Friday, December 31, 2010

Can You Hear Me Lord (original written in 1996 while still fighting my drug and alcohol addictions)

Can You hear me Lord?
I’m a drunkard and a druggie.
By now You know You can’t trust me.
I can see where I’m headed.
Still I’m lost and stranded.

I’m down on my knees, asking You please.
Grant me a little serenity.
Without You it’s too hard.
Facing this reality.

Can You hear me Lord?
Just me here alone,
In this field of stone.
Knowing if I keep going,
I’ll be sleeping here before long.
Yet I wonder where I belong.

I’m down on my knees, asking You please.
Can You spare a shot of courage?
Or an ounce of understanding?
Grant me a little serenity.
Without You it’s just too hard,
Living this reality.


Can You hear me Lord?
I believe in Your grace,
Guide me to a place,
I can see Your face,
Hear Your words of wisdom.
I’m down on my knees, begging You please,
Save me from this insanity.

Copyrights 3/27/96 rewritten 12/27/2010

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Storms

When storms come and they will come, what do we do? Do we curl up in a ball and hide under the covers, expecting the boogieman will not find us? Withdrawal into a blubbering pile of rubbish, letting ourselves go until our own mother would not recognize us, no this is not acceptable for a man. We tuck our head, drop our should, and bull our way through come what may. Yet is this always the right way? As Christians sometimes we cry out why God why, as if He promised we would never suffer once we begin to follow Him. Though He does no such thing, in fact He teaches us to expect it; John 15:20 “Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you” (NLT). So why does it take us by such surprise, and why do we allow it power in our lives?

Often through many trials and much pain, I have done this, even to the brink of death. I never expected to live beyond the age of 25, in fact had not planned on it. I never really thought much of life after, or my purpose in it. Never the less I have, and as time has passed, found myself asking why in many things. I mean come on, there is so much pain in the world, even the best Christian will at times wonder how can this be. Was this truly Gods design? Absolutely not, the pain of this world is a direct result of the selfishness of those before us. The answer is in faith, the promises of God, and release of the pain to God. Yet this is not something that comes easy to everyone.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see (Heb 11:1, NLT). Hope, is to have a wish to get or do something, for something to happen or be true, especially something that seems possible or likely. At times of great struggle we must not question why in the sense of why us, but in the sense of what was done to cause such. Most times, we are our own worst enemy and bring pain upon ourselves. Still that does not explain the pain in the world, but it is by faith and understanding of God we learn pain was caused by selfish intents. This is what all pain eventually boils down too, and releasing pain to God is the only true weapon we have for this. Otherwise, we begin to question and blame God for the pain that He has not caused. In release of pain to Him, we can take the focus off ourselves and place it upon others, becoming the answer to pain. In so doing, we become more like Christ serving others before ourselves, and learning to rejoice in our own pain.

What, that is crazy right? Not at all, when we center ourselves on Christ and serve others who suffer, we share His love. Doing this not only teaches us what we must learn in our pain, but also gives us a different perspective of the pain and need of others, and our pain does not look quite as bad. When we can accept in faith that our pain is for our purpose, to better us, to learn and become more like Christ, rejoicing in pain is the only answer. When we can do that and release our pain to Him for that purpose, we gain victory over pain by His power and love. We come out of the darkness faster and move on to the next lesson. At times, it may feel as if we go from one trail to another, and we may. All things are connected through God, and He can see today what we must learn, to help another tomorrow. Still this is not something to lose heart over for there is an answer for this as well. This again comes back to release and faith. By looking for the blessings even in our pain, we soon discover and see clear, what glory God has placed upon us by simply accepting this pain in the love it is intended. No the questions we must ask is not why, but what. What I must learn from this? What blessings am I not seeing? What must I do to serve Him through the storm? In doing this we can brace ourselves against the strongest of storms in the shelter of His loving hands.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Between The Lines, I Cannot Hide

A story told
Not what we say, what we hear
Our lives we live, a moment in time
You look at me, You see inside
Between the lines, I cannot hide

Lord lift me high, I cannot hide
In filth I lie, You hear my cry
In faith I am healed, by blood I am steal
In faith I live, in doubt I die
Lord lift me high I cannot hide

Masks we wear, everyday in fear
Will they know, can they see
By your life, I am free
You look at me, You see inside
Between the lines, I cannot hide

Lord lift me high, I cannot hide
In filth I lie, You hear my cry
In faith I am healed, by blood I am steal
In faith I live, in doubt I die
Lord lift me high I cannot hide

Words of Wisdom

"A careful man I must always be, a little fellow follows me.
A little fellow follows me, I dare not go astray,
For fear he'll go the self-same way.
I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whatever he see me do, he tries.
Like me, he says, he's going to be,
The little chap who follows me.
He thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine.
The base in me he must not see,
That little fellow who follows me.
I must remember as I go, Thru summers' sun and winters' snow.
I am building for the years to be,
In the little chap who follows me." ~ Author Unknown.

Personal Observations

The Six Most Important Things I Must do in the Morning
Before I Leave the House.

• Pray thanking God for my blessings
• Pray for others
• Pray for understanding (Read and study Scripture)
• Pray worshiping God
• Pray for my needs and thank Him for meeting them
• Pray for His filling, compassion, strength and guidance