growing up…

---

My God, I see the kind of bloke I am..

I’m talking more & more, quite frantic’ly.

Not tuning in, expressing what began

in mind of God; a human as would be

if energized by motives of khesed*,

in pure form, an unadultarate.

This type - a model, myth that has not shed

its motives, just enfleshed them. Any rate…

that is not me at all. I’m immature,

and often unaware; and do not run

to you to let you slow down what I’d sure-

-ly do, at once (in showing off - for “fun”,

the world I've put together in my head)

It’s like I’m programmed to show off my wares.

I want to here display, before I’m dead,

a model, ideal world, that I have shares

in, where I might be “worshipped” - as create-

-ive. Acts are harder, so I'd like to make

this world by words I say, hoping they’ll sate

my own desire, quite cheaply; like they’d slake

my thirst for water, to be clean, grow strong.

I cannot carry just enough for me

alone. I need to stream it out, along

the lines of "Cornerstone". Foundation he!

Enough to build my life on him, in line

with edges he has laid down, and displayed.

His thoughts were thunk, his words fitted in time

with acts that brought the house down as he weighed

on in, and acted fast and hard, contin-

-uously, as he’s waulking, never baulked, 

by what they’d think of him, if he went in

to eat with folk he loved. He rarely “gawked”

in data driven way that’s ignorant,

or agnostic of all the folk he’s with.

I now recall that rich young man: no rant,

just steady look, with love, he’s kin, or kith.

And now, I'm not just burbling these words.

You’ve sat with me, and helped me see the way,

that’s Forward for me now. I think I heard

something that I can follow up today!

ThanX!

(May that ol' rock fall flat on the "me" (that lived alone in the world), and smash it to rock-dust, so that as found-ation he might be built upon (in this brand new creation, being made by your partnership - with me!) Yippee! Make on.)

---

Footnote

d* - KHESED is the old Hebrew word for loyal-love, that keeps its word (to its own hurt), covenant-love, everlasting-love, eternal-love, loving-kindness, steadfast love - which “never ceases”. Not bound by contract, it is the stuff that enables one to fulfill a contract, when it is not convenient, and you could get away with it.

---

Y-OUR speech

---

The animals and A.I. round about

might chatter ‘bout the plausibilities.

In ages past (or coming) we could shout

and know in deeper ways real life that’s seized

and really lived, because humanity

has lived it, on this Earth that’s under hea’en,

beneath that thick blue curtain, which we see

each day that we’re awake to work as leaven.

While we make names, tell stories, and live with..

our Mum. Dad minded kids (while giving space),

contrived to let the scientific myth

have output that could help the human race.

By means of folk who’d take and implement

the insights and the ways that opened up 

like children who walked boldly where wind went 

to part the seas agnostic or  corrupt.

These children came to know within their bones,

and nerves & muscles, sinews, tendons and 

with oxygen in blood (that now atones)

as currency just now - as God had planned. 

So from their lived experience they can

bring meaning to their conversations had.

Their list’ning is a gift, as hand shaken.

And when they speak a word, it’s not too bad!

But as that rock enjoined, they see their speech

as oracle of wise prophet of God*.

Then there’s a kingdom of  priests who will preach/

proclaim the news on feet the King has shod.

---

Footnote

d* - “If anyone speaks, they should do so as speaking God’s oracles." (1 Pet 4:11,  but see vv8-12)

---

Aloha* & Marna*

---

Will we just try to "use" & quantify

the world around about to justify

ourselves as the great bosses who can get

our own way; when we want it? I would bet

that that's the way to squash & scrunch the world 

and help it to be suffocated by 

the ones in charge who only think to hurl 

their power-bolts around. Don't even try

to steward or to care for precious things. 

They only think of "precious" as in "cash" 

or income brought. No birds that fly on wings 

or plants around. They turn them all to ash…

---

Footnote

a* - aloha & mana are words from traditional Hawaii, meaning respectively something along the lines of:  hospitality and participation in stewardship of the world, and the energy, motivation and commitment (given by participation in aloha).

---

Covenant*

---

Let now the offices that Adam bore*

of Prophet, Priest, & King bear fruit as well

in bearing of each fam’ly group. At core

relating as humanity’s no shell

but comes out when we keep ourselves in love;

creative and committed in  “long hauls”

of not just putting up with things that “shove”

into our lives*, though other times they’re small

sometimes they seem to grow, because of us,

our presence seems to make the problem real.

And that’s the way it seems to be, no fuss

can make it disappear til we do feel

things pressing in and entering our lives -

In choosing not to live alone we let

a partnership begin. Husbands & wives

are learning these same things. At least I bet

that those who let love grow between them do,

as rituals allow for them to show

a tenderness and longing for their “who”

they’ll share all life with, and they’ll really know.

A partnership means “withness” in a way.

To partner with creative love itself

is greatest thing that I can do today.

And I will learn to be that kind of “self”.

Oh God, we love your patient presence with

us, in these jobs you’ve given us to do,

and also other times, with kin and kith.

We want to learn companionship from you.

---

Footnotes

t* - the stuff consistently spoken of as the motivation and glue in lasting covenants is KHESED (the Hebrew word meaning covenant love, loving kindness, eternal love, everlasting love, etc). A contract is a “Left Brain” image, or attempt to cover what functions it perceives of the “Right Brain” relational covenant.

e* - metaphor comment: to bear an office is the acknowledgement of an upward connection, that if we hold true to will enable our downward roots to bear and support us in our bearing of fruit in this middle section where we live most our lives - between the heavens and the earth, until we sleep in the Earth from which we were taken and given a heavenly breath.

s* - the ancient home-spun wisdom of James: “ When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realise that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence. And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God—who gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty—and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him. But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants God’s help or not. The man who trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from God, and the life of a man of divided loyalty will reveal instability at every turn...”(James 1:2-12ff)

---

Dig here*...

---

The worst waste is to miss a sign, and not 

see all the good intent that’s been deployed

to help and aid, abbett, against the rot

that creeps to bring (depressed and quite annoyed)

us to our loved ones to blame & accuse,

instead of grateful for the good that’s poured

on us and all around about - infused

in life & love that we have somehow scored.

Thus heaven’s meta for a  spirit world 

that is to be embodied on  Earth too,

and gifts a goal and path, a gate that’s curled

in wall and opens on a diff’rent view.

And Earth was pointing to something much more, 

We want to start where we are “at”, but don’t 

want us to finish there, at least not sure

of ev’rything we are .. , at this moment.

Have you learned how to tell the diff-er-ence 

between a label and a signpost which 

is pointing farther on, beyond a fence,

& maybe still a ways from where you’d pitch 

your tent, or put your campervan up so

that you could sleep the night and then keep on

with tra-vel-ling the way that you will go

to get where sign is pointing. From here - gone!

This is the gift of metaphor to us.

A culture where a sign can still be read

and understood, without a lot of fuss.

At times we can’t be told  -  we’re only led.

---

Footnote

e* - The phrase "dig here" most famously connects to the tragic 1861 expedition of Burke and Wills. When the supply party abandoned the depot camp, they buried supplies and carved "Dig", or “Dig here”, or “Dig”  with a method of pointing (maybe the letters were drawn pointing to a spot, or there was an arrow, etc…?) into the "Dig Tree," pointing to a cache. As I was told in Primary School history lessons, there were two instances when people hoped that the carving of “dig” on the tree would communicate something (to their party, but not to the local Aboriginal people, who could read many more signs & had traversed this land long before, but whose language could not be deciphered and understood as the various signs they hoped  it would  communicate): in the first instance the carving was seen as a sign post telling them what to do and when they did it they found the food, and lived on. This was life-giving and death averting, the other instance was when the same tree was used again for the same purpose months later, but with no additional marks or indications that it was to be seen again as a sign post, in this case they read it as an artifact of their previous saving and missed its use AGAIN as a sign. This instance was life-averting and tragically they died from lack of provisions. I recall this affecting me as a boy, determined to make any signs I left anywhere, to be (able, no, more than that) likely, to be clearly interpreted. (This was edited from an A.I. aided Google Search for “Australian Pioneers & ‘dig here’” to get dates & details, and my primary school history lessons. This story is told differently with different details on different web-sites. But this telling above seems to be in line with most of the facts cited. Interestingly language, is a complex set of signs. Many of their problems were from lack of trust & communication, and Aboriginal tribal attacks for the same reason.  Yet where trust and communication existed, an Aboriginal tracker aided much, & one man, King, was kept alive at the end by local Aboriginal people, who led and looked after him for months until another rescue party found him.

---

stepping out…

---

So look for good to celebrate today,

and talk about within the world around,

and even sing or whistle something (hey!

if that’s not “dis”-ing something sad you found)…

or leave a note, or write a letter of

appreciation when it fits or can

be made to fit. The world is better off

with lovely things or paintings. Be the man (\ A woman)

who highlights what is true, but good as well.

For, we give “airplay” t’what  we talk about,

but maybe think of too; so don’t choose “hell”-

-ish stuff to emphasise, by speaking out,

imagining, and putting thought to plan

how we could multiply more hell on Earth.

I like the leadership of that HUMAN,

or SON of one, who came one around birth.

I s’pose that is the same for me as well,

and anyone within the same boat who

is listening to this song, would soon tell

if this applies to them also, and too!

So singing, playing music, speaking plain,

about whatever things are good & true, 

will help the ecosystem to  remain

& make a better world from what I do,

and choose what I will think and talk about,

but more importantly my acts in Time

& Space (for these are pow’rful, more than shout-

ing, more effective than a perfect rhyme)!

---

Creative hemispheres

o' Earth

---

The right is not what might, it truly can.

But in a sense it’s conscious of what might

(without the sure-ty of mech-an-ized man)

without the strongest power base “in sight”.

For that creative love itself is such

that it is not so concrete as a block,

and anyway its love is very much

explained away by what's left when they’re locked

(away, or in, or) out, by who controls.

And if we think in terms of making things,

and folk to do our bidding, not as souls

invigorated on a spirit’s wings..

We’ll only see the kind of things we do.

And cannot be blamed for our blindness here.

But gladly most of us are here with you,

with hem-is-pheres connected it appears.

And this is what is our saving grace:

right hemispheres connect in with the left

in most of human beings with a face

at front of head-

they’re not yet left bereft!

So even though the way that we relate

to people, and the world around us such

that we may learn to live with and relate,

to ev’ry one (and thing) as very much

a precious gift from one who’s name is love, 

provision, or just providence, (some say)..

I think each heart that looks upwards, above

themselves in gratefulness will learn the Way!

---

2) THE NEXT CONVERSATION*

(Jefferson Fisher’s book ch 2)

---

To think and get some realistic goals

about the conversations that come by, 

will take some time of life and playing roles

that show off kinds of kindness that I'll try,

yet still seem far away from what I do. 

I value what that fellow has to say 

and hope it will help me when I'm with you, 

or with my neighbour - if he comes today.

So don’t just think of fixing ev’rything.

Begin with thinking of a  forward step.

And hoping/ praying, even start to sing

of habits that could be built on, not swept

away with any storm in tea-cup here.

So habits of relating that can grow

and let some other goodnesses appear

or take root in the plot of soil we know.

And see it’s not just rubbish soil I find

about the place, but stuff I think is rich

for growing things. What values come to mind -

from time I've spent on Earth so far. A ditch

that catches silt, where things will often grow,

or compost that’s had time to break down well.

Add thought (& prayers) to learn (if not to know)

and ask around, to learn to really tell.

Not telling folk, as though I am their boss.

(Except if I am. Then I s'pose I should

be clear, and still respecting any “loss

of face” I bring to them, or lack of good).

But learning how to tell what will avail

for goodness to grow up between us here.

My gard’ning skills might often seem to fail,

or sheep eat all the shoots that do appear.

No system that is never-failing yet,

a process with priorities that might

help me in this setting to not forget

and be more ready to learn, not just fight.

What’s, if I had to choose, one phrase or word

I need for them to understand of me?

What small step can I take to show I heard?

And what have I assumed that they might see?

(and sometimes I am right, as well as wrong).

And how can I show gratitude to them,

for opportunities to “come along”?

Is there an argument I want to win?

So these might help me set some goals to win

a friend, if not an argument as such.

My values help get there, not to bin

what might help me create, and keep in touch.

---

Footnotes

N* - re-reading; from 15 min into Chapter one to end of ch. Two (goals & values).

---

The Gospel, according to.. (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, ... you)

[In the spirit of the sixth point - indigo- below] Choose y-our “own partnership” expression of the “gospel seed” (consider one phrase from each colour of the rainbow ).

---

• Time is fulfilled! Time is up! It’s time! All our best hopes & dreams are coming true! The next step has arrived! Other ( please state:……….)

• The kingdom of God.., the reign of God.., God’s rule.., God’s sovereignty.., God’s way of doing leadership with the children of God.., God’s way to actually move forward (instead of just treading water).., The Way of Creative Love.., Other ( please state:……… ..)

• ..has arrived! ..is near! ..is grabbable! ..is “at hand”! (but is not taking over, is waiting to be invited, is giving you time to join in freely) Other (please state: .. ……….)

• (This is about a partnership. There is a senior partner. You are not the senior partner.) .. Give up your own independent kingdom; Give up your own ways to a better future; Give up your own agendas; Throw in the towel on your alternatives; U-turn permitted/ required; Go back - you are going the wrong way! Other ( please state:……….)

• Take this message seriously! Don’t let yourself procrastinate! Act this out from now on! Keep this announcement as a sign of whose side you are on. Other (please state:……….)

• [Let the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Jesus, the Holy Ghost, teach you and give you words, actions, your demeanour, your own faith, hope, and love to share in partnership with creative love itself, and give you wisdom in choosing any of these colourful points to emphasise or leave out - for the audience you are sent to today.]

• Jesus/ Yeshua,  is the pioneer and the goal, the relationship and the model, the door and the road, the place and the life of the place, the second (and last) Adam, The Son of God, God’s Messiah/Christ/anointed leader, God’s chosen and named Leader of Humanity, the Saviour of the World, the Lord of the Earth, the Great High Priest bridging the heavens and the Earth, and The Prophet whom God would raise up (from among the people of God (foretold by Moses), whom to fail to listen to, would mean being cut off from the people of God.

---

understanding (standing under) God’s leadership is a bit like this:

---

and my relating to the scriptures shows whether, or in what sense… 

“I believe in the communion of the saints”

---

A world where there is room to live and breathe.

A world that is a “tomb”, since God’s own Christ

took sting of death away so we might “leave”

by “sleeping”, yet awake one “day”, surprised!

Creation then renewed because he walked

this way so flowers are strewed where his life talked

in acts as well as words. He went through hell

of crucifixion and folk heard him tell

of his experience, quite candidly

and open up his sense of God to us

so we might know his Dad, as such, so we

might standing on his shoulders, nearly touch

the sky, or heavens, with its mythic host

of messengers who with the holy Ghost

might look with longing at his children here

and celebrate each birth day - with great cheer!

And fill the journal (of our fam’ly) in

each turn maternal ancestors would make;

record as best we can, so we begin

to understand creative love’s own take

on what is going down, or growing up..

..so how the fam’ly gown is worn by pups

and the irregularities that come

from circ’ling in a bright world, just one sun

of many that are over head and too,

stand under our own feet, from long ago.

These scripts record relating that might do

us credit, when relating to who’ll know.

---

to honestly honour a person’s recount in a passing culture..

..  in light of our own (also passing) culture

---

Our lives are set to grow us up. Impacts

of cultures & economies conspire

as servants of creative love to tax

un-fam’ly* at a rate that is much higher.

Heuristic that might mimic (gifts to care)

for immature, unloving creatures which

are hardly hearted* but think they are "there",

assuming that their currency’s the pitch

to spiel, or play the game (like cricket?) on.

To keep up with the science of the times;

to follow culture’s choice of worth, and song

that will be used as current in power lines.

And when I hear the voice of a young bub

across the walls or under floor at home,

recalling too, the process to grow up,

involves a lot of suff’ring, pain, and stone-

stone-walling of our own agendas and

unsurity about our own needs but

some insight into others round, who stand

quite near, when we learn how to press their butt-

ons; on or off. This gives us insight to

the person we are living near to see

how taking them, their frailties now into

account, not to control, but so to be

relating to them as another bod

on Earth, as neighbours in this neighbourhood.

I have to listen to them not as “God”

yet as someone who might reflect some good.

---

y* - Taking note of the evangelist's record of Jesus’ words to Peter: “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?” When Peter said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the children are free.” (see Matt 17:24-27); and to the teachers of the law “ I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’(Matt 8:10-13), and Matt 13:36-43..

d* - the heart, for our culture, being the seat of love in our metaphors and myths; where a human is seen as (or at least talked about) as one who has known love, and who lives in it, and has  become a lover themselves.

---

In Part* -

ner-ship*!

---

Give space within my life for God to act.

To make our partnership be real in me.

So go beyond the token stuff in fact.

And let God help, and then use eyes to see..

and ears to listen & to hear the thoughts 

that come, ide-as to build love and light.

What’s true and honest, say only what’s caught

somehow within the web of what is “right” ..

That’s right relating, as I would be “done 

by” - keeping my own word to my own hurt!

And trust my “father” to bring joy* to “son”,

and let his word to me hold weight, not blurt

out some religious piety to prop

up power structures, for some little man.

We’re talking of creative love’s unstop-

pab-le incessant work (since time began).

And work with all my might and mane to join

in, where I can - to make a difference here,

within the stuff where I can choose, what’s mine

to bring to table, thus make it appear.

And treat the partnership, this covenant

that Jesus spoke about, as real and true.

And bounce on it, in fact (not just to rant)

to bring it into being here in you.

And it might be quite diff’rent for some one

who’s diff'rent to me (and some people are)!

So not to replicate some other’s fun

but learn to be this self that’s made this far.

---

Footnotes

t* - “now we know in part, and now we see God’s bigger possibilities in part… now I know in part, then I shall truly know in the same way that I am truly known.” (1Cor 13:9,12)

p* - as alluded to in the last sentence in the footnote above, the partnership (truly knowing as I am truly known)  of God and his children, or God and his wife, (or for another picture: the Right Hemisphere & Left Hemisphere of the human brain) in the job of allowing the world to exist, be populated, and to thrive, in multiplying, planting, tending & caring for (overseeing, naming,  talking about, & considering) the world seems to be the biggest theme of the holy scriptures, and the end goal of all the rest of history, and the core means to make known, and reveal his glorious goodness  to the heavens and the Earth.

y* - joy, though, is a movement of a whole being in such a way that we must choose for it to experience it in full. In fact the Apostle Paul names it as one of three things that God is constantly willing for us to experience: “Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. For this is God’s will for you, in your life in union with Jesus Christ.” (1Thess 5:16-18)

---

1) THE NEXT CONVERSATION*

(Jefferson Fisher’s book)

---

Reminders from my father up above

have come to me the last few days. I hear

what he is saying, teaching me, so love

can be extended from me far & near:

A focus when I'm in a conversa-

-tion, on the person - to relate to them

as neighbour in God’s world, by what I say,

and how I say it, yes, more how and when,

and even more by what (& how) I DO..

which emanates from WHY I’m here at all.

That simple adage*, lived by just a few

and focussed on God’s chosen one, no small

or insignificant, unhelpful thing!

And then* explored by those who’ve found what works.

The lack of which I’ve seen in what I bring 

to conversations, when I am a jerk.

So here’s the next few steps in exploring

the way of truly human ones on Earth:

• Note my own body’s cues and how they string

      along the folk around me since my birth.

• Then take the time to get my head back straight 

      to purposes I am committed to.

• And let my curiosity relate

     as wild beast might to each and ev’ry cue.

Be willing to rule systems I am in.

To tell them where they can get on, and can’t.

And take the ride I’m given with a grin,

& though I get amazed, don’t get alarmed!

---

Footnotes

n* - re-reading; & up to 15 min into Chapter One (Never win an argument)

e* - probably (in my estimation) from Jesus Christ’s next oldest little brother (Mark 6:3) James, from the book by that name, James ch 1:19-27, as summarised in the starting sentence: “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone of you should be quick to.., slow to .., and slow to.. .”(verse 19)

n* - by people like Jepherson Fisher, in ways like he does in this book

---

the ghost of a chance ..

.. the Next Conversation*

---

I do not want convers’n to torpedo

relat’n to the person or to veto

the next conversation I’ll have with ’em

or chances for formation of a prison

for parts of me that should not be let out 

in fact I see my “needs” might free a lout

to try manipulation of folk ’round -

instead of conversation which I’ve found

to be a two-way street, where people meet

and learn to take their turns, while neither spearns

the other, nor their mother, (though in truth

she still might send a shudder .. & forsooth

she might be rather cagey, and asuage -y

to offspring of her womb to them en-tomb

’ny part of them, though God knows when it’s need

is obvious, and clearly now the deed

that should be done, though could not come to mind

for folk who’d learned (as butter’s churned) to find

their joy in what’s annoying those who’re blind,

or “diss’n” folk who’re missing undefined

and “hard to put to words” training as kids.

We have to train the turds, the billy-lids

that are ourselves, it’s hard but help is on

the way, & I can say I’d pay belong-

-ing as the only force, of course, that might

(not will), let people grow as plants to light,

to energy that can be used to fight

against the “death”, that don’t do breath - the blight!

---

Footnotes

*n - I’m thinking of the brilliance in the focus given by the simple title of “The Next Conversation”, by Jefferson Fisher (about 6 hr). Before you even get to any of his brilliant advice on ways forward: considering “What do you want them to know?” & what he says about the pause (or breath), which I perceive gives me time to process the question and allows me then to be affected by the still, small voice of the “Right Hemisphere” that allows me to relate to other people, rather than to simply control them! 

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