Refuge & Strength

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1 (PM Version)

God is our refuge,
and God is our strength,
always ready to
help when shadows length-

-en & troubles wash,
threaten to engulf,
sink, then pressures squash,
squeeze out life & health,

- in times of trouble;
we see that we have
lived in a bubble,
which has burst at length,

so we really are
not just "going back"
to the way things were,
gone from grey to black.

That's the special time
God starts to create,
bring new kinds of rhyme,
models love (not hate).

When we're overcome
shot at & bereft,
& we feel spat on,
forsaken, and left;

That Son of Adam
showed us how to be
one who walked or ran
to God - "Refugee!"

Other occassions,
we need to run/hide,
from stuff that threatens
& let past the tide,

or then onward plod,
walk into conflict,
trusting still that God
(who may seem quite strict)

at the core IS LOVE,
& will give energy,
will work in us (gloved
in us, you & me)..

NEWs that's (S/GL/R)AD!

[in the light of that adventure Jairus & his wife and daughter had with Yeshua (& his daughter). Mk5]

Oh how glad, 
yet how sad,
is the news
that imbues

sleep & rest
(& a test)
to a one
who's a son,

and to she
(who to he
was the half
-with a laugh,

of human
- more, tu-man)
U. Alan,
A. Robyn,

he now sleeps,
she now weeps,
they both wait
till the Great

Leader says
time to raise
up from sleep,
open, peep,

and return,
friendships burn
deeper still
as they will

at break-fast
(which might last
thousand years)
with our cheers.

Six thirty
AM, he
left this world
I was told

just a bit
ago, it
is as I've
said: "More Life".

Praise you God
for your nod
gave relief
as our chief,

and set firm
my resolve
so to learn
to be bold.

Our identity. (SMS responses2PM&GW)

I am a child of God. 
John 1:12 (PM Version)

........................................

Response A:

Oh God, your plans and thoughts for
who are your lambs or kids,
are so vast that I am torn,
and quail, they are so big.

As I recall who you are, 
and that you are my Dad,
my next step is not too far
you've given all I've had,

and held my hand when needed,
& failed to, just the same;
my cry is always heeded,
you are from whom I came,

and the likes I'm going to,
"Like Father, so like son",
we are following your true
DNA, you're the one.

You said YOU made us like you,
not that we're all the same,
(as much as our children do-
whose parents gave their name)

we want to learn our language,
& manners, and life-style
what to throw out, have a squiz
at what to frown or smile..

from you who are our Father,
(& Mother no less, too),
there's no-one whom we'd rather
grow to be like, than you.

............................................

from Gil:

When strength is sapped
And will is weak
When mind is marred
With ceaseless slew of fog and grief.

My shepherd and my shelter
Turn my weary feet to thee
That I might enter by your gate
And lay in fields of green

............................................

Response B:

Amen. Though his own children,
at first we are as sheep;
"Wisdom" calls us to know when
we shoud just loudly bleat!

rescuing love

The righteous face many troubles in this life,but the LORD always rescues them from each and every one. Psalms 34:19,(PM Version)

God will so rescue
those who trust in him,
not from going through
times that look quite dim,

but in displaying
his love and patience
(as we've been praying)
in our obeisence

so that, as our head,
God's christened leader
of humans has said
"I am God's heeder -

from responsive love."*
So God is in me,
entered from above,
he will not bin me

or leave my body
to rot in the grave#,
there may be shody
ways people behave

towards his children,
but he vindicates
who sowed 'n' tilled 'n'
waited, and still waits,

for as long as God's
heart thinks waiting could
show love off in wads,
or bring some great good!

* John 14 -ish 
# Psalm 16

Oh Alan Maxwell (OAM) !

(Yesterday he was alive but up and down with strength.
He was serving us, by listening, contributing. Sometimes he seemed to be a bit disoriented. May die today, or in 3 weeks, probably before 3 months. Here's to him "so far")

Alan Maxwell Ginn
you have lived a life
on this Earth within
God's world - with it's strife.

Alan Maxwell Ginn
you've accepted us
(& you loved Robyn)
not with heaps of fuss.

Alan Maxwell Ginn,
we are glad you're you,
you lived life for him
who was always true.

Alan Maxwell Ginn
shared your life so free,
you took us all in,
Chrissa, John, and me.

Alan Maxwell Ginn
thought things through so well,
not flamboyant in
fighting against "hell"...

... you showed love through the
careful measured word
helping those who need
more than what's absurd.

Alan Maxwell Ginn
with your twinkling eyes
and that twirpy grin
- never really* dies!


*As Alan did, taking those words of Jesus for real:
“You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?”
[John11:25-26 MSG]

Complex, Composite, Creatures!

God,

make me like you
please help me to
serve people who
are like a zoo:

for critters in 
each one have been
snoring, roaring,
soaring, ignoring

that's just to begin
they may well have been
braying, spraying,
spitting, flitting.

It's like a joke:
inside one bloke
can be a zoo,
not just one or two

animals there
more, there's a lair,
a nest, a log,
a hole, a bog,

prairie, & sky
ocean & alp...
The more I try,
more I need help!

I am like them
not just "one man"
part of me can
like beaver -"make dam".

It's not all bad,
God, too is varied!
Help me, my Dad,
not to be scaried!

Amen.

Hubby's dis-ease, while over-seas

Val, good to hear
you're of good cheer,
& your old man-
"low oxygen!"

Please, God, give grace
to them in place-
-es strange and new,
to rest in you

and in the fact
that we can act
within your view
yet under you!

See this dear bro.
& his girl went..
please help them come
back, not just "spent"

but value-ad-
(not -dead, but) -ded,
with your life grown
(or even groan-

-ing) as with Him
who lifted chin,
(or at least eyes)
towards the skies

and often owned
(as well as groaned)
with those he saw,
& joined in more.

XXOO

New Family Starts, they're in our hearts

Oh Lord, we're glad with you our Dad
- & we've come from your heart.
We want to say that "You are Rad!"
& "See this fam'ly start."

"Please help us too, to honour you
as we watch what we see,
& when the rhyme runs out in time,
help this new family!"

Amen.

Concrete Facsimile

Photo by Penny Volkofsky, used by permission.

The concrete facts-simile,

use of metaphor,
which God who comes to live in me
lifts to second floor.

God, I want to play with you

I want to relate,

to make designs like you do,

& then to create.

Now I see what you create

has your own flavour,

you freely give, and don’t wait

for us to savour,

or to “like” your own design,

or to “like” yourself,

you still give, while we’re tryin’

to send you to “hell”.

You know we’re affected much

by what’s seen and felt,

so you don’t ravish with touch,

but play cards we’re dealt.

For you keep us in your mind,

knowing your child who

has grown up will have to find

they do what you do!

The worlds of human cultures

aren’t what can be seen,

though metaphoric vultures

can pick the bones clean.

So you call us from above

to savour your gifts,

to keep in touch, and in love;

more than concrete lifts!

Parents hear - of daughter's distress there:

God, we think of our daughter
in that other place,
we don't think that she "aughta
-not be a disgrace"

more, we suspect that sad things
R happ'ning up there
& know Ur used to grievings
(when we don't e'en care),

please help her cry inside you
as an unborn child
might pick up mum's attitude
and be undefiled

remind her that you're with her,
she can be with you,
give her strength as well as nerve.
Thanks, that's what you do!

P.s.

Please pray they say..

Sam asks for some prayer
pray with me like this.
Satan be aware
Sam's owned by Jesus!

Samuel Lewis Paul
Truman Quin Heer Walk-
in the way of all
true, good men; don't baulk.

God give him boldness
to move on and let
your hope, not coldness
and hopelessness get

into his heart, but
to trust as your son,
your way is no rutt,
your vindication

will come and last for
longer than time will.
We'll enter the door:
Your will, not my will!

Your will's Yeshua
and when we listen
to him we're sure
that if no glisten

of light comes at once,
that's still not the end;
he may seem a dunce
but he is my friend

and because he is
I'm learning to keep
a friendship like his
rather than not weep.

If HE would now weep,
I want to as well.
I don't want to keep
ignoring the smell

of death that's around
about this-here world.
God help us abound
with Love, round Truth curled.

Thanks too that he warned
his friends of the cross,
but also adorned
it with more than loss:

those three days before
you raised him right up
they couldn't ignore,
for he drank the cup,

the cup of "potion"
that kills this life's cells,
grants to devotion
God's life, not our hells.

And he goes straight to
that place of the shades,
he won't debate to
smash all that degrades.

Hallelu, lu-yah!
This son of Adarm
brings heaven to ya,
saves ya from true harm!

She's visiting Mum ... who has been quite sick ... O God, may she come ... to rest - like a wick

Hope you are well
my precious gall
& that your mum
's not overcome

by sickness and
disease of breath..
Help her to stand,
and take her rest,

rest as needs be
before onslaughts,
'n after, if she
needs to. No thoughts

of what she SHOULD
do, from ideals.
That would be good
to rest, in wheels

of providence
where she is looked
after, and whence
comes good things cooked

up by the storm
there in Heaven,
none are forlorn,
children given

joy on their face,
fresh from "Father"
whose love is traced...
Mary/ Martha.

Events conspire to strand two brothers..

God, please give your wisdom
so both of these brothers.
won't worship a system,
or compare with others.

Please help them to do what
can be done in serving,
as they open to what
path your spirit's curving

round about, or straightly,
through these events that come
down the pitch here lately,
at times we feel quite dumb.

Just to say: You've cared for
us right throughout the week,
and so we have shared more,
and we're learning to speak...

Speak the truth in love, and
quickly listen much more,
be more like a dove and
serpent who gives much thought.

FLEMMINGS FEED N FUN WII-TH WALKERS

Six people met and had tea
at Canob'las Lake today,
last day of twenty-fifteen.
We had a swim and a play.

There was Jack, and Siri too,
swimming and "scaring" folk "in",
we swam out to the pontoon
and loved the cool of the swim.

They moved to Orange this year,
kids are now on holidays,
to Ulladulla next year#
where they will swim in the waves.

Wonder if they'll take a Wee(?)
there on their Beach Holiday?
They talked about it you see,
I was left wondering away...

How will they NOT take a wee?
Or, for that matter a poo?
I know what happens to me
when I try not to, but do!

Hope it won't wreck up their break
- if they decide not to wee.
They won't be stuffing with cake,
or having soft-drink or tea.

Well, in a few weeks we'll see
how this break goes for them all,
they might not eat or drink tea
'gain with Katrina & Paul.

#(in 2 days time)