All the rest is in faith, in hope, in love. So Ultimate reality is personal, it has a face; the truth, the life, the way.

My soul finds rest in God alone; He is my hope. God is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Psalm 62: 5-6 (PM Version)

When my soul says "Yes" t' 
God, it finds it's rest;
even if "Yes" to
hard work that's to do.
Better, showed Jesus
(the one who frees us),
to suffer and "die",
working with God's high
purposes; than "live"
the alternative.
He, himself is my
hope, & love, & life,
my defence as well
from my living hell.
Not my accuser,
far from my "user";
my life's very dim
if not done with him!
Those who think like "tax",
and law can't relax.
He came from above,
with his new way- LOVE.
Or some say it's Grace,
'n his scarred healing face.
Whatever you say,
He is still my way.
Whatever I feel
his truth is more real.

C/S EXECUTIVE LEADERS OVER US

You men are my brothers,
and you take our burdens,
don't let that work smother
your life; when your hurtin'

keep running to Jesus,
the living Cornerstone,
who unlike the Caesars,
has "a Father's heart" shown

both "to him", & "from him"
so he could be "Father"
to who depends on him.
There's none whom we'd rather!

How am I?

I am still incredibly looked after.

There are other explanations in terms of power, controll, and self-interest, all of which I reject as coming from truncated world-views, too puny & simplistic (incomplete & uncreative) to be taken seriously let alone joyfully.?

I think of, & see/picture the beautiful gifts of family, friendship, love, prayer, time, conversation, beauty, connection, as best explained by the presence of redeeming love in the world. This breaking down, falling apart, temporary, cursed (because it's gods gave themselves to live under the curse of sin) world; but also the nascent, groaning, in the womb-about-to-be-born, world of God's dreaming...

Redeeming Love, present in it all, "with us".
Redeeming Love, the present in it all, "with us".

Emmanuel,
Hallelujah!
Marana'tha!
Amen+!

+the last 4 words are words taken directly from Hebrew or Aramaic, they mean respectively something like: "God is with us", "praise to Yahweh", "please come Lord!", "That's it!/So be it./Yes!"

Another Year

Mandy-Pandy's getting old,

might I be so straight &  bold

as to say, on this birthday-

nice or not, it's here to stay..

..Many-Pandy's getting young.

Do U think I am quite gung-

-ho, to bring this very thing,

to our conversationing?

4 she grows in graciousness

every day she lives to bless

neighbours, friends & patients 2,

not to mention "Family Zoo";

grows more like a little child

who is living free & wild;

(not a despot, self-centred;)

weeping/glad, still undeterred.

I'm glad you are my sister.

U remind me of Lister(*).

Many things invisible

act like they're invincible..

..yet are not, & quickly fall

when their "cover's blown" to all,

and the love U've shown will be

what is needed to set free,..

..to disprove purposelessness

and to help us all confess

we see in Ur thoughtfulness

more than power & cash can guess.

26Feb2012

*Joseph Lister, who (while being made fun of by the medical fraternity) found and used antiseptic to kill the invisible "germs" he postulated (at first from Pasteur's reckoning, but after a while from his own corroborating evidence as well)

FOLLOWING THE LEADER ...

I’m thinking of Ben Johnston,

of his growth as a leader.

“You've been carry-ing on son,

as I left you - a feeder

of my sheep, and a carer

of my lambs, as I have done”;

imagine Christ’s words (rarer

than what he’d like, to his sons),

spoken to this Johnston Braa.

To me it just seems so right

when I think of that Benoit*;

speaking careful, listening bright.

And thinking too of Jesus,

and his way of leadership -

quite different to the Caesars’

whose “absolute power” he then flipped.

Not “power” like Caesar had had,

yet he had authority;

to serve, or speak, - a true Dad,

who’d give his life to set free

those who other-wise would be

slaves, he then called them his friends.

God, for Ben, our prayer’s that he

take simi’lar risks, and that Ben’s

creativity grows rife,

being the son of his dad,

c’municating through his life

that he is “Creator” ’s lad.

* pronounced Ben-waar

Feb 2016AD, Orange, NSW.

Listening...Glistening at length; .... .... Celebrating...agravating strength!

I praise the LORD with my whole heart, I thank Him for the good things he does for me. He has forgiven all my sins and healed all my diseases. He rescued me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things.Psalms 103:1-5 (PM Version)

The Lord does not ignore me when I am suffering, when I have afflictions and needs. He does not hide His face. He listens to my cry for help. Psalms 22:24 ( PM Version)

He's good, and I sing!

Some things are learnt best

through pain & suff'ring.

He won't let the test

though, go for longer

than can be borne with

his help that's stronger.

It's not just a myth

that he uses tests

as discipline trains

and hardens, with rests,

to prepare who reigns,

or will, when time comes

to seek what is good

(not just sit on bums)

and true, as one should,

and then to enact

and follow on through,

not ignore the fact

it takes work to do.

(night of what was believed to be the) Birthday of Tim Watson

Timbo what's on?
on this fine day...
things may have gone
much worse, I say

that if it's true
this very day
was born young you,
Happy Birthday!

Now being late,
it might well be
Happy Birthnight!
Sleep restingly.

Glad that this year
you'll be around.
You bring good cheer,
and fruit abounds!

Thanks for your en-
-er-gy about,
quite a good friend
(sometimes a lout)!

And I am glad,
so I say now,
that you have had
good times, and wow...

they say that the
best is to come
and I believe
that there's more fun(!)

- or deeper joy,
maybe we should
see with his boy
we're known by God.

Giver and gift, shiver & shift. P2P

My soul finds rest in God alone; He is my hope. God is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Psalm 62: 5-6 (PM Version)

Ah Yeah!
I share
your heart
to start
and end
as friend
of God.
He's whad
up-lifts!
True, gifts
from him
don't dim
his care,
but we're
sure there
's enough
(of stuff).
But we
must see
his face,
so trace
our path
(with laugh)
not to
but through
(beyond)
despond-
ency
till we
get new
strong bods
like God's.
Again
Amen!

LIFE FILE

Life on Earth that’s real

(not i-de-al-ized)

often comes to feel

at times sty-al-ized –

bit of a pig-pen

(not nice to live in)

and we see it when

we hear our feelings

of discord that sound,

draw our attention,

to things that are 'round

though they’re unmentioned.

When it comes to folk

who aren’t the ideal,

(this is not a joke,

to me seems quite real)

most of us grow more

“something” every year,

(either grumpy or

freed, or full, of FEAR;

more love, or stricture,

or more self-centred…)

you get the picture:

flow’r  o r  fowl  scented.

As I’ve watched through years

Alan has changed too;

and to me appears

to have truly grew

more loving/ thoughtful

(‘ttimes he may’ve been gruff -

to his own first-born,

or workers, & stuff),

and I think I’ve seen

him grow in grace there.

Though life may seem mean,

he came to be where

he would listen well

to another’s view,

(not that I’m to tell,

but) I’ve seen him do

that &, when I’ve asked,

carefully give his thought,

not demand I fast

obey; a good-sport.

Gave me good counsel,

opened up his home,

& I am grateful

he was not alone.

For I saw him share

his life with a girl

who helped him to care

for more of this world…

& I think he did

let God teach him too

so that as he hid

his life   in God, grew!