wind/ breeze/ breath/ response of a conscious being to creative love/ energy/ overall attitude..

רוּחַ(Hebrew: ruakh)= πνεῦμα(Greek: pneuma)= wind, breeze, breath, response of a conscious being to creative love, energy, overall attitude.

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Well, thanks for this amazing world and all

the life and health and strength that flows as we

allow your ambiguities to call

us to be more the men that we would be

if we held to the truth itself, not just 

the words we use to speak of such with all

we know of (which includes ourselves, or must

if we would be a self one day, and fall

down gladly at the feet of source of good-

ness, and creator of the world where we

could learn to look and see, and hear & could

add understanding, not just re-par-tee).

And yet, and yet, there’s truth the other way -

if words are grouped together by phonemes,

we might see them related when we say

them, though not all appreciate the means

and ways that such creative love can work -

allowing similarities to grow 

from just poetic sounds. This sounds berserk

unless the love is strong and wants to show

off how creative it can be with us

who choose sometimes against what is the best,

and highest, yet are loved with so much fuss.

So let me now not say the words most guessed

at wrongly or interpreted too smal-

-ly, but use other meanings tied to blest

appropriations as did Lord of all

the heavens and the Earth. Have I regressed?

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Simple people, profound on ground

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Lovely. 

Good to hear from you two too, to 

know God's work will continue

. where-ever folk feel breeze, 

. where-ever a throat breaths, 

. wherever winds do blow, 

. where spirits ever glow 

with light of life 

of God above 

and life in strife

displays God's love.

As Yeshua once said

(in copying HESED)

that love returned to God

(who's likened in this lot)

must too be imaged in

a love to his children.

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da Bridge over troubled waters

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The troubles here, about this walk, we know,

for somehow trouble seems to come about.

Now i recall a wise mans words which show 

this ain't an aberration nor a flout-

ing of the laws of being in this world.

Like Socrates before him, death’s in sight,

and to his followers these words he hurlled:

“In this world you’ll have trouble!” (will, not might!)

These troubles seem like plants upon the ground -

there’s kinds and species for most every clime.

And they’re the fodder from which growth is bound 

to come, if we will eat them at the time…

that’s right and proper, for their stage and place,

& for our own digestive tracts as well.

“No problems!” is a problem we must face 

within the Western Culture where we dwell.

Of all the troubles which would come my way

the hardest ones to handle seemed to be

those which appear to not respond, they stay,

when I say “Go!”, they hang around to see..

..if any bigger guns can be called in.

..If claimed connections really do exist.

The most effective sword that works on sin

is God’s own word. It pierces through the mist

and clarifies, unveils the king himself,

and lets sin know it hasn’t got a chance.

So now I know the way that can bring health

to all my being. Makes me want to dance!

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• “Put on God’s complete armour, so that you can successfully resist all of the Devil’s methods of attack: You must wear Truth as your beslt, Righteousness as your breast-plate, the Gospel of Peace firmly on your feet, Salvation as your helmet, & in your hand the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God. Lift up over all faith as your shield, for it can quench all the firey arrows the enemy hurls at you” Paul’s letter to the group of Christians in Ephesus: (Ephesians 6:11-17, J.B.Philipps’ N.T.I.M.E. - plus see verse 18)

• Jesus’s own temptation in the desert: (Matthew 3:13-4:11; Mark 1:9-13;  Luke 3:21-22 & Luke 4:1-13)

• The two stories of the prayer meeting on the High Mountain where Jesus was transfigured, followed by the “lack of ability” which the remaining 9 disciples experienced casting out a demon affecting the man’s son with dumbness (& deafness, Jesus “sees”), Jesus’s in ability to give this task to “the three” who had come with him (because, unlike him), they had not prayed, because they had fallen asleep, and the words said by Jesus to the man (whose son was demonized), to the demon, and to the disciples later that night. See the three gospels’ stories: (Matthew 17:1-20;  Mark 9:2-29; Luke 9:28-43a).

• Ol’ Negro Spiritual:

            Jesus is da bridge over troubled waters.

            Jesus is da bridge over troubled waters, children!

            Jesus is da bridge over troubled waters,

            and you don’t have to go around!

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A dream..

A dream..

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God’s “dreaming” is the thing we call our world-

our Universe, with “matter”, “time”, & “space”,

and “energy” as well. More than what’s curled

within my dreams, and I am glad to place

his dream a higher order than my own, along with hopes and wishes from us both.

His “wants”; his “will” - his choice involves what’s shown

in life of his dear boy - even his growth.

And Paul, this Christ’s “Ambassador” to Earth -

our Kingdoms, Nations, Empires, all our groups,

spelled out the will of God, for those rebirthed

in Christ. He wants his off-spring, or off-shoots,

his children, to be all that they could be,

as likenesses of him who chooses deep

commitments for himself, and what he’ll see

at first, all his priorities that seep

through all his choices. That’s the way it is.

And this God’s “will” that’s stated for his child;

we’ll hear and take quite seriously as biz-

nus of this fam’ly, not so tame, more wild!

Big disciplines, of sorts; more central posts,

they’re core to what is more, and more like Christ,

they cover all of life, and serve as hosts

for more to be brought in. A life so spiced

is not stopped at one stage, it stretches out.

My dreams don't often smell; but he wants his

to smell like Christ, his boy who’ll give a shout

at “touch down”, then a field goal, which he kicks!

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“πάντοτε χαίρετε, ¹⁷ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθε, ¹⁸ἐν παντὶ εὐχαριστεῖτε· τοῦτο γὰρ θέλημα θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰς ὑμᾶς.”

:

“Be joyful always, ¹⁷pray at all times, ¹⁸be thankful in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

( Greek; GNBUK; NIVUK; .. see other translations too e.g. NLT; MSG)

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Fast and spurious?

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Oh God to speak is not my calling now 

but to give ear, to listen, is my fast

and furious intent solution* (Wow!)

and then be slow to anger (what a blast!)

and very fun to learn, from you my Dad,

to do responses true and right in line

with what is beneficial (though still sad!),

each movement incremental here in time.

I’ll leave to you the cataclysmic stuff -

Tectonic plates that move some meters out,

and heaps of things then happen - sure enough

but we don’t know, except to not just pout!

We can respond, and see what’s helpfull now

what might be useful, mitigating harm,

or minimising pain, or loss somehow,

and choosing to involve myself: my arm,

my leg, my wallet, presence, smile, or word.

I thank you for this privilege - from you.

I might not “fix” a single thing. I’ve heard 

a lot of stuff that maybe I could do.

But sitting down to listen, and to learn,

reflecting on the light that comes my way,

and letting some inside - to warm, not burn,

is “needful thing” for me to choose today¹.

And that leads me along to see my need.

To understand, acknowledge need of me.

I need to quickly light up “list’ning speed”

to all around, and sit with that and see.

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*  When this sentence is read out loud to another, anyone who only hears this without also seeing and reading it, will understand it to say “intense solution”. And I guess it is often intense… so that’s ok. But I was, at first, only meaning my intent to bring myself in line; the right kind of self-discipline, but on realising other meanings attached to the phonemes that will come from these words, I realise that they are true too, so I will not choose to say it differently to cut off that possibility.

¹  “As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him in her home. [39] She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord and listened to his teaching. [40] Martha was upset over all the work she had to do, so she came and said, “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!” [41] The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and troubled over so many things, [42] but just one is needed. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 GNBUK)

²  “quick, quick, quick…” & “Remember this, my dear brothers and sisters! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry. [20] Human anger does not achieve God's righteous purpose. [21] So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you. [22] Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice. [23] Whoever listens to the word but does not put it into practice is like a man who looks in a mirror and sees himself as he is. [24] He takes a good look at himself and then goes away and at once forgets what he looks like. [25] But those who look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, who keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice — they will be blessed by God in what they do. [26] Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourselves. [27] What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.” (James 1:19-27 GNBUK) 

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(walk) in …

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Imagine being free to live in love,

I don’t mean just instinctive stuff like the

ol’ mating impulse, nesting habit shove-

-eling things round about, which helps us be

more ready for the influx of a babe -

a little one who has no pow-er to

communicate, it must just trust; they wade

through ignorance together, till they do

in fact know more, and listen up more keen-

ly to some others who have gone before,

and really have shown out what most folk mean

by wisdom, and commitment to be more

than they could ever be if left alone,

in other words they know “community”

in practice, & in fact they’ve clearly shown

what HESED love* has meant, and now could be..

if only that strong, wise, creative thing

could be the spirit (ent’ring like a muse)

that causes bird to fly, not just “have wing”,

yet apples to drop “down”, not ways they choose,

and artists to have more than what is left

within our model world's within our heads,

bring other options to appearance, heft

the burden of sustaining life from dead

stuff, or dust of matter’s elements,

for HESED love’s the word vibrating still

creating and sustaining worlds, invents

new options necessary now, or will

be, when the time is right, and ripe to fall.

It thinks not just of foci, focussed down

(although a single one, embodies all),

it trusts it's senior partner won’t just frown

because it's world ’sbeen made by, lives in, love

HESED, and we have heard (not just a sound)

but we have heard a word (learned “from above”*),

and now we learn to stop and look around,

and work with what we see this muse is ON -

is doing, and is on about just now.

We get this sense by looking where light shone

in past times. And at “curtain”, we would bow.

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* HESED= Ancient Hebrew word for family-love, loyal-love, loving-kindness, undeserved-favour, chosen-to-bless, steadfast-love, covenant love, commited-keeping-your-word-determined-blessing etc seen as part of the essential identity of YaHWeH (their God). We are made to breathe it's air, and participate in its ecosystem, and although we can function as a luminary of it, we are never the ultimate initiator; our job (like the moon is with sun-light) is to bask in it, and reflect its light into dark places. It always comes to us “anothen” (an Ancient Greek word meaning either “again” or “from above”).

Mirth of new birth

(amid what did occur). 

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I look at what just passed these last few days,

at all the waiting, watching, planning, hopes

(and fears) when understanding’s deeper ways

of knowing by participating, copes

and walks along to future which it now

is helping to create by ev’ry choice

it makes to still continue with (somehow)

such life as this - curtailed, yet with a voice.

And see in it an echo of the trust,

enduring pain that’s intimately there,

and partnership that backs up as it must

to show the kind of love that is your care

expressed to us in ev’ry little bit

of mirrored love and thoughtfulness that’s joined

in this big process, though there is some shit,

its place with all detritus is purloined

and put some place it can be washed away

(so toilets were invented, and how good

a service is the sewage. I would say

the clean up is important to what could

be quick destroyed - infections, and the wastes…

So life that’s based on blood to let cells breathe

must keep this separation, culture tastes

that help it happen. ON with growth, don’t seeth

with just revulsion at what could “go wrong”.

It’s quite amazing to me that more don’t

[considering how poo (and breath) can pong].

Oh God, you still grow goodness, so we won’t

just take it all for granted. We’ll say “Thanks!”

And look up to the sky in gratefulness.

Invest where we can, even use the banks,

but look past mechanism’s true “coolness”

to who we’re truly serving, the sublime,

the joy of higher life, that truly does

still benefit and use “things” all the time,

but never in this life will treat a “cuz”

as object to be used. Love them as we

are known & loved ourselves and thus still grow

as humans who breathe in the love, and see

the light of life in ev’ry one we know.

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“When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world.” (John 16:21 NRSVUE)

..looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls or lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3 NRSVUE and the rest of the chapter…)

And before the babe was born our laundry has been rebirthed to wash away rubbish and clean things up and even dry things better with Matt & Annabelle’s drier…

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