God stretch us all out .. .. .. to show love about..

Some thoughts after hearing of some faithful friends who are helping some others in need mediate and bringing peace to a toxic situation:

Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you, even the small things. 1 Peter 5:7 (PM Version)

How excellent are the Lord's faithful people! My greatest pleasure is to be with them.
Ps 16:3 (GNTD)
.......

Thanks God for your people who let you live
the grace of our Lord Jesus through them here
& now express-ed-ly, hes-edly, give-
ing flesh to your mesh of faithful love's cheer.

So YOU cheer us on (the source of all joy)
by that one man who lived open to you,
peace comes to us from Jesus (who's your boy -
and thus was your man, God we want that too...

To grow up like him who's clearly modeled;
to let his cross win, by taking up ours
(my flesh wants to be cared for and coddled),
listening, and serving thus taking up hours!

a wedding blessing

Young Millicent Jayne Tullia Heer walks 
on down to the river TO Learn AND Pray...
so we see that now she no longer baulks.
"Go with young Duncan to Learn Love", we say.

The blessing of Sky: the sun, moon, & stars;
the clouds and storms by which snow, hail, sleet, showers...
the blessing of Earth, much cooler than Mars,
with responding growth, & fruit from the flowers...

with blessing of Sea: allowing to Land,
it's own terr-i-t'ry (a yang and a yin).
All blessed 'cause they rest beneath his command;
the key is we're "blessed to be a blessin'".

My part - take heart, ... he says - and prays!

Jesus has given me His peace, although here on earth I face many trials and sorrows. I take heart, because Jesus has overcome the world. John 16:33 (PM Version)

May The Lord fill you with His love to overflowing. A Love that touches everyone around you. May He establish you, Holy and blameless in heart and soul before Himself, the Father of us all. Amen  Thessalonians 3:12,13. (PM Version)

Amen. Jesus has overcome
this world and it's culture
and all that is glum,
or happy as a vulture.

Amen. May the Lord fill you with
love to overflowing,
establish your "myth" -
your story that holds meaning.

Amen. So that relationships
you have, have the flavour
of Yeshua's lips,
your words and deeds be savoured...

Amen. ..savoured with his salty,
tasty and holy love,
not with the paltry,
but with wisdom from above.

Amen

your deeds... show you

I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you keep my word and you do not deny my name.
Revelation 3:8 (PM Version)

..........

Saul, Paul... "I know your deeds." He said.
'Who are you Lord?' Came from my head.
I could not see, but I could hear...
the pieces came together clear:
could this be Yeshua- God's Christ?
And he interprets well sufficed
to say: A WAY THAT GROWS GOD-LOVE*.
He sees more than I "from above",
& now calls me to see as he
does, that he has placed before us
an open door that no one's fuss
can shut. He says "I know that you
have LITTLE strength, yet you do true
keep my word and you don't deny 
my name. I am the same who died,
and raised to life in God's good time.
NOW FOLLOW MY SPIRIT SUBLIME."

* e.g. Jesus to the woman with the alabaster jar. Or an example of one of his disciples doing a similar thing in his interpretation:(see blog "John's interpretation (of a shoddy action)".

John's interpretation (of a shoddy action)

John 11:45-52

"Young Lazarus - raised from the dead
by Jesus!" That's what people said.
High Council called it's members 'all',
they flummoxed and felt very small:
His works were too big to gain-say;
'ignoring' now had 'had it's day'.
Their actions seemed unable to
quite stop what recent hist'ry doomed...
The High Priest Jo. ben Ciaphas
was glad to see more than the mass;
he stated his weighing of things
(to save their power, and their skins).
His words held more truth than he knew
(as Balaam's Ass' s may have too).
The Jewish High Priest prophesied
that Jesus should for peace-sake die -
for all God's people - his nation.
Ol' John takes this 'revelation',
he then continues, and displays
his teacher's hermeneutic ways:
the poetry of seeing 'big'
and 'good', in this small dirty gig!

John's narration: ... 49 One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, “What fools you are! Don't you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?” 

John's interpretaion: 51 Actually, he did not say this of his own accord; rather, as he was High Priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God

tough love..

A mutual friend needs stern-ness: He has been acting from his needi-ness, rather than his gifted-ness. When I've spoken straight to him, he's stopped coming around and talking. This acting out his neediness means that not many other people want him around for long.

God please help our brother now,
to see what you've gifted him,
and in celebration
serve with grace, strength undimmed.

Please also help us see
any more we can do
to appropriately
be co-workers with you.

Amen.

Soph the Goph...

Our Sophie's one year older since her birth,
about now is the time to celebrate

the twenty six year holder - on this earth,
& we are glad that she's done more than hate;

she's learned to love & that's of the most worth
- & still it's growing in her more of late

with her Peter, she's learning to have mirth
that's oh sweeter, and is a kind of 'gate',

or 'door' into another kind of turf,
or more a world that's stamped with the Creat-

or's image that grows energy (not girth)
in expressing the love that makes life great.

So we are glad to know ol' Soph the Smurf,
her Papa is too, I'm glad to relate!

there in the train.... a mum and two sons... thinking again

It'd be better to have parents
and miss your inheritance,
than to get all the goodies 
yet lose out on 'lations!

It's better to get God 
and miss his gifts,
than to get all God's gifts 
yet miss out on learning how to live (& use them) from your God - who is both father & mother!

Especially if your fam'ly's true,
for they will know just what to do,
& if they don't they'll still love you,
& share their own lives with you too!

So thanks to God "You're my Pa-paa,
though I don't know quite where you are,
but maybe as I've been a Dad
(the best insight I've ever had)

& talked to my kids 'in the womb'
(when neither Mum, nor Dad were seen -
or understood, it was too soon)
& yet we loved our kids between

us both, & separation's gift
was to allow more love to grow
between us as our child we lift-
ed (& they chose to let us know

the inside stuff, like hopes & fears,
to choose to listen & to learn,
& let love grow throughout the years,
respect, & don't just pout & spearn

advice and help that's offered them).
O God I will learn from them to
be a true child, who is a friend,
& offspring, of someone like you.

Caught a cold...

Hi Paul, I'm feeling quite out of it cause of this cold. Can we catch up early next week?


God, please do your thing
the way you make life
from dead stuff, you bring
new movements of lithe
dancers with intent;
friendship, hate, or strife.
Please help Tim, who's spent
time feeling un-life-ed.
Work & studies meant
Carm may feel un-wifed!
Help him, you who went
where sicknesses stif-
-led, & unclean "bent"
people tried to trif-
-le with God's world, lent
to us who are rife
- rife with God's intent,
& with God's own life.
There you made a dent,
'n'cut out like a knife.
Please do that again t'
Tim, & too his wife.

to know as we are known

... For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love. 1Cor.13:6-13  ASV

For now we see, as though through a mirror

[a mirror made of polished metal plate,

well bronze that’s beaten - sil-ver was dearer -

by hammers; smiths would try to make it straight]!

When tarnish then corrodes with green or black,

the mirrors would show “darkly” when you looked.

The world within the mirror would be stacked

with many things unclear-er than if took

to eye-balling the people or the world

around you, without mirror in-between.

For who knows Love (that’s not just has been told

about it) are like children who’ve been weaned*:

they look to see their mother not just for

what they can get from her - like their next feed,

but love’s awakened something that’s much more;

they recognize her face, not just their need.

When starting to know her, not just the facts

about her, her child’s starting to be real,

to know some of her secret thoughts, & acts,

her motives and commitments, how she feels…

This childlike knowledge (diff’rent from “child-ish”),

the kind of knowledge God has now of us,

is more concerned with knowing someone's wish,

& recognizing them without much fuss.

But “darkly” also meant  in parable,

enigma, puzzle, figure, mystery.

Though Christ’s followers may seem gullible,

the crucial, central figure here is HE.

* Psalm 101& 131

Can I do anything?

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. 
Philippians 4:13. (Paul M. Version)

I agree with both Pauls (the apostle, & McLaughlan). But there is something (broken?) in me that takes a lovely statement like that, and twists it (esp. the "I can do all things/anything..") for, what it calls "My (or even God's) purposes", but is really only the purpose of a stinking dead me. My antidote is firstly, to reframe the statement in it's original context, e.g. 

I think Paul was probably
getting at, or trying to
communicate in words the
things they'd seen in life & truth:

already Philippians
had seen him (and Silas) jailed
and the jailer heard the songs,
saw that Christ's life hadn't failed.

Maybe Paul meant something like
" I can handle any things
(that God allows to his tyke)
that come my way, that life brings;
since he himself is my "bike",

he is my "car", and my "truck"
my gate, my path, and my door,
he is my way, and my luck,
and my truth, my life, what's more

he is my strength, that's God's Christ,
God's anointed here on Earth,
showed how to be sacrificed
to our God, for what it's worth.

And we find Christ says it's good,
beautiful, or else much more,
and speaks as if that's what should
be done, and not just ignored.

Paul here stretches, runs a race,
giving all, to get the prize,
till he stands and sees His face,
and looks straight into His eyes!

faith functions

A friend from a Muslim background said something positive about someone known to me whom he had met the other day, and wondered if they had faith.

This got me thinking etc. about what faith is... this is the result so far. Feel free to adjust, differ and to comment..


Our FAITH is our responding loyalty
to who and what we have believed before
it sort of helps us live above the sea
of i-de-as and contradicting lore.

And so it is important where it's based
for it sets our direction and the course
of where we then end up, or think we're placed,
how easily it leads life, or is forced.

Good Faith of which I speak brings confidence
for further living, as it is proved true,
we won't believe because we want it, hence,
we'll only hope for what there's reason to...

But still there's need to step out boldly to
meet each new future with these hopes in mind
and faith helps here if there's another who
works with us yet is not bound inside time,

especially if we're part of a big team
and others who we trust have "filled us in",
then faith gives us the bright capacity
to live with certainty 'bout what's not seen.

Marty. Might he? Older, bolder!

Well "Happy Birthday Marty" older man
(& one day later than I should have been
if my wish was on time, but then again...
some better things than "Happy" have been seen.

. .. could celebrate the day of your old birth
on any day that we were glad you came
(were SENT by God to live on this old Earth);
since then "born from above" brings on no shame.

In fact it brings more glory than could be
imagined, since what HE's gone to prepare
is better than ear heard, or eye could see;
that's whether it's on Earth, or in the air.

And since we know the new life that HE brings
is grown and matures fully in the hard-
hard places, and hard times, & sufferings,
a "Blessed Birthday" makes a better card.

For maybe on this Earthday we could bless..
bless you with all the joy and peace that's yours,
the middle of this old Earth's bloody mess,
as God's love to & through you daily pours.

New You, New Year!

In 2017- May The Lord fill you with His love to overflowing. 
A Love that touches everyone around you!!!  Thessalonians 3:12 (PM Version)  

2017 is going to be a great year!! Don't look back- look forward- keep your eyes on Jesus- He has good plans for you!! Blessings Paul McL

...........

In these days may The Lord fill you with such
such love to overflowing which will touch
all, everyone around you, so they see
the Life of Jesus (where you look - & me).

Know nothing good is ever lost, or "gone" -
its ripples will continue to go on.
And don't look back to what you used to do
as "way-to-go", because his plans for you

are good, and give a future and a hope.
And he's already started, & can cope -
working together: New You amaking.
All High Kings under him, or forsaking!