XXX (R) VERSION 3

In
a bounded set,
like romantic love: using desire, longing, romance, and intercourse, but given the pressure of a heart-beating and the filling of life-blood, and then even pokiness, hardness and form by an internal structure of containment & sheath of commitment, allows it to play a private part in a pleasant passtime of an interlocking jigsaw, crossed with a seesaw, interlocuting, traversing, moving within an external sheath as part of an exquisite and private (both energizing and rest-inducing) game; where the one who has the most drive has the least power (they have to learn to woo, and learn about delayed gratification). And the one who has the least drive, has the most power (they can turn things on, make things grow, almost at the flick of a switch, like manipulating a handle). Pleasure per se. and this game for two are both God's gift to us, to strengthen and deepen and reward a relationship that is based on a promise [to (learn to) LOVE].
The question still at the centre remains.. will we USE this cover of "love" , to maintain, protect, and enhance (and advance) our own self? Or will we let God's wonderful game and mechanism transform us, as we see enacted in the game itself (transforming a slug into a sword, the untouchable distant hills of desire coming near out of pure giftingness and delightedness to be desired - and allowing themselves to be gotten), combined with a growing consideration for the other's limitations. Learning to work with a partner, majoring (in one's own thinking and then communication) on what can be done, not on what can't. Learning to own each other's personal preferences more tenderly, and to cling less tenaciosly to one's own. In short, since God is love, and thus is a community as well as an integrated singularity, this task, this game, seems to me to be a significant avenue or way, method, or means, by which he seeks to grow us to be like our maker, but much more than Maker, he is our Father (& Mother).
Amen.
XO

'spair thoughts

Missed call, then txt2pw: Sorry, I just had a moment of despair, but now it's ok. I'm looking forward to Wednesday meeting up. Enjoy your days! Help us breath, to hear what you say!

There are, at times, in life, as we live it,
some moments of despair that come about.
It's like they are temptations to give in,
acknowledge it as Boss Hog (though a lout).

They don't feel good, but claim to be true-est,
so that I should join up, & march in step,
& even share despair with folk who rest
in happiness or joy, who haven't wept.

I think it's insight comes from how life IS,
when I live independent of the One
who made us for extending what are his
(or her) true purposes, of love begun

(for all our genders do not even shine
a light to (t)his agenda for us to
reflect the kind of love that does not whine
about what all the other people do,

but looks to love, & serve, & bring about
more good of friendship in each coming day,
& looks for help from God to bless, not pout,
& breathes deep God's own breath. Their life's okay!

For humans do not live on food alone,
we thrive on friendship, where we learn to love
espec'ly friendship with the God who'll groan
& pray for us, and come down from above

to walk with us in coolness of eve'ning
(but also in the noonday sun as well).
For life that comes from mouth of God does bring
his word, his breath, his kiss; saves us from "hell"*.

* In the scriptures that record both Moses' & Yeshua's words, the Greek word behind the English translation "hell" is "gehenna", the Jewish name for the Valley of Hinom which was used as the rubbish dump for the capital city - Jerusalem. This seems to have become a metaphore for a dump for the the who of God's Creation (in heaven & earth) at the end of time.

struggling to...

Txt2PW: Hey ... I'd love your prayer. I'm just struggling a bit at the moment.

Dear Father of your children here on Earth
we know you understand our struggles here
more than we even know each other's worth,
because your love & word made life appear.

And more than life that's biological,
you've even shared your own (eternal) life
and not as scientist, just logical,
your loving mercy trumps judgement, in strife.

So help this girl & her Mother, & Dad,
to learn to curl in your hand and to rest,
no matter what's a happ'nin' - good or bad,
to let you teach and grow us through each "test".

For what we know as tests, can be "showings"
of life and love that's yours, in your children,
to unbelieving worlds they are glowings
to light a darkened place as Moon does when

it shines within a night sky more than stars
(which are big suns but light-years far away).
So may we like small Moon, shine more than Mars
reflecting our sun's light with every ray.

And even when it's light does not much show,
it's mostly 'cause it just can't still be seen,
from our angle, but half of it's a-glow.
It's trouble comes when Earth is in-between

the Sun and it, & then it is eclipsed.
The things of Earth can block the sun's strong light.
May Christ be focused gaze, & not just glimpsed,
so that he is reflected in this night.

my beloved

JUST thinking of you there at TAFE class.
I did washing, bought some shoes up here.
NOW waiting for school-mate to come past,
THEN lunch with a sunday school teacher.

AND maybe some time, when all that's stopped
TO catch up with friends from my past life. ...
WAS just recognized in a shoe shop
BY one who is Lindsay(school-mate)'s wife!

OH boy, when you grow up connected,
MEMORIES they return when you come back.
I'M proud of your work with neglected
FOLK, to bring them out of "cul de sacs".

I love connecting with you dear girl,
(NOT just in our bodies but) learning
TO open ourselves, and to uncurl
FERN-like to bright love and a yearning...

Second telling of the Law, chapter four. ... ... Mush! (Moshe’s Mosh Pit’s not too much!)

Now, Isra’ el, hear these decrees and laws
I am about to teach you. Follow them
so that you may live in this land of yours
by going in and taking possession,

since God, the Lord of your ancestors gives
to you, by his decree this gracious place.
Do not belittle these commands, he lives,
& guarantees all life, & time, & space.

Don't add to these commands & don't subtract,
but keep them as your life & health - not void!
You saw with your own eyes what happened back
at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed

all those among you who disposed of him
and followed Baal(the Lord of Peor)’s way.
But all you who held fast throughout (no whim),
to Yahweh God are still alive today.

Observe them care-full-ly, for this will show
what wisdom, understanding, looks like to
the nations round about, who'll hear and go
on to say, ‘Surely a great god’s with you…

- this nation’s great, with wise understandings.”
What other nation is so great as this?
- to have their gods near them the way he brings
the presence of the Lord our God (no less!)

quite near us ev’ry time we ever pray?
And speaking of the presents of the Lord,
what other nation is so great today
and has such good commandments as en-lawed

in this body of lore I’m giving yet?
So make sure you are careful, watch yourselves
quite closely so that you do not forget
the things your eyes have seen. Help your mind dwell

on, recollect, recall them - if you will.
Don’t let them fade from your heart, don’t un-friend
them living on this Earth. And teach your chil-
dren, and, teach them to teach theirs after them.

Recall the day you stood before the Lord
your God at Horeb, when he said to me,
‘Assemble all the people who have scored
the chance to hear my words, so they may re-

vere ME as long as THEY live in the land
and teach their kids.’ You then came near and stood
at foot of mountain - anything but bland!
while it blazed up with fi-ah (very good).

With fi-ah to the heavens, and black cloud
and deepest darkness (full of mystery).
And then the Lord spoke to you out aloud
-out of the fire. You heard, but saw not he...

You heard a voice, but didn’t see a form;
and he declared to you his covenant,
the Ten Commandments (which became the norm
of best practice), and wrote them as he bent

down to help out, those ten fing-ers of stone
-two handy tablets. And told me to teach
you these decrees and laws because you’re owned
- as you own land that you hope now to reach.

You saw (with me) no form of any kind -
when God spoke out at Horeb from the fire.
So watch yourselves with care, fully now bind
yourselves to truth, not ruled by your desire.

Don’t let the tug of pow-er make your hand
make little gods whom you could then control,
or else a GOD you see (and “understand”)
with power to cower, & yet to GET, not dole...

Don’t be enticed to bowing down to things,
or animals, or pow-ers that are made
to serve the Lord, who wants to spread his wings
as mother hen hides chickens in her shade.

For you are his own people, his own kids,
or lambs - who need him right throughout the day,
So don’t forget, and do not let closed lids
dream covenantal love right clean away!

Your God, the Lord, is a consuming fire,
a jealous God, who wants you for himself!
– if you become corrupt, he’ll call you “liar!”,
his anger, is consistent with his wealth

of love towards his body, people (they
are meant to be his body on this Earth,
but if they will not join in and obey,
and learn to be what they were made from birth,

to be, and do, and think, and show & tell
there’s not much use in hanging them around,
and God might even throw his arm to “hell”
(the rubbish dump), if it stays on the ground

instead of linking up with all the rest
of God’s body that’s loving, building strong,
he’ll snuff you out, drive you to Buddapest
& you will not survive there very long.

And more than that, you’ll go right off the track,
you’ll do the things you know are wrong to do.
Those god's you chose could never bring you back.
Both hea’en & earth bear witness against you.

But if from there you seek your God, the Lord,
you’ll find him if you seek with all your heart
and all your soul. Distressed and weak, forlorn,
in later days you will return, & start

obeying from the heart your God - Yahweh
de-Merciful, he won’t abandon you,
he won’t forget the covenant he made
with ancestors, my oath that’s what he’ll do!.

Acknowledge, take to heart this day, Yahweh
is God in heaven above and on the earth
below. There is no other. Keep his ways,
which I am giving you and children birthed

birthed from your bodies, so you all may live
long in the land the Lord your God gives you
until the end of time. Can you believe
his plans go further, better? Well it's true!

Deut. 4:1‭-‬20‭, ‬23‭-‬40 NIVUK
http://bible.com/113/deu.4.1-40.NIVUK

And further to this:
Ask now about the former days, before
your time, right from the day God created
humans on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other. From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire.
Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today.


.

The old stories sing... ... ... the God had offspring!

Thank you Lord that I can trust you and you keep me in perfect peace when my mind is stayed on you. Isaiah 26:3 (PM Version)

And thank you, I say
's well as "Isaiah",
you're FAITHFUL today,
you are that fire

from which we have spun
you give us sub-stance
you're from whom we've come,
around whom we dance.

Our faith just reflects
a small bit of yours,
as moon-man detects
an Earth-rise because

the Earth is shone on,
thus re-flects sun's light
into dark space from
which it may seem bright,

as Full-Moon shows us
a landscape at night
and it discloses
and brings things to sight

all with it's light which
has come from the sun
so is our trust stiched
and it's thread and yarn

is spun from your own
for you've entrusted
your world (which we've known
's not "done and dusted"

-the story goes on,
have you been naive?
for you trust such zom-
-bies; I do believe

in you, I want to
grow up like you are.
Your love and peace do
more than a skewer

they've sworded me out
the sordid me's dead.
Well dying, no doubt
it stays where it's fed

it's destiny is
only this old Earth,
the new Earth of His
will need a new birth..

Oh I'm excited,
I'll trust you with NEW
Universe righted
Humanity too!

Sounds like...

Ever heard sound from the lips
but not understood the meaning
of a friend or neighbour's quips
- like seeing without reading?

Then on hearing them repeat
(if that's what you asked them to do)
sounds arrange themselves (quite neat)
into the words that you well knew...

Why then, did you not "get it"
when you at first heard all those sounds?
"Lost decoding" (forget it)?
You're mind's too busy (doing rounds)?

He who always sees & hears,
who gave us our eyes, lips, & ears,
started culture (which appears
to birth language, also which cheers

us on, backs up ordered life,
makes us human instead of wolf)
whose fixed attention is rife,
and like new parents - very full

of thoughts & hopes for their babe,
yet wants their babe to grow to choose
(not as robot, or as "shade")
and grow to hold their own good views.

I wonder if this shy one
loans to us some understanding
every time hearing's begun
'n'insight gained without demanding.

God's kids/lambs*

‘The Lord your God has given you this land.

Go up and take possession of it as

the Lord , the God of your ancestors planned.

Don’t be afraid; don’t be discouraged.’ Has

not he himself quite often, over time,

let you into his thoughts concerning this

Then you came to me and said, ‘Let us prime

ourselves, & see we do “due diligence”.

Let’s send some men ahead to spy it out
and bring reports about the route to take..
And your idea seemed good to me, no doubt;

so I selected twelve of you to make

one representing each tribe of God’s folk.

They left and went up to the hill country,

and Valley of Eshkol and then each bloke

brought back reports (and fruit for all to see)

from the good land our God now gives to us.

You grumbled in your tents and said, ‘The Lord

hates us; that’s why he's gone to all this fuss,

to hand us to the Amorites he brought

us out of Egypt, he wants to destroy

us. Where can we go? Our hearts melt in fear.

Our brothers said: “We are to them like boys”..

“Their cities large.., & we saw giants near!”

But I said “God, the Lord, goes on before 

you, & will fight for you, as he did back

in Egypt, as your very own eyes saw,

and in the wilderness, in that attack!

For there the Lord your God WAS your carriage,

just as a father carries his young son,

yet all the way you went you've disparaged,

& haven't thought to thank this very one!...

… You would not trust in Yahweh your God, who
had gone ahead of you on your journey;
protective fire by night burned with light too,
and shade from cloud by day did come from he

who searched out places for you to camp and
who showed the way you should go best from there.
And when the Lord heard what you said, he planned,
and angry swore that none should ever share ...

that evil generation would miss out
on seeing the good land he swore to give
their ancestors, except Caleb the scout
[he'll see it, and more than that he will live

to take the land he set his feet upon],
because he followed (trusting in) the Lord
wholeheartedly. His children when he's gone,
I don't think that they ever will get bored!

cf Deut. 1:21‭-‬25‭, ‬27‭-‬28‭, ‬30‭-‬36 & Luke 12:13‭-‬34 NIVUK

found a mate's signature on ... Marriage Certification

Found this today, per looking up,
on piece of paper near a cup, 
in our bedroom, beside our bed, 
& when I zoomed in what was said

(just as you see, a name stood there)
reminded me of you (two) where-
ever you are, in God's big world,
I'm glad his star is be'ng uncurled.

tough love

The God who made a world designed like this

is not so tame that I always feel good;

and as a dad & mum would be remiss

if they thought that a child could not (or should

not) ever cry: to open up their lungs

or learn to make the noises that they need

as precursors to speech, the sound that comes

to help us learn to grow & also feed

the kind of sounds that help us learn to talk,

and tune our ears to listen before that.

A bit of love and thick-skinned trust will cork

that panic when it knocks at our door-mat.

So here I'm learning like that one you chose,

to learn important things through sufferings

(whenever I have stubbed or kicked my toes,

I'm learning to look and remember things).

And I recall that "processes through time",

are often helped by "point of time events",

that crystallize them and bring them in line

with life, and save them sitting on the fence.

And I remember “life takes time to live”,

& ain’t just an event that happens to

someone, it takes a growth process to give

maturity a chance to come on through.

So I will learn to trust you in the both

(the process across time, but events too),

and learn to look for your bright presence so

that I enjoy (and mirror) what you do!

Bles-sing

Hello Paul. Hope you are doing well. Blessings ..

Yup. Blessed. More than anything I deserve.
People like you texting me to bless me!
As worlds disintegrate without reserve,
God starts to recreate, as his guests we

can now participate, & too preserve
the family ways to hate,  & love, like he
who started fam-i-ly to "give a purve"
of LOVE that's not "for self", but just "to be".

God, 4 dear friends, ...

Please open up their hearts to your bright love,
please help them become curious as well,
that minds might love the truth come from above
sent here to tantalise us with its smell.

Please open up my life & deeds to bear
clear witness, to this truth & love of God,
then opened thoughts and words could also share
your messages, to show you here have trod.

Please open up the heavens up above
these dear ones so your spirit might come down
& woo them with the smells, sounds, sights of Love
and Truth that Jesus brought into our town.

Walking through this world with Elohim.

Wasting time with God
thinking of the folk
where his feet have trod
every sheila, bloke,

he has walked among
with a heart of love,
knows where they come from
will not ever shove

'cept if they implore
him to come, in love,
like he did before
as a hov’ring dove

at our very birth
at the start of life
on this tiny Earth
as a helper (wife?),

or a mother bird,
as a strong dad cares
(these may sound absurd -
metaphors he shares

to help us see him
in a diff’rent light -
our culture is dim
his is ever bright),

his way of “doing”
sometimes seems so long...
his rhythms ensuing
often break to song!

So where we share his care*; that's prayer!

When we're in prayer we share his care.

Oh God, you’re helping me, now here, to see
from what Geoff said in many LTGs,
and I now see it's relevance to me:
(I've always thought it good, but now I seize
upon it - seeing possibilities
for how it could act antidot-ally
to help me with my present maladies).

It’s if I pray for people as they come
to mind in me, reminding me of them,
(and this is where folk might think it is dumb
- but I don't care, I want to touch your “hem”1)
then in this world I'm in “the line of Shem”2,
(that’s even if my name’s not there to some),
I'm trusting you to take me by the hem,

and take me back, to a new lineage.
Time-travel backwards like a “Jedi knight”,
& learning a new culture, new image
of what is so important in this “fight”
(which also matches parts of me that might
appear to be some incidental trimage,
- or rubbish) you see backwards along light!

I'm acting in the social world of folk,
invisible, apart from its effect,
existing only in the minds of bloke
& sheila, culture’s categ’ries connect
us in a way that might seem just a joke
to folk who focus on “what” eyes detect
more than "who": woman, man, left derelict.

It’s not just “what’s” & “who’s” - in this old life.
It's motives, how I'll use this one at hand.
And to what end I “understand” my wife?
To love, or use? To pray, refuse to stand
as names are called? Will I appalled, unmanned,
refuse to use this chance to dance that’s rife
(I find each time you bring to mind “unplanned”’

by me, a person made to be like you).
I want to learn to dance with you, my God!
Please take the lead, my greatest needs “Adieu” -
acknowledge them, but then again, where trod
that Man of men, my need won't lead (that’s odd,
except it leads me to be led by you!)
I'll trusting follow Yeshua's wink, nod.

And here I am again, thinking of you..
what did you say that day on Calvary?
The stuff of life threw to your open view
your mum and John watch on, and while they see
your need, you give news - views of family.
And then you pray: continue questing "WHO"
to paradoxically, conduit mercy.

* In the light of my experience this week, with God (& my our traitorous heart), this is now part 4 of my responses this week..

1) thinking of that lady who took the process that had already started, from being touched by Jesus, to touching Jesus(Mk3), further, to touching the hem of his (prayer) coat. And who then appears to have let the cat out of the bag since in Galilee "where-ever he went, in villages, towns, & countryside, they took the sick to the market places & where-ever they heard he was, & begged him to let them at least touch the hem of his robe, and everyone who touched him (or his hem) was healed (see end of Mk 6, & it's parallel in Luke)

2) Shem's lineage (the "second" - remaining) Son of Adam in the Story. An alternative to the first Son of Adam (Cain) is outlined in Genesis 5, over against the lineage of Cain whose Line was that of the technologists and skillful artisans. An alternative to Cain's.