Ol' Ali Benali

Ol' Ali-benali,
of the Courtney kind;
her age did not dally,
or leave her behind,

but kept marching since birth
right past seventeen,
that's years on "God's Good Earth"
- you know what I mean.

She's done got her Licence,
had drinks at the Pub,
been Working Full-time-ance
no longer a bub!

Now, she's gone past eighteen
though not quite the TWENT;
technically still a TEEN,
her humour's still bent!

Glad she's continuing,
and shared with us here.
Al, keep under God's wing
in your twentieth year!

The Birthday Jon, a few days on..

Jon.

I'm glad to remember
and celebrate too
twenty fifth of September
the birthday of you!

If it's true, "Better late
than never", why then
"Happy Birthday", past the date
may work, with a friend.

I'll still raise a cup up
and toast to the Jon
(that's the Giger version! Yup?
- not one you sit on).

Good things didn't abate,
with Jon's smiles and cheer.
Many returns to that date,
for many a year!

a ppalling prayer

This is my prayer for you. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you spiritual wisdom and the insight to know Him more. That He may give you eyes of understanding to know more of the hope of His calling and the magnificent riches of the glory of His inheritance to all who believe, and the greatness of His mighty power that is available to us, which is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at God's right hand in the heavenly places. EPHESIANS 1:16-20 (PM Version)

It is mine for you too,
my dear good brother.
God of Jesus bless you,..
and then another...
Paul Lindsay DoubleEwe,
- has a big brother!
Yeshua, yes Yeshu, -
He doesn't smother!
-fans smoke to a flame (blue),
nurtures as mother
hen covers her chicks to
grow and recover...

a farmer sends ... an SMS ... your crop depends ... on seeds; I stress!

Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. (‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭7-8‬ MSG)

Do not be misled: 
no one makes a fool 
of the One who said:

“Let light shine”, which sped;

“Let plants grow” from dead

matter; “Let Man rule”,

taught to use a tool

to tend garden bed.

What-ev-er’s plant-ed

is the crop that you’ll

harvest as a rule!

Awake in his school?

Mind alive or dead?

The person who plants

selfishness, and greed

(treats as happenstance,

hasn’t learned romance),

ignores their own chance

to really succeed.

Harvest comes from seed,

not what gardener chants

(even if he rants)

will grow more than weed.

It isn’t alchemied

so there is a need
-know the seed one plants!

Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭7-8‬

- just how old is she?

Walker

Not many folk are much keener -

a real Walker, is Katrina;

loves to get out there under sky,

and doesn't mind wind passing by.

There’s training and playing soccer

where age is felt, never knock her

“the oldest person in the team”,

most years see goals, set-ups between,

and when the soccer’s over, then

she looks for jogging, running, when

she is too tired, why then she talks

of having some more little walks.

Katrina Ellen

I hear you say, 'n' it’s very true;

“Katrina’s year is Sixty-two”.

She doesn’t look that old, does she?

She hardly even seems Sixty!

But then again the facts don’t lie.

Surprises hit us when we try

to get our heads around these things,

so sometimes we take what life brings.

And one of those things has been good,

it's been a 'treena, and I should

know for I've seen another life -

lived as a single man, no wife.

And I say unequivocally

that I've seen goodness grow in she

who is a daughter, and a mum,

and mentor, friend, and more to come,

as she takes on, both true and glad,

as daughter of her mum & dad,

all the best of inheritance

come from hea'en, just like seeds from plants

(or plants from seeds, both ways work well,

the same life in a different shell)

reflecting what is good & true

from who gives life, through others too.

But “Sixty Two”! Though not “years old”,

it’s more “years young”, if truth be told.

And in this year “Twenty-fifteen”,

I’m glad to’ve shared her year that’s “been”.

under-standing of truth

On today's Father's Day picnic put on by my daughter we started considering Bonhoeffer, a German who was executed by Hitler a week before Germany's capitulation, for his involvement in a plot to overthrow Hitler. He lived through two World-Wars.
Then of Germany the home of much Christian Theology & creativity with people like Bath, and Bach. Christianity that was supposedly following the teaching and life of Jesus of Nazareth, who taught people to live in the Creator's love & reflect that to others by turning the other cheek, laying their lives down, praying for their enemies etc , & yet a Germany that was the instigator of two World-Wars.
Lastly we thought of the story of this creator God who saw humanity as baby gods, the children of God who were meant to grow up to rule God's world with the love and care of God. When he appointed his model human as leader, the very "chosen people" of this God (who had been given just and fair laws and humane ways of living and caring for the world), would not receive him or accept this "stranger", and crucified Yeshua . . . who (claimed he) was the path (to God), the truth (of God, that God is not just a force or principle, but a person and personal), the life (of God, that celebrates relationship and peace, and trust, hopeful ways forward, hesed etc)

Not closeness to a roof
but "under-ness" to it
's what keeps you dry in truth.
This carries much more wit

than one might think at first
but history's littered with
the lust for power, the thirst
to live as gods whose biff

will fix up all that's wrong,
will make the wrongs turn right,
and bring on salvation
with no pain, overnight.

Not closeness to the truth
but under-ness to it
is what forms a "dry roof"
and shelters more to wit:

to let it lead and rule,
to call for and change me,
not to use as a tool
to help and make me free

(though, it can do that well)
the old me's not what would
or should be saved from hell
(dump for what won't be good).

Humble? God!

God is the one that lifts my head high and makes my life significant when I humble myself in the presence of The Lord. James 4:10 (PM Version)

Amen, Yes,
he sure is
one who lifts
who are his

who like him
are humble;
suff'ring, sin,
a rumble...

even death,
you take on.
Takes my breath.
All seems wrong.

Humble You!
God above!
It won't do
f'r us to shove,

push 'n' puff
ourselves up.
Quite enough!
Drink the cup!

We follow
Pioneer.
Tomorrow
He'll appear.

And the world
right will spin,
flag unfurled
follow him.

Amen

Con(t)ext

TXT1 (one day)

have stuff to sort out
t'morrow can hang out
but just for a bit,
and then that is it. 

TXT2 (next day)

The tea is hot
and in the pot.
So when you've got
here, we'll "what not.."...

clean sweep! washed clean!

(on Greg's ritual washing, after his real washing)

Greg-go just drowned
a whole culture,
denied! killed! frowned
an old vulture

shot at the tip
of a trigger;
washed away; dipped
in a bigger

flood of fine air,
like a fish caught,
tugged from somewhere
to new world brought.

Wat'ry life ends
old "breath" expires
new life depends
on ways much higher.

If God dain't do
what he done first
(miracle or two),
no new life bursts...

...t'would be "the end";
God has agreed
He says we'll send
that to be freed..

free as compost,
sent to the tip,
nothing good's lost
if it's been "shipped"

shipped off right well
any fees paid,
(that is God's Hell,
I'm glad it's made)

So if once owned
labelled as mine,
then it is thrown 
out and defined

as rubbish, well
remains no ill
'cept the tip swells.
Thank you Council!

DO-BE-DO-WARR (OF LOVE, IN LOVE)

Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be brave, be strong and let everything that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (PM Version)

God thank you for having
such good plans for us
as this, to be living
LOVE in all the fuss

of all that we do here
(and all that we say?),
makes me want to give Cheer!
Live like that today!

But now I am scared stiff,
too often I'm not
much loving, with no whiff
of Jesus' hot,

white hot steel that's to be
pounded and shaped well,
by your skillfull smithie
from heaven (not hell).

Oh to have his sword-love,
sharp as a scalpel
tough as a hea'nly dove,
strong as a whirlpool.

Maybe today as I
welcome love's beatings
on me and in all my
longings / entreatings

and let your love soften
my cold and hard heart,
please "blow" it as often
as needs be to start.