Take the Nestee Plunge

I like to start my day with the what I like to call the Nestee Plunge. This is the time I carefully guard as my quiet time for reading, meditation and prayer. I use this time to prepare for the day. I have found that my mind is sharper and my tongue is nicer when I do. My smile is bigger and my heart is kinder. It's just become a no brainer for me. Something I miss when I don't do it.

And I must renew myself each day to remain focused. When I don't, I forget. And that isn't acceptable. It's so easy to fall into the lazy, procrastinating self of just waiting and hoping. It is easy to remain comfortable with the status quo and not willing to move out of the shallow end of the pool. When you put faith in yourself alone, risk is just that risk. But when you add the omnipotent one to the equation, it's not risky, just murky. To know in the end you are held securely in his love, under his care. Though I may not know the end result or see the way with 20/20 vision I can have the confidence God's way is better than my way.

This is why I must each day get my lazy booty out of bed and start off refreshing my mind with his word and conversing with him. And not just the superficial stuff, but really opening up and praying for my heart and for others. I have found just getting started is the hard part. When I give my time to him, and say I will pray for 5 minutes, next thing I know its been a 1/2 hour or 45 minutes. Kind of amazing, because it only feels like 5 minutes. And what happens when I don't give him my time, well, I am not as patient and I just coast through the day hoping I don't do or say something I will regret.

But I can't be overly confident, and put too much security in my daily refreshing. Because that's when my sinful nature comes out. When my guard is down and when I feel like I am ready for the day, that is when I will most likely take a fall. And I must not speed through these times, just to get them done and chalk it up as another QT for me. That is usually more harmful than just taking a break for the day. You believe you have prepared for the day, but you haven't. When I "get through" my daily prayer and reading nothing gets through to me and that defeats the whole purpose. These times are a must for me personally and I feel better and freer, but I can not let this be my only defense. I must also be alert, have fellowship with others and keep my eyes focused on eternal things.

Worship- my personal thoughts

What does it mean to really praise God? How do I as a Christian give him the due respect and honor that God truly deserves. Can I ever properly worship him and praise him? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength" Mark 12:30 How? I have given God my heart, I believe in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. I want with my whole being to love, serve and live the life God has designed me for.

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But how do I give of myself that which will measure up to what He has already given me. Can I? No, and there is the rub. We can't truly give God the Glory he deserves with our earthly sin-filled bodies. We can only strive and desire to. To Seek his face and not his hands. To worship and rejoice him with our thoughts, with our words, with our song, with our eyes, ears, hands, feet and stomach. Mostly with our actions but ultimately with our hearts. We can love and worship Him by loving his creation. Those that are created in His image. If we love and serve others, we are loving and serving Him.

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We can worship Him with our thoughts. By praying and conversing with Him. If we can spend our time meditating on His word and talking to God, we can learn his will. We can learn to worship Him, how he deserves to be praised and how we can give him glory and honor. Deu 32:3 "Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God." Psa 48:9 We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.

We can worship him with our song and our ears. By singing and listening to music which is based on the love and worship of God, we can actually feel God's love. How he pursues us and how we pursue him. Being in the room with other believers singing his praises, shouting joy and "rejoicing in the lord always" is a great feeling. But it is not about how we feel or what we get out of it, the ultimate goal of singing, worship and praise is to give God the respect and worship he deserves in this small little way, we can. Using our God given voices, making beautiful music he has allowed us to know how to make, is just one way we can celebrate God. 1Ch 16:9 "Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works."

We can worship and praise God with our words. It is with great effort that we must control our tongues. But by limiting the garbage we hear with our ears and see with our eyes, we can limit the garbage that comes out of our mouth. The words we utter should be reverent awe and devotion to our Lord and savior. Our Omni in All. The creator of all things in heaven and on earth. With this in mind, it is easier to speak the words that will fully describe how we feel and how we love him. If we can speak the many blessings he has laid upon us, give him thanks for all the good and the bad, we can then begin start to say the things which will exemplify Him.

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And our words are not only what we speak but what is written. We must also remember to write the many wonderful attributes about God. The many awesome things he has done today, tomorrow and in the past. The mystery of Him who made us is the perfect manifestation of His thoughts written down for all to see, to hear and to learn. The words he wants us to have, that is all that we are required to deliver, nothing more or less. Anything else is a waste of time and effort. Psa 89:1 "...I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations."

With our hands we can worship our Creator, the one and only True God of the Universe. But with my hands, really? Yes especially with the hands. God created each limb for a specific purpose, and with each of these we can lift them up to him and worship and praise him as is befitting. But with our hands we can do wonderful things. We can heal the sick and injured. Prepare the food we need to live. Hold the hand of the one we love. Grab someone and keep them from falling and harming themselves. Or carrying to someone in need a special gift, a needed meal or just a loving arm around the shoulder.

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And all of these expressions with our hands can and should be done with love. Our hand can go up in the air in praise and supplication. Our hands can clap the joy we feel. Our hands can open the Bible to worship him. And our hands can give the love of God in all their intended purpose. John 13:35 "A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

We worship God with our feet. By stamping our feet on the ground in rhythm to the beat, we can exalt the Lord and give him the worship he rightly requires. But, more, we can worship God by using our feet to take us to the places and people He so deems appropriate. By walking to church, by walking next door to a neighbor who does not know Christ who is "the way, the truth and the life." By using our feet to take us to the sick, the widows and orphans, we are doing these things to him and are worshipping and honoring him. Our feet are a great tools that can be used for worship. Rom 10:15 "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

We worship God with our stomachs. Yes even our stomachs. What does this mean? That what we eat and do not eat shows our dependence on him. If we gorge ourselves fully, we are dishonoring him. But yet it is by the stomach that we can worship him by abstaining from food; fasting and praying. It is with the fast that we are putting down all other needs and putting God first. We put down the things that can distract us from him. From fully worshiping and hearing him. To give him praise purely. With our stomachs we Can worship him. If we can abstain from fulfilling every desire through our mouths, by not eating at all and being wholly dependent on him for our survival, it is by these expressions with our stomachs that we do give him the magnificence and greatness he should receive. Luk 15:23 "And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [it]; and let us eat, and be merry:" 1Cr 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

But how do we worship him if we do not have eyes to see his excellence, ears to hear the exultation, tongues to speak the truth, words to write in worship, hands to raise in honor, feet to walk in faith and stomachs to remain steadfast. It is with our hearts. In our heart we can give him the love he so desires and we can commit our heart to his son, JesusChrist. We can feel the exultation, the glory, the honor in our hearts. We can feel the joy, the awe and the rejoicing in our hearts. Our hearts are capable of the love that we were created to give and receive. And it is with our hearts that we, as believers, are commanded to love him and love others as we love ourselves. Col 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

So how do we worship and praise God? We do it with our whole being from head to toe, from heart to soul. We love and honor him with our action and our thoughts. But mostly we bring him the true honor and praise when we acknowledge him in our lives. Putting him squarely in the middle of all things where he should be. When we love him openly and honestly, we truly can begin to feel and see the wonder of his sovereignty. All of this is from him, I could not have written or thought any of this without him. So I must give him the full credit and thank him above all. May you worship God as he truly deserves and May you feel the blessing he so truly wants you to experience. God bless.

Psa 9:1 [[To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David.]] I will praise [thee], O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvelous works.
Psa 22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
Psa 28:7 The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
Psa 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
Psa 86:12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
Psa 108:1 [[A Song [or] Psalm of David.]] O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Psa 111:1 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with [my] whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and [in] the congregation.
Psa 119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
Psa 138:1 [[[A Psalm] of David.]] I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

www.Nooma.com

Just wanted to pass along this website. You may want to check it out. It is put together by Rob Bell from Mars Hill Church in Michigan. Nooma is a series of short videos 11-13 mintues. Very powerful. Set to music, with topics that make you think. The website has clips of all 9 videos that are out. I have purchased all 9 DVD's, if you are a friend or family member, I will be more than happy to lend it to you.

Will We Learn

I don't know why we won't conform
If we do, will we go far
Today, tomorrow, and in the past
We will continue; we will outlast
Our lives so close
How close will they get
Our time so fast
How fast will it go
Our world so unlimited
How unlimited for us
The times have changed
What's changed in us, in this world
What do we learn
Did we learn from the few

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Merry Christmas Eve to all!! I am currently writing this email at Nanaw's(my grandmother Cooke for those of you who don't know our nickname for her) . Here in Evansville, we received the biggest snowfall in the history of our city since 1978. The range was from 15 to 22.3 inches depending where you were in Vandeburgh county. I will tell you why I am at Nanaw's at 8 am in a bit, first I want to tell you how the last 24 hours have gone. Nah, actually I better start with a prayer I had a couple weeks ago. Some may say I had something to do with the snow, I say not, but you never know. I've been wanting a white Christmas for a LONG time, and not just the silly little dustings we get here the 1 or 2 inches. I wanted to the up to your knee, snow angel, snow man making, cuddle by the fire and smile, snow.

So, I prayed. What did I pray? That we would have a white Christmas, that the trees would be covered, the roofs would be overflowing, and that it would be the biggest snowfall since the Blizzard of '78. You may ask why I would want this. I have a couple reasons, one I was only 4 years old when the last one hit, and I don't remember it. Second, I love the beatiful snow. I love what it makes us do when we find we aren't in control. That we have to depend on each other. We are not alone in this world, though so many of us live like we are. Yesterday I was struck by the hundreds of people stopping to help. It gives me hope that maybe we aren't all the self-centered uncaring individuals I was beginning to believe our country was turning into. We do care about others.

Sherry and I awoke yesterday morning at 4:30 am. Since those babies don't care if there is a snow storm and come whenever they are ready, Sherry had to go to work, if at anyway possible. And being the discerning wife she was, she suggested I bring home a Land Rover from work. A very wise decision and suggestion on her part. The plan: I would drive her to and from work. The snow was up to the back of our sliding glass window(which has a step up to it) and over our porch out front. Our backyard is one Big pool of snow, I have pictures you may be interested in seeing. We left in the Rover at 5:45 to make sure we get Sherry to the Hospital by 6:45. Oh yeah I almost forgot. We prayed in the LR right before we left that we would make it safely to the Hospital and then from the Hospital to the Gas station(we had less than an 1/8 of a tank).

We layed the first tracks down our street with no problems. This SUV is unstoppable if you don't hit ice. We knew it was bad when we got to the intersection at Oak Grove and Libbert and looked to the right where we usually go. We could see 3-4 cars stranded. To the leftt it was! Then on Bell road South of the Lloyd there was a semi jack-knife and stuck. In all, I know I saw more than 50 cars stuck throughout the day. But we made it safely to the Women's Hospital(WH). Next, to the gas station!

I was planning on filling up and going back to the WH to see if I could help pick up and deliver nurses and doctor's who couldn't make it in. I also wanted to got to Walmart to pick up some things, mainly a snow shovel. God had different plans. I got to the Moto Mart on Lloyd and Burkhardt with no problem and filled up. After paying, I get in to start the LR and.....Nothing! absolutley no cranking and a little ticking. Uh oh! And of course, we don't own a cell phone. I try a few times, give up and go inside to call my Stepfather, Jim, at 7 am. Remember I prayed that I would get safely to the gas station and, well, I did. I know from now on to pray to the end.

Jim came to pick me up 1/2 hour to 45 minutes later. But first we had to move the LR which was blocking the gas pumps. We strapped it up, I was in the LR to steer, Jim was in his 4WD Chevy to drag me. Off we went... about 3 feet and SNAP went the strap! Luckily it was long enough to hand tie. After, getting caught up in some snow a couple times, Jim was able to sling me into a drift on the side of Moto out of the way. Across the street we go to Walmart, open 24 hours a day and even on some holidays. You can't fail with the big ol' blue all-in-one store. I mean where else can you get an oil change, a change of clothes, a filet mignon, a CD, make vacation plans and a snow shovel. I hate the long lines and droves of people, but we do live in a lazy convenient world, and I do partake. Oh wait, they were closed! Really? uhm yeah! I did hear someone at Moto say Schnucks was opening at 8 am. Off to Schnucks!

We were the first ones there. I got everything on Sherry's list. But guess what wasn't on the list, a snow shovel, didn't matter they didn't have one anyways. We drive back to Newburgh and on the way we stop and help push out 2 or 3 cars. On the off chance they are open, we go by True Value Hardware store in Newburgh. YES! But no shovel. Man, teaches me to procrastinate. Jim takes me home and we make a few phone calls. He to Nanaw, me to Brian, the Bossman. This is around 9-9:15. I try calling 2-3 times, no luck. I then call Justin a tell him to Text message Bri. In the mean time, Jim talks to Nanaw, and finds she needs to pick up the Ham at Heavenly Ham. They are open, off we go. We stop again and help some more people. The Christmas ham is had without incedent all the way to Nanaws. So we wait. Finally I get a call from Brian at 10:30 am. He will come pick me up, must be the battery. Yes we did try jumping it- too dead.

Jim picks up mom and they come back over. By now I am pretty hungry, I haven't eaten yet today. Since we have plenty and Christmas dinner tomorrow is in question, I am allowed to have a ham sandwich. Mmm Mmm good, it is quite heavenly. I enjoyed the time I was able to spend with Mom, Jim and Nanaw. We sat around with the Weather channel on talking and looking at pictures from dad's wedding. Remember, Brian was coming to get me. He showed at 2 pm.

I won't go into all of it, but we were able to get the LR going again. Interestate Battery was closed, but we did have one battery left at the shop, and it fit! It was off to home I go. I borrowed Nanaws snow shovel. On the way, I noticed Lowes was open. Hah, they will definitely have a shovel. And they did. By now, I was pretty cocky with the Rover. It got me. I pulled and parked into a big drift at Lowes, right on top of a layer of ice. A Hummer pulled me out. The rest of the evening went fine. Plenty of shoveling. One side and a half of the drive, all around Sherrys car and started the sidewalk. I was sweating by the time I was done, and literally had icicles hanging from my hair. That felt weird. I go inside to take a Hot Shower!

Turn on the water and I notice it isn't coming out that fast. And it gets slower. I turn it to cold, nothing. To hot some...then None! Yep, you guessed it. Pipes frozen, but why and where. Our garage door doesnot open except sporadically. I wanted to park in the garage when I got back from taking Sherry so I left the garage doorg openat 5:45 this morning. I didn't close it until 5:00 pm that night. Our water heater is in the garage and we have had temeratures of 0-5 degrees with the windchill. I call Jim, again. He tells me what to do and look for. I am clueless about alot of this stuff and shoot par for the course on this one.

I locate what the problem is. the plastic pipes which run from the water main to the water softener have completely frozen and cracked. I think I have the water turned off, and get a hair dryer as suggested by Jim. Man did that work rather fast. Oh, I didn't have the water turned off. I get a pair of channel locks, get the faucet turning, water slows, I keep turning, water keeps coming, I keep turning, more water...oops! more water coming from the faucet. Well, I'm all done. I call Jim, He's coming over call the Water department. They get here before he does, thank God.

So here I am at Nanaws, for who knows how long. But it's fun. I don't mind it because things can always be worse. And I know in the eternal pictures of things this is just one of lifes lessons that I can already laugh at. To all of you on this wonderful day of Christ's birth, I love you and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Silently spoken, words going everywhere
Are we hearing what is whispered, only because we care
Shortly here with fleeting time, and moments passing by
Advice from all we do not follow, if only we would try

Age of innocence is long gone, while wisdom fills the void
Ready-made paths of adventure, leads straight to fun and joy
No carefree running through the woods, leaves falling all around
Where riverbeds, crawdads and animal tracks abound

Deeply traveling through our minds, imagination taking hold
If only there, one more time, forgetting we grew old
We are the hunter and the soldier and whatever else we dare
All our days, filled with laughter, with little else to care

Yet instead of youth we grab hold of prejudice and stress
Surrendering to the world adding us to this great big mess
Why do we forget all these roots letting go of innocence
It's only when we love and live, it all makes so much sense

Filling the Void

I wish I had something profoundly important or inspiring to write, but I don't. I wanted to remain dedicated to writing, so this is it, all bland and boring. I am looking forward to going to Florida to my Father's wedding this weekend in Tampa. When I think about how much we have all changed in the last two years since Susan passed away, it makes me smile. For me, that week was one of the events in my life I will have to bookmark. Through her suffering and death, I felt I was able to grow closer to dad, Robin and to God. The things God does in times of despair are amazing. When you are going through it, you can't see past your nose, and most times you are sad and angry and maybe even voice this to God. But when you get to look back over time, you see the perfection of the situation. Every tear, every thought, every action, all of it are part of something that makes you who you are today.

Even though I did not understand it at the time, my life started down a path I was unaware of and not ready for. Or so I thought, and that is the first mistake, trying to put my life into a box I can easily control. I had been living a microwave ready life. Everything precooked and ready to eat, just nuke it! But what I didn't realize, I was being prepared for a deeper and closer relationship. One I had been ignoring and feeling I didn't deserve. The field was being plowed and the vine was being pruned. The 2 weeks surrounding Susan's death are special to me. They allowed me to see what family means. Even one that has been separated by miles and leading our own lives comes together in tough times. I learned what humbleness and serving means. And what big benefit being part of a church family can be.

And in the two short years since, I have changed my outlook on life. My desires, my heart and my life has changed. And this all began when I realized they are not my own. I am not on this earth for my own selfish wants and needs. No longer was the pursuit of the "American Dream" my dream. The big cars, big house, the collection of memorabilia, no longer important. I mean really, did I think I was going to take that with me to my grave. That'd have to be a pretty big grave. And having all of this may have looked nice, and I may have been on the cutting edge of music, and living in the "scene", apart of popular culture. But one thing was missing, and this was big, my heart. None of these things filled the emptiness in my heart. Sure, they would give me a high for a few weeks, maybe even a month. But then what. Well, I had to get back out there again. Buy something else, do something else or anesthesize the pain and hurt. I was filling the void in my heart with short term fixes, when I should have been going for the cure, who is Christ.

Inescapable

Entry into the room reveals a halo of people. In the middle one soul. The halo is battling for love, for here, for their desires. The soul is battling for glory, the unseen, eternity. Individually, they must find their own peace. One last moment, one last word, one last kiss. Hours drift into days, they will not give way. Hope, strength and faith dominate. Suffering soul, patiently waiting, but not let go. Individually, they reconcile, together, they pray, as one, they yield. The answer comes and the halo leaves. Woeful and content, relieved and secure. As does the soul, at peace and at home. In the glory ordained and the righteousness assumed. In truth intended, the peaceful journey begun.

Selling a piece of my faith?

I broke a 32 hour fast today, not sure if it was too soon. I have a clarity that I must be patient. That I do not have to do everything right now. In the last two days, I called and emailed the Kettering Registrar, called Greg Myers at CFC, and emailed Dr. Jamison at Eastern University. I also applied online to Central Christian College of the Bible, which pays for tuition. I have not heard back from any of them as of yet.

Although I do not feel closer to knowing where I am on the path of my life, I do feel closer to God. I learned I need to have a stronger faith, to be comfortable of where I am now in God's story. That my story hinges on Him, not on me. I can make it hinge on me, but that will only separate me from him. And if I am separated from him, I can count on my heart becoming dead again. That I will lose my zest for life and to serve others.

Life seems like a camera lens to me right now. The more focused I get on God, the more fuzzy the background gets. But so does what I am supposed to do with my life. I feel I have so much more to offer than selling cars. I don't see the benefit in helping others indulge in themselves. Every time I sell another person a car, and make money on their attempt to fill the emptiness of their lives, it's like I am selling a piece of my faith with it. I can choose life and God's story or death and my story. Not too difficult a decision. I'll wait and see what God reveals to me.

Reborn

Slammed down into the deep dark mud. Loss of feeling, nowhere to go, pressure building along the thighs. Slowly sinking and screaming but no sound resonates. Its hopeless to struggle as you slip further into the wet cold of insanity. Thoughts of laughing children playing in a green open field are the only calming effects. Watching an earthworm squirm along the outer edge leaving a trail of slime and despair. How did this happen, where am I going and why are but a few disturbing questions. I don't deserve this. The mud has traveled all the way to your breast as gently and caressing as a young lover in lust. As thoughts of suffocation dance inside, the realization of how short life is and how much you have wasted on the ridiculous pursuit of self centered accumulation and total disregard for anyone else causes a new found desire to live. No longer satisfied with the eventuality of the situation but ready to try again. To do it right this time and not alone, but with others and for others. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind erupts from behind. You feel a brush against the back of your hand but can't quite see what it is in the darkening dusk. You feel along the ground to find a vine and life. A new life. As you pull yourself from the muck you get a feeling as if you are being freed from the dirt of this world and are being reborn.

Redemption

With one small decision
the long walk begins
An adventure of life
from now till the end
It will not be easy
no cake walk here
An arduous journey
with temptation near
The valleys will be
as deep as the sea
with sorrow and pain
admitted for free
Faithfully following
and knowing your heart
holding his hand
conquers all from the start
Let the wonder take over
let go your control
With His ultimate gift
Redemption you'll know

So where do we go from here...

So where do we go from here? That was a question I asked at my Waking the Dead class on Tuesday night. I was asking that about our group, when I should have been listening closer to the question. It is my choice. And Praise God for that choice. Because it is with my free will, that I am able to love God and worship him. Would it really be love and worship without free will? Not in my opinion. Have you ever enjoyed or loved something you were forced to? I can't think of any. A child, maybe? But really? Look at the millions of babies killed each year by abortion. Your spouse...Divorce. So, no, I don't believe you can really love or worship God without that free will, that choice.

That leads me to ask, what is the greatest gift God has given man? The
cross? Resurrection? Birth of Christ? Life? Yes. But what about the gift of free will. Because without free will, would he have had to give us Christ, the cross and resurrection? No. But without free will, what would God have been missing from us. Love and fellowship. Some may ask, why give us free will if he knew we would rebel and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He had to. Why? Because if we did not have free will, would we have been created in Christ's image? I don't think so. And he would not receive the love, honor, worship and praise God deserves.

So... where do I go from here? To use my free will to choose to fellowship with Christ, with the body of Christ and to serve in any way God wants. To wait, be patient, and remember a thousand years is like a day to him. For too long I have chosen to do it my way, and what have I gained? Nothing that really matters to me. The things I did not choose. My family and my wife. He gave me. And that is why I will wait for him.

Truths revealed are truths learned

So here it is almost 3 weeks since I have been back from Jamaica, and I have failed to journal since that first week back. It is so easy to fall into the old trap. To ignore what I enjoy to do. Why is that? Why am I so scared to write my thoughts? Is it because of what I may remember? Is it because I actually may be good at it? May even excel? Or maybe God will reveal something to me through my writing. I believe it is the Enemy keeping me comfortable and lazy. Keeping me from a deeper relationship with Christ. And not letting Christ talk to me through my journaling.

Truths revealed are truths learned. A dry pen means a blank page, and no chance for wisdom. Where do these words come from? Are they really from my mind? Am I really doing anything special? Is what I write important to anyone but me? Yes they are. God gave me this mind and this ability and it would be a total lack of respect for him as my creator if I continue to write blank pages. It would be rebellious, a sin. Now that sounds awful prideful and a little sacrosanct. But I feel it is true. And if I feel it, then it is true, to me at least. And if I am created in God's image then I matter and so do my feelings. Right? Yes they do. I matter. What I write matters. What I do matters. As long as it is with a Biblical or Godly viewpoint.

Thoughts of Love

It's seen in a glance
A gesture gives it away
A sudden cry, a quick turn
Wherever you are during the day
It's around the corner
It's behind you again
From out of nowhere
From a forgotten friend

One tiny laugh, one quick smile
Where does love come from

When you can't go on
When the pain's too bad
If the tears start to flow
Look around, don't be sad
In the longest nights
With time standing still
Look up to the heavens
Gather all your will

One knowing look, one tender touch
Where does love come from


This poem is one of my favorites. I wrote this poem to my stepmother, Susan Boggeman, who was in a fight for her life with cancer. Her mental fortitude, unselfishness, and unconditional love touched many people. This poem is a celebration of the love I still feel for her and always will.