br />The earth, still untilled</div>
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Surface layer hardened by winter<br />Barren, brown and dry<br />Brittle and broken stems<br />Lifeless, dull, fruitless<br /><br /><span style="line-height: 1.4;">But through the soil</span><br />The tiller digs in deeply<br />And uproots the dried blossoms<br />And gives new life to what lay dormant<br />Forcing its way through a winter crust<br /><br />Feel the blazing of bright sunlight<br />The warm wind blowing freely<br />The deep thirsting for rain<br />To bathe with refreshment<br />Waiting, wanting, longing<br /><br />Sensing the approach of a rainstorm<br />Hearing the wind and the thunder roar<br />Its rumbling drawing nearer<br />Crack of lightning blazing the sky<br /><br />And now just stillness...<br />The air is heavy<br />And one raindrop falls<br />Then another and another<br />Tumbling down upon you...<br />Splashing and dancing and dribbling<br /><br /><span style="line-height: 1.4;">Through the openings of the soil</span><br />Falling faster and faster<br />A steady pace now<br />Trickling rivulets<br />Sinking deep into all<br />The readied and prepared spaces<br /><br /><span style="line-height: 1.4;">The watering refreshes</span><br />The newness invigorates<br />The roots deep within and new shoots<br />Cleansed and purified, now flourishing<br /><br /><span style="line-height: 1.4;">From wilderness to thriving</span><br />From emptiness to fullness<br />From bleakness to abundance<br />From death of resurrection<br />From despair to hope</div>
JerryLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109347438890891110noreply@blogger.com0