kind-a love...

But when the kindness and the love of God 

our Saviour (that's our Emperor and King),

became apparent to us (is that odd?),

he saved us (from the empty hollow thing

our way of life was coming to, each one.

He didn't do this 'coz we did so good,

but 'coz of his own mercy this was done.

He saved us through his washing off what could

be washed off of an old life in  rebirth,

renewal by that Holy Spirit who

(was present at creation, shared its mirth)

God poured out on us generously through 

our Leader, Saviour, Jesus Christ, so that,

as Stronger Man, and bringer of his peace, 

he's understood as our own father and

we are his children, learners, 'prenticees.

And we are justified because he won,

& by his grace he vouches for each child.

Now we are heirs of his rule (that's begun

in us his children, where his rule  grows wild,

with sure and certain hope of life, like his.

This saying is both trustworthy & true. 

And I want you, my son, to stress these things, 

so those who trust in God are sure to do

what's good, like him, their father and their god.

For doing good is not an after thought,

but central to his walk, and where he trod,

what's excellent and worthwhile, and well sought.

---

But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. Titus 3:4‭-‬8 NIVUK

---

The way of the family

 

Oh what a gift each one is to this fam-

i-ly, we are the luckiest of all!

We understand not very much. I am

most blessed of living men, both short or tall,

not only did I get a woman true,

who's growing more in each, most ev'ry day,

but then there's offspring, prize of prizes, who

are people, bit like us, who go away,

and come again; and going, coming brings

both sadnesses and joys, like growing pains.

And open friendship, where it can, it sings

and plays the music of a land of gains.

That is because of future reckonings,

and one we trust to interveningly

turn losses/ cuts, into the scars which bring

us into the next stage of life's body.

And sometimes others, in this way of life,

are cut up for us, so to pass it on.

A mother knows this most, if birthing strife

can still have both lives saved. And she's not wrong.

But ev'ry part of life, in fam-i-ly,

is in some ways or others, still a bit

like suffering and death of one's self we

subsume our own desires, to the best fit.

This love's not just the mechanism used

to magnify and multiply this way

of life, it is the muscles, food, and shoes

that take us on this fam'ly's path today.

---

Joy to the world

 

And oh, you make me very glad, my Dad.

I love to see your love above all else.

You care for every wild child that you've had.

Your own gene, though unseen supports and swells

to give creative energy to see

reflections of your work - you're quite berserk -

in ev'ry baby god, though odd-ly free,

we're bound to show, and know, in ev'ry quirk-

key way we testify (each word we say)

to who's the God of gods. This news is out!

Now I see, close to me, your wondrous way,

or more, I think, I feel - in stretching bout 

in womb, the tiny blastulous can "sense"

in ways that then display some truth (no noise),

inside, it must "abide", it's so intense

& otherWise destroys the baby boys

who might be seen unweaned, as to compete;

their very lives despised, for they exist,

(our one-ness in more fun-less, incomplete)

they must be kept from growing up, enlist-

ing in another cause, thus many laws.

So this truncated view, I now repu-

di-ate, & do eschew, with pow'r, & force!

To extricate it from my very You-

-n'-verse that I might rule, not as a fool

but under wonder of author-ity

and willing to be made a fool, uncool.

Your authorship both knitty & gritty.

---

• “How terrible for you… you hypocrites…. You give to God one tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such as justice and mercy and honesty. These you should practice, without neglecting the others. Matthew 23:23 GNTD

• Herod killing his own sons, whom he perceived as threats to his reign, and killing the (unweaned?) babies who might fit the description of a counter-king.(Matt or Luke)

• "The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of humanity (on its own, apart from God)."(1Cor 1:20-25 )

• "Take up your own cross, and follow me.."(Jesus, Luke 9; 12; 14)

• If his alternative view of reality is true, we may suffer the loss of this life, and entrust ourselves to him who judges justly.

• "The Universe on tip toe to see the children of God coming out, into their own space." (Rom 8)

• "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Psalm 139:13‭-‬15 NIVUK

---

serendipit..ease

Well, those surprises come and go at  times.

But, mostly when we least expect them, eh?

And heaps of things within our lives have rhymes.

Some sounds somehow remind us in the fray

of life - its ups and downs, and round abouts,

(that come, and come again - bit later on)

the vowel-sounds in these phonemes seem to shout,

some sing, and bring to mind things right, or wrong.

How lucky are we that we are not judged

by all reality, for all our thoughts.

And that our judge's mind cannot be budged

from judging us by what we "do". His laws

combine with all his wooing ways, to waft,

and help imaginations to arise

and do their best to motivate us oft-

en then, we're motivated, energised,

in ways opaque to ungracious "un-love".

God's actions are to do, but also teach,

and help us want the change that's "from above".

Oh help us God, to mimic you in speech.

And thanks for all this "fam'ly stuff" you give

to us, as though we were not bent from hell.

Just now we are determined so to live

with your good gifts and graces that "do well".

D' well with you, as you d' well with us.

Oh gift of gifts, your presence is enough

for life and godliness, without the "fuss",

just your reality, that is quite tough!

---

potent ial

 

Oh God, we're sitting here, and doing well,

and being well looked after in this plane,

while many folk around still suffer hell-

ish situations, with responses same.

Our neighbours back at home are feuding still,

except one has just changed his focus from

the ones below, to others up the hill,

and now those friendships will be shortly bombed.

Our fam'ly round about are aging quick.

These mortal bods are running down hill fast.

And soon we might be with that COVID sick,

but either way we'll lose them at the last.

So like our "baby" teeth must all fall out

to let those which are "permanent" come through,

I guess we'll have to lose this life (no doubt),

to let God gift the body he would, to

his children, so what's mortal will be filled,

ful-filled by immortality that's strong,

and "indestructible", as God has willed,

as Jesus' body has continued long.

And what a way of life you have so planned,

that humans might be paired, and pro-create

(more amateur it seems to me), but manned

& woman-ed, in a way that can elate!

And here's the cross-roads with a  choice to mend -

to keep proportion as we go our way,

to let our gratefulness express, extend

from "fruit"; to "tree"; to "garden"; "-er"…; I'd say.

---

i' sis de way it is?

 

To Shell, ol' gal - or is it still "young one"?

Is sixty still that number that we knew

a little while ago, when in the sun

of Tropics, where we grew up with friends who

knew like us, that if ever we got there,

to 60 yee-ars old, then 'old' we'd be,

& nearly at retirement, so beware

of any birthday quite near to "six-ty".

But here we are, quite close to it and yet,

we can still walk, & hobble up and down, 

remembering that sometimes we forget,

we've learned to talk while smiling - with a frown,

to indicate recalling "name?" and "time?"

and "place where we would meet?" and "texted / phoned?"

These atoms that our bodies borrow rhyme,

since they've been "by some other bodies owned".

And ev'ry time I see you, in this life,

I'm glad to catch up - tiny bits we do.

While knowing that we're not exempt from strife,

I'd like to see the sixty year old you!

So Shell keep holding faithfulness and love,

while seeking understanding, and grow "young"

in heart and attitude, what's "from above",

that good gifts are still seen, and maybe sung.

So thanks for doing what you could as well,

to help our Dad, & Mum, in aging too.

Oh God, please save us from bringing more hell

into your world; and to grow up like you.

---

mirror 'd'image

It looks like you're feeling for those different animals under your care, like their maker might... 

---

Oh God, I thank you very much for make-

-ing mirrors of yourself about the place.

To open up the eyes in selves, to wake

us up to what we might have on our face...

the attitudes, commitments, that you've got

(not "set in stone" - all stone exists from them)

from lovingly creating the whole lot,

and wanting all your kids to prize this gem.

So thanks, somehow, along with his own will,

for making this young man, and letting him

be on this Earth while I am on it still,

to let our strong command be what's your whim.

You're often topsy turvy. You're the best,

the God of gods acts like a little boy,

and lets us chide him, put him to the test.

Oh God, I want to copy you, in joy,

with your determined love, and tears, & fun,

with all your hopes and wishes, faithfulness.

This is a very funny joke that's come

into my mind just now. You are the best!

You let us play at gennies - at your wish.

I'll chain myself with gladness to your will,

the will of lovely truth, as to a fish

is water, which the fish moves through its gills

in glad life-giving energy, not drained

by this exertion - energized by it.

Like breathing ain't the thing by which we're chained,

your will, oh God, spouts joy ahead of it!

---

The New O'Donahue family

 

Is it smiley or simile? :)

 

---

Well, all of life is like a simile.

Its parts relate, abound, with "meta" for

there is a realm above; hill tops can see

much further off than valleys. They see more.

For matter matters much, and ev'ry state

with properties that vary, holds the key;

the Plasma, Gas, & Liquid, Solid, spate,

and how each one relates to energy,

is what allows the higher place to see

much further than the lower one can do,

where higher / lower places can still be.

Most solid matter cannot be seen through.

Yes, still we can see under, over, 'round.

To see around an object something has

to move (or miror), for sight's not like sound.

To see under or over, "space" (or gas)

must be below / above, where light can pass

to let you see some matter further, yon.

The gravity of matter gives our class

of words for over, under, down, up, on.

The valleys on the other hand are lush,

for water trickles there, and silt has come,

along with silt the seeds of plants get washed

and they grow quickly, thickly, well, that's some.

The states of matter interact with light

and other energy, to hold or let

them go their way. So we can see, or might,

with open eyes, if light is shining yet.

---

Tough things happen

Tough things happen to a man's family, friends, and relatives

---

Thanks Man... 

Oh God give Man (& Wife) your grace to face

these problems with your wisdom in your love,

and help them too to rest as they still trace

the thread laid down from him who's from above.

---

How's life going Walker?

How's life going, Walker?

---

Yup... just walking...  through it... one step at a time...

not that fast,

sometimes slow, 

but pretty surely...

The thing about being a walker is that walking is steady enough to mean if someone doesn't walk with you - you won't be spending much time together; yet it's slow/stable enough to allow for conversing, coffee, and even sharing some of  life along the way...

---

gentle & lowly

 Txt from friend:

From: "Gentle and Lowly - The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers(Dane Ortlund)

---

Response2txt:

So lovely - his love is. Lowly is he.

Not High and Mighty, though highest he be,

and mighty his love that's never ending -

creates a world for work, home, and friending.

First of all home, then friending, then work.

As a babe's womb-world, is no place to shirk -

the whole point is growing, towards the mature,

even a foetus knows more than   "manure".

Muck-own-i-um happens, inside a womb

but many a babe is still borne from that room

and lowly, hum-bly, Love stays with them then

to give them a chance to choose to be "friend",

instead of "hater" who'll "proudly compete",

more options later (with friendship that's sweet)

appear and will gently allow one to greet

trials as friends which will make you complete.

---

like you

 

---

Oh God, we like you very much, espesh-

ly how your children are a bit like you.

We know you've planned a grand Way, Truth, Life, meshed

with ecosystems all 'round what you do;

our small minds, aching hearts, and mortal lives,

are lines of poems that still need some more..

more lines that follow on. 'Till each arrives

we miss our rhymes, we need a stable lore,

or meter to enable us to read,

to even understand what we once  wrote.

So here we are, we'll listen, & we'll heed,

what you are try'na do, with ev'ry note.

We're seeing you are very like some Jazz

musicians who are playing as a band,

with not much music written. No ONE has

the score all sorted. They play "as they can."

You know the kind of music you might play,

but most of all, it will be with your kids,

and so together is the sort of way

they make their music - even banging lids.

---