When you can't hold on, let yourself be held..

Many pressures, from many directions threaten to squash a mate.

---

Oh, punc, don't let yourself be fooled by thoughts

that your ability to hold to God,

is what it's all about, as though you caught

some fish too big, that might pull you in. What's

the sort of God that Jesus showed to us?

A father, who would spend his treasure full,

and life, with hardly any kind of fuss,

to have you really with him. Heart strings pull.

I thought today of Jesus's deep groans.

And heard the words of psalmists calling out;

"O Lord, please listen to my words, and moans..

Please hear my sighs, when no one is about.

My life dissolves in anguish and in  groans;

my strength is lost from troubles, bones grow weak.

The sounds from my own lips are more like moans.

My words were quiet. I could hardly  speak!

In my distress I groan aloud and am

reduced to skin and bones. I need your help."

I know you don't want me to be a sham.

Please let me be your pup, or cub, or whelp.

So here I am. I'm in your hands I see.

I cannot be the god who made and kept

the universe together. I'm just me.

I'm really glad it says that "Jesus wept".

So please use all these pressures as you would,

if really there was such a God as he,

that's Jesus, said there was, who's really good.

Then I would act as you would have me be.

---

The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”  Psalms 12:5 NLT; + Exod 6:5; Jer 45:3; Lam 1:21; Act 7:34; + Ps 5:1; 22:1; 31:10; 32:3; 102:1-22

---

What a leader! No fear-seeder!

 

Responding to the comment about some people trying to gain control over others by instigating & maintaining fear in them. 

---

Do not be fearful! 

For He is here, full 

of life immortal,

indestructible;

He who is with us

is carrier, and plus

He's the first test case,

designer with grace.

Pioneer, done it!

No-one has run it -

the race as he just did.

Happy as small kid

in home of his father.

Told us to rather

be glad that our name

bears only his shame.

He went for that suff'ring,

trusting God's buff'ring,

entrusted his life

to one who is rife

with love (& with strife,

- eats it for breaky!)

Though wants to take wife,

Ahh, what the heck, he

can trust in Abba

to fulfil God's will.

He says, "Don't fe-ar!"

So joy, work, rest, still.

---

walk-y gawk-y talk-y. Unbaulk-y.

---

TXT2me: Let's go for an exercise-friendship walk, weather permitting, soon.

---

Ok. Let's see. God if you please, do lead

us and effect the weather so to make

it possible for us to walk, and read

your mind, since you gave it to us. Awake!

We would be wide awake to you yourself,

and to your hopes & dreams for this ol' world.

Please give us grace from you, the source of health,

& life, & love, where all that's good is curled.

Please make your shalom-thriving, so to be

the case in these few lives that you own here.

And help us to be carriers, with grace,

of it, to all the people we draw near

to in this place that you have sent us to,

and at this time where your big plans have traced

their threads through hist'ry, as you're wont to do.

So even though we've never seen your face

(& sometimes when folk did,  they didn't know),

we find that you have made our minds, and loves,

to see, and know, in other ways that go

much further than when folk could feel the shoves

of crowds who would mistakenly not brush

as each one there was straining to get near,

but in their none-derstanding somehow crush

the others who were glad that he appeared.

So if you want us, Lord, to walk beside

each other here today, please help us to

be tuned into the fun of when you hide,

& seek your heart & mind. Keep going too. ..

---

inter view, tomb view, raised view..

A friend who is also a Jesus-follower, is about to go for a job interview.

---

Go well, dear friend.

And do not fear.

For till the end,

God is quite near

who made the world

and all good-ness,

which once was curled

within the breast

of source of life,

and love, and stuff.

God's mind is rife.

You have enough.

For you, with us,

and God, or course,

have more than fuss

and stricture laws;

we have, suffice

to say, it seems,

the mind of Christ!

It shines &  gleams.

Embody who

is there with you,

and be that self,

whatever health,

you feel just now.

Know that somehow,

you may trust who

created you!

---

Hospital visits

 Some friends doing hospital tests and procedures today… (names changed to protect the innocent)

---

Oh God, we like this couple. You do too!

In fact, the kind of likes we have at all,

are probably inherited from you.

And probably your "likes" are not so small

as even what are largest likes for us!

Please make our Fredrick and our Mary, both,

to be right there, amongst all of the fuss, 

a blessing, that will demonstrate your trōth.

---

remember me

 Message from friend: "Bad dreams etc, please pray." Some do.

---

Amen, amen. Oh God, we know no things

that run or swim, or slide, or skip, or stand

or crawl, or move about, or glide on wings

can ever separate us from your hand

of love, because the whole bang lot depends,

the past, the present, and the  future too,

upon creative love of God who sends

out all existence, by his choosing to.

For he's who keeps alive, in his own self,

as one imagines things within one's mind.

And he's who understands sickness and health,

the source of Good, from whom it is defined.

And we as God's own children miss the face

of Father/Mother of all life that is,

as unborn babe when in it's hiding place,

within it's mother's self dain't feel her kiss.

So we rejoice that in these tri-als now,

along with all our fears, that wear us down,

we may recall you who is boss and "Wow!"

As we sit here "with you" we hardly frown.

And so we would remember, as you told

us to, when we share food and drink with those

who are our fam-i-ly, with faith that's bold,

who don't shrink back, but stand against their foes;

so we recall, our father, Jesus Christ!

It's you & he, we'll trust to so provide

our needs, down here in womb-world. This suffice;

untill we "see" you, on the other side.

---

The intonation of Motivation

Some friends went on an adventure with God...

---

Well off they went to seize the day up North,

to take an opportunity or two,

this couple were determined that  their worth

was not determined by what they could do,

but more by just responding to that love,

bestowed in wallops everywhere they went;

to be a kind of hose attached above,

to let that vast supply out where they're sent.

And thus the scent of Christ is spread on Earth,

where death, disease, corruption now abound,

and even in our bods, for what it's worth,

some of those stinky things can still be found.

For all of us on Earth now are still babes,

developing accordingly as things

go, for each babe is diff'rent and behaves,

& grows in diff'rent ways as their life brings

quite diff'rent opportunities and options,

yet many babies still grow up it seems,

become parents, or take on adoptions,

so somehow it can work, and life still teams!

But life that's "from above" is growing too,

and what a privilege to see it do

its magic in folk like ol' me, and you,

transforming mortal life to what goes through

the death of this mere mortal bag of bones, 

through willingly  embracing pain & death,

and following Yeshua as his own,

his spirit innervating ev'ry breath.

---

The blessing of questing

A problem, or uneasiness arises. A doubt concerning how things are presently moving forward, or at least the way to move forward. The possibility of delusion, or gullibility, or simply a group of people being mistaken. Maybe an awareness of inconsistencies or irregularities. A fear that this whole system might not be whole, or complete, or universal... as it was previously taken to be. Maybe a sense of powerlessness. It gets to a point where things can't keep going on as they are with any sense of integrity.

A questor has been born, thrust, mostly, unwillingly, out from the protective bubble they have previously inhabited, into a larger, scarier world.

My prayer is: 

That this questor would be able to clarify "their problem" and in the process of digging around it and under it, in order to get to the bottom of it (as much as they can, given the constraints of human existence - dependency, time and ignorance, not to mention the added difficulties given to those of us in the West  of commodification & individuality  etc), find one day that the process of pursuing reality has done its work in them and they have grown

from 

• a less-examined, sub-culturally biased, individual belief - that holds to a closed set of doctrines, 

to 

• the increased maturity of an examined, honest, owned, open in a new way to the critique and counsel of others, kind of personal belief that holds to, no, more is carried by the living truth itself,

and the new way of living in the world that comes with that growth. (That's when the real fun ramps up)

---

The way forward for one particular questor in question, appears presently to me to be:

• See the records as being trustworthy (enough) to be able to validly hear the claims and perceive the life and message of the man Jesus (dubbed the "Christ" by his followers), who lived 2000yrs ago, as a peasant carpenter in the days of the Roman Caesars Augustus & Tiberius.

• Work out whether they (the questor) will (start or continue to) follow this man, Jesus; as a way to fulfil their own purpose in being created by the Creator - the Most High God, and again claim Jesus as God's anointed Leader of Humanity (Christ), and set themselves to listen to any other ways of seeing and being in God's world, that Christ (in this new way of now knowing him and being known by him) might now ask them to take on. 

---

learning to listen

Oh God, what should I now be asking for

this one within your world I know you love?

Please help me love and listen to you more. 

I do know that you said, though you're above

all of us here, we are your sheep, our Lord,

and as your sheep we still would know your voice. 

(Though most sheep can't get  language, in accord 

with Nature, for it's really not their choice,

but more the hardware of their brain and soul)

Still I assume their shepherd's voice might mean

a message so to jostle or enfold,

to keep them safe, or hurry to a stream. 

So all my hurried mind-work so to win,

to not be left behind, to do more jobs,

to prove I'm worth more than a sheep has been,

might sometimes frazzle, turn smooth into blobs.

I want to listen more, and quicker too.

Please teach me how to do this,  Most High God.

To learn to pray, and fast, as you would do.

To eat food gratefully, and sometimes not. 

So here I am, I'll listen up to you. 

I'll sit quite still, and follow up that plan*

a child of yours spelt out, of what to do,

and trust you for that other child again.

And it is true, I am your child in truth,

and want to be a true man like that One

you sent to Earth before I was a youth,

the one you said to listen to. Your Son.

---

*  Jim Harrison's original article, and suggested plan to get going & my subsequently somewhat edited version.

---

A b ram "bling" story: Fear not! bread & wine ...

---

Then after Abram went to free some slaves

by fighting against odds, trav'ling at night,

and routing all their captors, he behaves

with thoughtfulness towards the captives' plight.

He’s gath'ring what he could of all their stuff,

and bringing them back to their native place.

Then King of Peace, named Rightrule, brings enough

of sustenance that’s humble yet will trace

the work of man with God to make good food:

some bread & wine, to give Abram at end.

This priest of God Most High would not be rude

but pass this blessing on from God, to friend:

"Now Abram is true blessed by God Most High, 

Creator of the sky and also land. 

And God Most High be praised who helped you fight

and gave your enemies into your hand."

Then Abram gave a tenth of everything 

he had, to Rightrule - as a priest of God.

And when approached then, by another king,

he carefully refused more stuff offered.

And after this, the word of God, the Lord 

came to this Abram in a vision, more

‘Let nothing fear you, Abram (no sword),

I am your shield, your very great reward.’

But Abram said, ‘What can you give me, Lord,

since I remain childless, with  servant heir.’

"As stars up in the sky, a countless horde,

will be your offspring." And Abram was there. 

---

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Gen. 14:18‭-‬20 NIVUK

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.’

Gen. 15:1 NIVUK

But Abram said, ‘Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.’ Then the word of the Lord came to him: ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.’ He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Gen. 15:2‭-‬6 NIVUK

https://bible.com/bible/113/gen.15.2-6.NIVUK 

---

Sharing life..

God help us please 

to be at ease

with you.

But to respect

how we're connect-

ed too.

These two at once

make up the dance

of life.

Such a tension,

not to mention:

Love's rife,

and we'll grow up

in truth a pup

of him.

This dance of truth 

in loving youth's

not dim.

It sparkles like

some life of Christ

on Earth.

And truly it 

is ev'ry bit

his birth;

from seed of God

in human bod

to walk

among the place-

-es human face-

-es talk.

His glory hid,

kept under lid,

still there,

peeks out at times,

when God word rhymes.

We stare.

But must entrust

ourselves, not lust

but care,

as your heart does

"Live here, with us!

We'll share!"

---