closing down…

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The sadness of a friend unfriending 

getting narky, losing hope,

recalling "friendships have an ending",

saying that it's hard to cope

with all the harsh and thoughtless words and

ways that folk ignore you well,

or put you down, your thoughts like bird-sand

from the floor of cage (like hell).

And then at times you can't see any

ways that "we" could grow & thrive.

At least you stayed and lets some friendly

banter come. We're both alive.

Please see us God, the source of love and

all creative options that

we've ever seen, below, above. "Hand"

to unhanded, who are "flat".

And then I see your quick perceptions

guessing well your grandsons' wants.

And gladdly doing further "sections"

(styles, kilometers, or fonts).

It seems much more than I can bear, to

have my small and puny love

diminished more, instead of care to

magnify it, not to shove,

it like a mechanism thing-o,

but to grow it like some plant.

Well, there's our nemesis, who'll sing o-

-bout, a deer that'll only pant.

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1) Humanity starts with humility...

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Humanity 

that leads on to glory

starts with humility 

following the leader of our story

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It's life and death for us now, yes this thing

that's central to humanity at core.

A thing that God himself is modelling

and has been all along. And what's that for?

A question worth the asking, I would say.

But first the thing itself: it's seven times*

within the meaning-making-myth^ that's layed

down for "beginning" life with meaning rhymes..

The first story & poem gifted us

to undercut the rule of power & force

(with its assertions that life's meaning-less

-  which honest folk make from that stance because

they see with clarity, that this must be

the case if love and friendship do not lead)...

That first step in the task of following

creative love, links with the verb "to see".

The eyes of head, and heart [including mind

-  which understands the point of pointing to

a thing (as pointer dogs can do, and find

things from, while other dogs just sniff at  you)]

enable us to follow lines of sight,

& thought, and then infer some further stuff.

And then we "see", not just as bird/bee might

but bigger workings, purposes enough

to then include ourselves, as we might be

when we grow up in this creative love.

God 'saw' what good there was, and so might we.

There's more. But for the first step, that's enough.

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*  "And God saw that the light was good." Genesis 1: 4.

   "And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:10,    

   "And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:12, 

   "And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:18, 

   "And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:21,

   "And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:25,

   "And God saw everything he had made, & indeed it was very good." Genesis 1:31

^  "myth" in the sense of the sociologist/anthropologist technical use of the word: being a story (irrespective of facticity or fictional characteristics) told within a culture as a method of passing on (through metaphor, analogy, allegory, & other forms of identification), important insights and approaches to life, linking the everyday concrete world with the abstract or the world of intention & spirit.

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Tim Godfrey!

 (one verse per decade)

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Ol' Tim has turned just 40 years this week!

He's older and mature "so to speak";

he's done his jumping on 'is mountain bike,

and realized some things he doesn't like!

He says he's low on conscientiousness 

and high on disagreeability 

but we think he's the kind of bloke who'll bless 

all kinds of people - just like you and me!

Young Tim has grown to 40 years just now;

his mum is proud of all his growth and how 

he's done his life 3 kids; three kids and wife,  and dogs 

new house, & job & town, with new key fobs!

He's got some friends from all around the place 

who came to town to celebrate this thing. 

He blew the candles out - with his own face

and fingers too; when he had heard a sing!

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Some truth is revealed, not for me to say it (now), but simply in order for me to be able to choose some better option in future

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Oh God help us to handle well your truth.

For maybe it's best function isn't "said".

Maybe it's more to help us choose, a youth

but doing soon a man's job. I'll be bled

if I don't listen, let əffects* run deep,

& give me fear of harm that may yet come.

Some things we must not do if we need sleep.

For if we just continue on, then some..

..some monster will be loosened in God's world

by me (or you), so powerful to cause...

disasters, and amazing good lie curled

within our choices; so say all the lores,

or stories that enable us to see,

the bigger picture, backdrop to our scene.

A scary thing to think that it might be..

yes, US who'll change this world (know what I mean?)!

That's US, in capitals, to stand for God, 

and Humans (who are children of that ONE-

ness of their parents as through LIFE they've trod,

together, not just hiding from bright sun...

Oh yes! This is the thing that I would do.

I cannot think of anything more boon,

or good-er, but the off-shoots that come to

fruition, are because some plant's been pruned.

So prune me as you see fit, Gardner-Good^.

I trust you to grow life & health and peace,

the flourishing of all good, as well should

occur. Creative-love's work hasn't ceased!

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*  'əffects' starts not with 'e', nor with 'a', but with the international phonetics symbol 'ə' (named 'schwa'), which is a phonetic symbol for a muted vowel sound between the short 'a' sound and a short 'e' sound. When this word 'əffects' is pronounced, it is ambiguous as to whether it is affects, or effects, because both are here evoked. It is hoped that this ambiguating effect might affect the listener/hearer with curiosity, provoking the potential of the full force of both to be pondered.

^  Noting: Genesis 2 the First gardener; Then Jesus' parable: ‘A man had a fig-tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, “For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig-tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?” ‘ “Sir,” the man replied, “leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig round it and fertilise it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.” ’ (Luke 13:6‭-‬9); and his metaphore in John 15 ("I am the true vine, & my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, & trims clean any branch that does bear fruit, to make it even more fruitfull).

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…our side…

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Txt2me: Keep being amazed by how God works. Finding myself in unexpected places and in unpredictable circumstances. Many surreal moments. He is good within it all.

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TxtFromMe: 

I keep on being quite amazed by how 

this God who is, YaHWeH, works - as he does.

I'm finding myself in places somehow

quite unexpected (by me, not by us,

our sense of what's appropriate, the norm-

al, quite predictable cir-cum-stan-ces. 

And many surreal moments seem to form. 

He's good within it all; just like it says.

He seems to spawn those "serendipities";

those kind and thoughtful ways, that come about,

surprising us with goodness, if you please,

that still allow a partnership to sprout.

I've noticed that my place is not to shove,

but "see that I make straight-a-way for him",

acknowledge that his work's a work of love,

as he too does "make straight-a-way" - that's slim…

but still can work, and be the way, a track!

Each partnership's a miracle, it seems

a journey on a knife-edge, looking back!

Yet all we did was follow threads & dreams

to do Good's will, instead of our desires.

Interpretting each choice, he'll always do -

give us our deepest longings. "Beware buyers!" -

he says, then cheats on our side (- good & true!),

that's at our side, & to our side he'll come,

but just to show his love, and for what's good

for all who'd live with him, in grief, not numb.

He acts with our counsel - d'ya think he should?

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‘Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison and go to visit you?” ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:37‭-‬40 NIVUK

She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Mark 14:8 

When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Matthew 26:12

‘Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. John 12:7

‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. ‘About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the market-place doing nothing. He told them, “You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. ‘He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?” ‘ “Because no-one has hired us,” they answered. ‘He said to them, “You also go and work in my vineyard.” ‘When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.” ‘The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. “These who were hired last worked only one hour,” they said, “and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.” ‘But he answered one of them, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?” ‘So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’ Matthew 20:1‭-‬16 

".. and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him…’  Genesis 18:16‭-‬19ff

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

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Some friends hangout with visiting family instead of picnicing in the park with us

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God, please bless these in fam'ly likeness who

would share time in your world appreciate-

ing goodness, as was done most days by you

at the creation of your world of 'late'.

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In the image of God ...

 

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(here edited from original (see footnote*) and another verse spliced in, by Paul Walker)

As an image of God 

we were made long ago,

with a purpose divine, 

here His glory to show.

Adam, male & female,

image God and don't fail

while they love God & each

other, where won't they reach?

But we failed Him one day, 

and like sheep went astray.

Thinking not of the cost, 

we that likeness have lost,

though some has been retained

we're like some cloth undone

it can't just be "regained",

from piles of thread, once run.

But from eternity 

God had in mind.

The work of Calvary 

the lost to find.

From above, Christ's love broad, 

as a builder/weaver trod,

so Adam might live again 

as an image of God.

Now that we each 'believed' 

and the Saviour 'received'.

Now that we from our pride

and our guilt are relieved.

We will live for our Lord, 

not for gain or reward,

but for love thinking of 

what His grace has restored.

I'll never comprehend 

redemption's plan.

How Christ, incandescent,

could love 'Adam'.

Such a Saviour we'll praise, 

to the end of our days,

since we've up-ward on-ward trod

as an image of God.

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* Original song by John W  Peterson

In the image of God 

we were made long ago,

with a purpose divine, 

here His glory to show.

But we failed Him one day, 

and like sheep went astray.

Thinking not of the cost, 

we His likeness had lost.

But from eternity 

God had in mind.

The work of Calvary 

the lost to find.

From above, love so broad, 

with no shove, Christ here trod,

so that men might live again 

in the image of God.

Now that I had believed 

and the Saviour "received".

Now that I from my pride

& my guilt am relieved.

I will live for my Lord, 

not for gain or reward,

but for love thinking of 

what His grace has restored.

I'll never comprehend 

redemption's plan.

How Christ could condescend, 

to die for man.

Such a Saviour I'll praise, 

to the end of my days,

since I've up-ward on-ward trod

in the image of God.

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