You Are Still & Always Our God

The numbers are high
The numbers are low
Too high — too low
They’re feeling low
So they’re getting high
They want everything
They don’t know what they want
They try everything
Try it just once
Try it — it lasts forever
It breaks you
It doesn’t fix anything
You’re not broken
Unless you’re broken
You’re not dead yet
Unless you’re already dead
You’re perfect, beautiful
You’re flawed, despicable
They tried it — they bought it
They tried it — it broke them
They want freedom, but where?
They don’t want hope
They want change, but how?
They don’t want goodness
Get even — get angry
Freedom doesn’t work like that
There is greater freedom
You are — God — bind them

God — you are higher than all
You reach down to the depths
When I am low
You bring me up
When I am flighty
You are my grounding
You are what I want
When I don’t know what I want
What I want, forever
They try everything, right now
Everything else — something else
You are everything
You break me — you fix everything
You’re not broken
You’re not dead
You already died
You were already broken
Forever living — forever life
My flaws & brokenness
You took it — you made us even
You made beautiful perfection
Freedom, hope, goodness
Change us — everyone
Free us by your perfect binding
Your bondage — healing, wholeness
You are still & always our God
You are — God — free them

MIXED

by Clayton Evans

The blender that’s stronger
Leaves more destruction
What are you eating?
The one they threw away
Tried too hard
It wasn’t meant for toys
Why is life a game?
All mixed up
My emotions are not for lunch
Life is no breakfast substitute
Who eats plastic for a snack?
Maybe you see yourself
As indestructible
You only have a lifetime
No guarantee
This warrants no celebration
One year is not enough
To know if it will last
Why do you pay so much?
The price is only justified
If you use it every day
You will never find joy
Fruits and vegetables
Life may be sweet
In the summertime
But what do you eat?
You know you are dying
Does powder replace?
Fibrous leaves of green
You want to be strong
But you will be pulp
Press the button
Feel the carnage
Smell the motor’s heat
Hear the rushing roar
You will be changed
Is it better than before?
Add what you want
Better use a straw
It may be bitter
More than you wanted
Better cold than warm
You need ever more
Why aren’t you running?
Spinning around me
Making me dizzy
Fill me to empty
Give me a wide straw
This drink of life
Is thick and flavorful
Swirl it around
Chew when you drink
Don’t miss a trace
Everything is healthy
Everything will kill you
This is the way it is
Fall into the depths
You’re better not knowing

It Is Finished

It is finished
What is finished?
It is done
The grip of sin
Undone

It is time for me
To vacate this body
But only temprorary
Will my absence be
I shall return

I must suffer now
For glories to come
I must go in the ground
Before I rise
Into the sky

I chose this
I lay my life down
My betrayer’s kiss
My thorny crown
Prophesied

Eternity waits
My Father holds
Eternity’s weight
In His hands alone
I am known

I am forsaken
But I am not alone
My mother is here
My weak followers
Disappear

Will they return?
They will return
Will I succeed?
I shall succeed
God wins

Every word I spoke
Each chain I broke
The dead I awoke
Tomorrow will seem
In vain

But in one, two, three
The hopeless will see
My true victory
My captors will flee
Defeated

The fury of the Father
The justice of the Judge
The love of the Lover
The grace of God
Accomplished

Already, not yet
A new age begun
The many made one
My body, my temple
Ecclesia

From this moment on
My people will reign
Over death and sin
From glory to glory
Redeemed

It is finished
My life on Earth
Now I begin
The path to rebirth
My children

Oh my Father
Into your hands
I commit my spirit
And all that I merit
Amen

Blankets of Snow

Blankets of snow

Blanket for warmth

Tucked into bed

Sleep soft as a moth

.

Flurries of white

Seem to appear

From silver unknowns

Like Happy New Year

.

Windows in frost

Guardians of heat

Taking ice bribes

But warmth shall defeat

.

Footprints in drifts

Subzero gust

Steals my cloud breath

While salty cars rust

.

Winter reminds me

All I possess

Is merely protected

By trust and “God bless

.

Life’s sweet abundance

Like pillowy snow

Can melt into nothing

As spring’s icy flow

.

Don’t pile up treasure

With snow plow finesse

Of things that may glimmer

But bring only stress

.

Chase after Jesus

Bask in the warmth

Of heavenly glories

Eternal rewards

.

When winter is done

When Earth melts away

Light will remain

In unending day

.

Treasure of Jesus

Great joy of my soul

Descend on my heart

Like blankets of snow

Image Source

Saturdays in December

Alan walked into the bright, snowy morning. His coat, hat, and knitted gloves hugged him in cozy warmth. It was a Saturday morning in December—only nine days until Christmas! Alan enjoyed Saturdays because he got to wake up with his little brother, Ivan, and watch nature shows with their daddy. It was special to learn about strange and wonderful creatures from all parts of the world!

.

After a warm and filling breakfast of pumpkin pancakes, turkey bacon, and cheese omelettes, Alan’s parents liked to sit and play cards in the sunlit kitchen. While little Ivan laid down for his morning nap as joyful Christmas music filled their little house, Alan felt the boyish lure of the great outdoors.

.

Crisp and glowing, the two-day-old snow crunched under Alan’s black and red snow boots. Wandering happily, Alan watched a brown squirrel scamper through the yard at the sound of his presence. Excited, he pointed at its progress to safety as his daddy watched from the window. Waving to the squirrel and to his dad, Alan ran to the garage to grab his sled. Dragging his favorite yellow sled by its scratchy brown string, he lumbered up a little hill and climbed on for the ride. Down the hill he scooted, feeling the tickle of the air breeze past him. Alan liked sledding in the snow, but soon he felt the back yard calling with its giant oak and hickory trees waving in the sun.

.

Alan journeyed from the little hill and around the house. He found his wooden swing set with its bright yellow slide waiting right where he had left it. After one swooping ride down the slide, he hopped on a swing and pumped, pumped, pumped his legs up into the chilly air! Alan loved snowy Saturday mornings. He was thankful for family time, for yummy food, for warm snow clothes, and for hot lime tea to sip when the world outside was cold.

.

Tomorrow, Alan would remember to take down the paper rings from the Christmas tree and tear off one more. That would leave only one ring! The rings were from his Sunday school teacher to count down the weeks until Christmas. Could it really be that Christmas was in only nine days? Alan knew that nine was not very many, and he wanted to tell his mommy. But when he looked up from his book he saw that she had drifted silently to sleep on the sofa. He would have to tell her later.

.

Saturdays were great days for the whole family! That night in bed, Alan thanked Jesus for special days together. And most of all, he thanked Jesus for Christmas, a time to celebrate the coming of a Savior.

Image Source

The Father’s Love [A Marriage Charge]

The Father’s love

    is deep, so strong

That even sin

    cannot out power

Though pain is real

    and life is long

.

God’s love is true

    expelling lies

It strengthens hearts

    to trust and pray

When feelings rage

    and hearts despise

.

Forgiving love

    redeeming love

Replaces wrath

    with grace and hope

Oh love of God

    gift from above

.

If love was kept

    by strength or wiles

It could not last

    for we are weak

But love endures

    outlasting trials

.

So in this marriage

    ordained by God

May Jesus’ love

    forever grow

Each day, each year

    in fertile sod

.

Now live this love

    Christ sanctifies

So always trust

    His sovereign hand

Grow deep in faith

    that never dies

.

Image Source 

When the Cold Didn’t Feel So Cold – A Poem

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A little boy in a wonderland

Of snow and ice with bright red hands

‘Cause he forgot to wear his gloves

Though his momma told him to keep them on

.

Throwing snowballs and building walls

Climbing up a drift at least 6 feet tall 

He didn’t notice his freezing hands 

Until warm inside after the fun was had

.

Oh I remember when the cold didn’t feel so cold

.

The boy grew tall and he made his plans

Of what he could do with his grownup hands

He fell in love and he held her close

He promised he would never let her go

.

But after 13 years he let her down

So she took the kids and they left town

And he cried alone with an empty glass

No one to hold him but a drafty house

.

And he remembered when the cold didn’t feel so cold

.

After he finally found his knees 

Though he’d tried to stand by his own will

He’d lost it all chasing empty thrills

Until his eyes were opened and he found true joy
.

Now looking back as an aging man

He tells his grandson what he understands

About a life well lived and mending broken hearts

About God’s love and grace to restart

.

He reaches down with wrinkled hands

And shapes a ball of fresh white snow

It takes him back about 60 years

And he thanks the Lord for what he feels

.

‘Cause once again—in his heart and on his hands—

He remembers that the cold doesn’t feel so cold

Fight You

Here I am in the dark night of the soul
Here I am in the blackness of depression
Here I am and I tried to run away
Here I am and a like a rebel tried to take control

But I don’t want to fight you tonight
I just want to follow and let you take the lead
So I’m not gonna fight you tonight
Instead I’m gonna trust you and let you carry me

Here I am in the dark night of temptation
But I remember that you will never tempt me
There you are the rock of my salvation
There you are and you never leave, so Jesus carry me

So I don’t want to fight you tonight
I just want to follow and let you take the lead
No I’m not gonna fight you tonight
Instead I’m gonna trust you and let you carry me

The light of the world is Jesus
The light of the world is Jesus
No one cares for me like Jesus
No one thrills my soul like Jesus

 

Image Source: https://photographyinpatmos.com/2016/04/15/%CF%84he-magic-of-light/ 

Hope for Peace

Oh Father

in Heaven

I believe I am your child

Oh Master

of mercy

You’re my only hope for peace

Dear Maker

my Savior

Why do I go on so wild?

so unthankful

so unkind

Why do I spurn Your hand?

Oh humble

Redeemer

Please correct my disease

This sickness

that weakens

My love for your commands

My flesh

the culprit

But I feed its wily lies

Oh Lover

of my soul

Your faithfulness attends

To this world

to my heart

When in faithlessness I cry

Oh grant me

submission

Lord, bless me with strong faith

Oh gracious

Grace-giver

You’re my only hope for peace

photo credit: https://shelovescolorado.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/img_8709.jpg?w=750&h=500

Weary

Of tasks and trials

of temples and temptations

of timelines and to-do lists

I am weary, weary

.

Oh, God, I’m tired

I want to do well again

I want to excel and win

But I am just so weary