Life and Death

When They See Us

(Dedicated to the Central Park Five)

When they see us

They see our black

In our black…

They see worthless

They see bad

They see no good

They see unintelligible

They see dispensable

They fail to see a happy bright shining star

They fail to see us for who we really are

It’s not what they see

It’s what they are filled with…hatred

When they act on what they feel rather than look deep and really see

The light in the shining star begins to fade

And we cease to be who we really are

Our outlook turns to despair

And where we’re going turns out to be nowhere

When things get tough and hard

And we’re thrust into a world full of anger and void

Just hold on and look up

There is always the grace of God

He dwells with us in our terrible place—sets things in order

And cause His love and mercy to shine on our face

Righteousness is delivered to us on a silver platter

And in His eyes—what they see when they see us

…doesn’t really matter

His Words

I learned through experience that His Word is written on the tablet of my heart...

When I stopped reading and studying in anger and asked Him to wipe away everything I knew about the word and especially man’s interpretation that had infiltrated my mind...He did. But when the anger was gone and forgiven, I found myself in a place where I needed the word...and there it was spilling from my heart, soothing the hurts within...bringing healing and restoration.

His words—gone from my mind, but not my heart.

Thank you Lord for writing Your word on the tablet of my heart, and turning the page on "a dark night of the soul"; bringing me back to an anointed place with You—a place that is redeemed, fresh and new...fresh like Your mercies glistening in the glow of the morning dew.

"My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart."
Proverbs 7:1-3 NKJV

https://www.bible.com/114/pro.7.1-3.nkjv

In times of hurt and desperation we do and say things we regret and they come back to haunt us. But praise God for redemption and His lack of condemnation. Because He gives them so freely we can live a forgiven life with no regrets...just lessons learned.

Keep my words and treasure them within your heart

From your inner being they will never depart

Keep my commands—in obedience, with them you will forever live

Just as you are the apple of my eye make my words the apple of your eye

A ring of gold bound on your finger and written on the tablet of your heart

His words are a treasure...from us they will never depart

No matter how hard we try

We can wipe them from our mind but they linger on in our heart

A treasure that will forever stay and never ever go away

Thank You Father!

Radiance

A radiant face comes to those that look to the lord

A radiant face has no shame

No shame of the gospel

No shame in magnifying His name

Those that look to the Lord are radiant

They have a joy that is heaven sent

In their sins they claim the blame

Once living their life in shame

No more says the Lord of Hosts 

While filling them with the Holy Ghost

Shining His radiance on their face as they dwell in His holy place

A radiant face doesn’t shine with shame

A radiant face has cried to Him

He delivered them from their shame

He delivered them from their fears

He wiped away their tears

A radiant face magnifies the Lord

They let their incense rise—let go of the blame 

And walk out of their shame

A radiant face exalts His name

Enjoys a taste that is good

A radiant face exudes radiance

A radiance that comes to those that continually look to the Lord

Not ashamed to let His radiance shine

...all the time

From My Trip Oil Flows

Do you sometimes wish you could turn back the hands of time...

In April I wish time could have stood still for a moment ... thinking about my trip home to

Georgia and Florida; and how I enjoyed some beautiful moments that brought peace, wisdom and joy.
Thank You Lord for family and friends!

One particular experience that will forever hold a place in my heart is my trip to 
Dalton, GA where there is a bible dripping with oil. Sounds unbelievable...but it's true.

The story can be read here: 

https://hisnameisflowingoil.org/story-of-the-oil/

Out of that experience I penned these words entitled "The Flowing Oil"

Thank You Father for the oil...

Oil of wisdom

To hear and know the knowledge of Your will

Oil of forgiveness

To live at peace with our fellow man

Oil of gratefulness

Thanking You for what You have done, are doing, and will do

An oil of gladness

An oil of joy

Flowing from Your word for every man woman girl and boy

An oil of healing

An oil of change

An anointed oil that will transform and rearrange

An oil that can change the heart and soul of America

Upholding what is right, just and true

Bringing our nation on its knees back to You

An oil that heals the broken hearted

Uplifts the downtrodden

Bring strength to the weak

Help the lost find what he seeks

An oil of triumph and victory for the humble and the meek

An oil that flows from the power of Your name

With its divine touch we will never be the same

An oil that could be easily misunderstood

For those that believe taste and see that this oil is good

An oil of unconditional love

Sent to us from the Father above

~Thank You Father for the oil flowing from Your name~

The name on the bible is Jerry Pierce; he calls himself the former owner, stating the bible now belongs to God.

I Believe

I believe in dreams

I dream of what I can do and what I can become

I hope my dreams will come true

I believe I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

I believe in the hope that keeps my dreams alive...

I believe in the gifts You have given me

I believe they are whole and complete

I believe they will manifest deeper when time with You I seek

I believe this is the end of shattered dreams and things will no longer be as desolate as they seem

I believe the desires of my heart will be a sweet gift from You

I believe You have ordained my dreams to come true

I believe my dreams will be taken from the shelf bringing me treasures far greater than wealth

I believe in the hope that keeps my dreams alive...

I believe my dreams will never die but will forever survive

I believe in the hope that soars through my heart and I do more than survive—I thrive

I believe He speaks to my inner man giving me courage to make a bold audacious stand

I believe my hopes and dreams He hears and He knows

I believe on the third day—just for me—He arose

That’s why in my dreams I have a hope that affirms what I believe

I believe in the hope that keeps my dreams alive...

~I believe He loves me~           and

Appreciating Carnegie

I relived a childhood memory yesterday.

Passing by Carnegie library in my hometown of Newnan, Georgia I stopped and peered down at the steps where I once sat numerous summer days in the 1960s waiting on my mom. The compelling memory drew me in to take in a moment that meant so much to me as a child.

Inside where I enjoyed searching for just the right book to occupy my time and quench my thirst for fantasizing had changed in design, but the pillars and windows were exactly the same. I took in the moment with stealth silence; then, enjoyed an enriching conversation with the "librarian" (as they were called back in the day) sharing how the programming is somewhat the same but has also changed to stay relevant with the times. The moment almost made me wish I could turn back the hands of times.

Walking back outside (that looked exactly the same) taking in one last look at the steps did something else for me that was more profound—it brought an appreciation for my mom. I appreciated her allowing me to spend time in one of my favorite places while she did her shopping and ran errands; and I didn’t have to tag along with her and dread the haphazard moments of her fussing when I didn’t do things right. As much as I thought she was mean and didn’t know me—she really did know me...and dropped me off in a world filled with books that always brought me joy.
~Thanks mom~

...and Thanks Carnegie—for being a place of refuge.



Apr 10, 2019 at 5:54 AM

The Real Chocolate

White chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate

How chocolate is chocolate

Is your chocolate more chocolate than my chocolate

The milk dipped into my chocolate

Does that make my chocolate unreal

And less chocolate than your chocolate

Who put milk in the chocolate and changed the look

Why you wanna say I’m not real chocolate

What is real chocolate

Why you wanna question my chocolate

My chocolate speaks different from your chocolate

My chocolate sings better than your chocolate

My chocolate doesn’t dress like your chocolate

Is white chocolate chocolate

Is dark chocolate more chocolate

Is milk chocolate less chocolate

Is chocolate just chocolate with its many shades

What is real chocolate

Why do you question my chocolate when it’s white

Why do you question my chocolate when it’s dark

Why do you question my chocolate when it’s milk

Why do you question my chocolate at all

What is real chocolate

My chocolate has rhythm

My chocolate has soul

My chocolate has power

Am I privileged if I’m white chocolate

Am I looked down on if I’m dark chocolate

Am I an outcast if I’m milk chocolate

 

You question how my chocolate is wrapped

You question how my chocolate conducts itself

You question my chocolate’s attitude

What makes chocolate real chocolate

Why do you question chocolate at all

What is real chocolate

My white chocolate is pretty

My dark chocolate is beautiful

My milk chocolate is cute

How long will we continue to play this game

When will all chocolate be the same

How long will we question what is real

Why make difference a big deal

When will my chocolate be enough to be chocolate

What is real chocolate

Complicated questions with no definitive answers?

Chocolate is chocolate

White chocolate

Dark chocolate

Milk chocolate

—it’s all real chocolate

 

Inspired by the documentary “Am I Black Enough”

As a child I was teased because I had yellow pigments in my skin, I grew up somewhat confused about skin color; because the child with dark or black pigments was also teased. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see yellow or black, I saw brown. On the playground there was a mixture of colors in our skin so why were we all called black; especially since the blackest child was sometimes the last one picked for a team. At other times, the high yellow kid was left out. I often wondered what skin tone was acceptable. Oddly, the acceptable tone changed with the era. How did we as a people, especially kids, learn to differentiate acceptance based on skin color? 

Why did it matter…

The Lifeline

In the solemn times of life, you sometimes find yourself hiding in the crevice of a rock

Wondering—where is my lifeline…

A treacherous wind is blowing desolation in volumes through your turbulent emotions

The trenches of your life keep pulling you down deeper into a despairing darkness

Gloom is swirling all around attacking the happiness you desire

You need the light of your spirit to shine bright in the blackness of that all-consuming despair

But that gloom is fiercely fighting against what you know is true to your victory

You want to uncover the peace of an unfailing love that covers you everywhere

You need the shield that encompasses your faith and the breastplate that protects your righteousness to surround you and stand tall against the forces that savagely tries to devour your lifeline

The lifeline that releases the chokehold that holds you down

The lifeline that spreads a joy-filled presence all around

The lifeline that lifts you up and make your spirit soar

The lifeline that helps you remember you forgot to listen for the knock at the door

The knock that says—Here I am! If you open the door, I will come in

The knock that says seek and you will find

Ask and it will be given—pressed down, shaken together and running over

A knock that brings a conquering lifeline

Calming the treacherous winds

Dispelling the gloom of despair

Pulling you out of the trenches and lighting a candle in the darkness

A lifeline that uncovers the unfailing peace of love

Displaying your happiness—anytime anywhere

A lifeline of victory that started on a cross stating—I Am that I Am

I Am in control

I bring you through gloomy clouds on the left

And sunny clouds on the right—with blue skies in between

I Am the Lifeline that controls all the highs and the lows

I comfort you when turbulence comes

And rejoice with you when it goes

Elevating you to your rightful place

Nothing happens that I haven’t ordained

I Am that I Am

I AM—The Lifeline

 

Dark Spirit

You step up in a path where you’re not wanted

Trying to spread your lifeless fear

Wanting to expel what you don’t want me to hear

Exploiting what you want to empower

Tremble—this is your last hour

I say to you...dark spirit back up off of me

There’s strength here your eyes are too blind to see

His voice is stronger than yours will ever be

Saying no matter what you’re listening to

I can still speak to you

I belong to Him

He belongs to me

I’m His and He’s mine

We roll with a love that will last a lifetime

No obstacle will keep that love from me

He looked down on this docile child and gave her a winning smile

Spreading His arms in abundant care

He gave up His life with no despair

Dark spirit your days are numbered

Defeated by a strength that’s meek, wise, and humble

No matter what you try to do

I will always be more than a conqueror

Your temptations He defeated

At His right hand I am seated

So dark spirit...back up off of me!