with God…..*

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I thank you Lord for this capacity

that you have given here on Earth today:

to manage matter, thus to set it free

to more conform to goodness. Dare I say

that this is good. It truly feels it is!

You made a world where I could wake from sleep.

A miracle. A change of state like this

is wonderful, and nearly makes me weep.

One state, is fine. And lovely, to be sure.

But changes too, can be delicious things.

To work within your world to manage more

of molecules, and forces, so it sings.

As little trav'ling birds in morning air,

in world around me… (four twenty a.m.)

that carry little riffs between a pair

throughout this neighbourhood. And here I am

aware, and can appreciate, and join

in, not as THE conductor of the show,

but with a little voice to sound, in time,

within this symphony. The more I know

the more I see there is to learn, to bring

in harmony, in ev'ry day life, here,

to join with your own spirit in this thing

this project to let heavenlies appear.

To make this Earth a holy place in fact,

by taking off my sandals in your home.

By making it our home in eve'ry act

that I can work on, partnered with your own

sweet spirit, as creative love must be.

Designing good things (mostly still in part)

but as I now have played my part, I see

much more, as you have shared your Father's Heart

with me, to love in truth - you're teaching me.

And how to see creatively, not balk

mechanic'ly, or technologic'ly

but so the human race might slow, and walk

in afternoons, quite humbly with its GOD,

and learn more ev'ry day, to be as this

most high, & most creative one; in what

I do, when "on my own" - more "with, in his".

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*  In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 GNBUK

When Enoch was 65, he had a son, Methuselah. After that, Enoch lived in fellowship with God for 300 years and had other children. He lived to be 365 years old. He spent his life in fellowship with God, and then he disappeared, because God took him away. Genesis 5:21‭-‬24 GNBUK

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Acts 10:38 NRSVUE

those who say that they remain in union with God should live just as Jesus Christ did. 1 John 2:6 GNBUK

Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 GNBUK

In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God. 1 Corinthians 7:24 NRSVUE

With God on our side we will win; he will defeat our enemies. Psalms 108:13 GNBUK Psalms 60:12 GNBUK

The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Luke 1:30 NRSVUE

For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 NRSVUE

He replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Luke 18:27 HCSB

Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27 HCSB

The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

Romans 15:33 NRSVUE

Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory. If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. … So those who suffer according to God’s will should, while doing what is good, entrust themselves to a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4:12‭-‬14‭, ‬19 HCSB

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and be their God; Revelations 21:3 NRSVUE

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the way of a man with a maid*…

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I start to see the need to "fill her in".

I feel the need to fill her in some way

that must be male to female (yet not sin),

but often want to be filled in. I say

things like, "Can you just fill me in on what

the story is, so I can understand,

and see the overall, what needs have got

predominance, what is most helpful." And

I feel like then I've got a chance to play

the part I'm called to play in covenant-

al ways that are so based on keeping faith

and letting our word be what it was meant

to be, and always at its heart must be

for all the whole big picture to go well.

This master stroke of looking broad to see

before I look quite close, to feel, will tell

things from another vantage point, and brings

the lot into perspective straightaway,

and still lets this particular deep spring

somehow allow new life to grow each day

with pleasures, in the words of that old psalm^,

eternal (deep and full, replenishing)

at his right hand, a never-ending balm

that's ever new, exciting, yet resting.

Until I am filled in, I do feel used.

I feel to be manipulated and

I see now how she might feel thus confused.

Fill her in, in her way, then take my stand.

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*  There be three things which are too wonderful for me, 

Yea, four which I know not: 

• The way of an eagle in the air; 

• The way of a serpent upon a rock; 

• The way of a ship in the midst of the sea; 

• And the way of a man with a maid.

Proverbs 30:18‭-‬19 KJV

^  You make known to me the path of life;

    you will fill me with joy in your presence,

    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

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A friend has cataract surgery...

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So God, please keep on healing (as you do),

these bodies and these eyes with their clear skin.

And help us on the inside to trust you

as your small child, to start where you begin.

As such, our sight was always gift from you,

and what a lovely gift it always is..

And when the abstract sight is coming too,

and metaphor is piggy backing this...

It seems to hold a whole lot more than what

it takes to just use senses to take in.

It links us to eternal things forgot,

with pow'r to change the world, to conquer sin…

for blind eyes can't be blamed for not seeing,

but seeing eyes, within a human head,

can implicate their owners in their free-

ing new things to come to our earth which shed

their outcomes, either more light and more love,

or else more cover jobs, which don't reveal

but keep the secrets in with kick & shove.

Oh God, your gift of light/ life/ sight's a deal..

that's nothing like a "deal" with us at all.

It feels like plain ol' gift of gracious love,

equipping us to be like you, though small,

to oversee not by control, or shove,

but in a way to bring true natures out,

to let them show themselves within your world.

Your way that "lets" light be (though bound), gives shout,

to your great giving nature, as unfurled.

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He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared.” Revelation 21:4 GNTD

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…placated?

 

The more I learn, the less that I can share

so openly, naively, as before.

For in-stab-il-it-y comes with me where 

I go, to "get it" now, I must implore.

And with more understanding of the world

I need more understanding of myself,

since I am like his flag that's been unfurled

before his angels or his commonwealth.

Well, maybe not so much, to understand

myself, for in the scheme of things, he seemed

to say; for each themselves, what comes to hand

is more to love, and come to see what's dreamed

up in the mind of one who looks and sees

the good that's there, and acts to give it out

to others in a multiplying, free-

style way that has creative, hesed, clout!

Oh, this has more of joy and covenant,

and simple friendliness, that won't quickly

be put off by appearances that plant

themselves, sometimes for reasons we don't see.

They let them be pulled out - that's roots & all,

and any other thing that's given space

within the garden plot of this young "Paul"

will be under permission, to bring grace.

For now I'm Owned, not by myself, at base.

It's complicated, but, when this is right

he turns the tables over, in the chase

of "Hide & Seek" - the best is in the night!

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"Death to my self-sufficient pride"

Amen. Amen. Amen.

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And I will work along with you, my Lord,

to see this wretched creature hung up straight

where it should be, instead of "be adored",

as it claims for itself. At least of late.

A cross is just the thing that works, for it

is higher up than other things around:

and goat-like my own pride climbs up to sit

where it is over all - it would be found.

It loves to "play the martyr", bear its shame

while ruling over all the world and more.

As long as it's above, it bears its pain.

This undead "god"; will one day die for sure!

Bless you, Lord Jesus; giving us the Way

of subjugating pride of life to love,

and letting that atomic pow-er pay

a visit.. None is stronger. None can shove

the love of Christ away and make a space

where it can have its own world to exist

and rule in isolation. Your good ways

leave no air pride can breathe within love's mist.

And Lord, I'm trusting you to suffocate

and kill it once for all with your good death,

Your life that's lived in love's own anti-hate-

full atmosphere is sweet with ev'ry breath...

Rub in your life to us, please more our Lord.

We only want it. We'll despise our pride

that doesn't want a shared life:"What's that for?"

it says. It sure as hell would rather've died.

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Pray for healing..

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… Would really love prayer that restless legs go! I had it the other night and we are only 18 weeks 😥

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Amen re. restless legs of that Mary.

Please give your healing/ (grace untill it's done),

and save us from our blindness that can't see

the good already there, at least begun.

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A day in the life of...

 Less-ons & More-ons

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Sat 2 Dec 2023 a "camping day" with Katrina

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We didn't go camping Friday night, because rain was forecast to come during the night (& it did). So we we drove the car with pop-up trailer behind it, up by the side of the house under the carport-pagola, and slept in our own bed at home. Coming together slowly in the morning, things didn't get going for camping till around 11:30am, and we were off.  Then Saturday morning we drove off to Ophir, with lunch and some water bottles,to have a look, & see about camping the night (in our pop-up camper trailer) and buying a pub meal for dinner. 

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On the way, we needed to fill up with fuel (we were about ¼ ful). We did, at the 7/11 store. i read out-loud "bowser 4" as we drove in to make sure I remembered when I paid at the counter. We had a fuel-price locked in by phone app at ~$1.77, instead of ~$1.92 as displayed on bowser. How good was that.

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Then we drove to Ophir. On the way Katrina mentioned that the government was about to throw money at schools to help teachers to  train students in the disciplines of human life… 

I reacted … thinking  about the structures of government being less than human, and this inhuman response of throwing money at very complex human problems (as has happened with "the aboriginal issue", the nation has just voted on). That being true, I was forgetting that God has put salt & light in there, and today was an amazing example of this point…) Katrina said something about my one sided response & I saw it for what it was. Flabbergasted that I had overlooked EMANUEL - GOD being WITH US. Thank you God, for this woman. 

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Then we drove through the first stock gate at Ophir and came to a camping sign… in checking my phone map I found the 7/11 app open, but unused (it changes its background colour when scanned at the counter). Then I realized that back at the 7/11 fuel stop I'd looked at the bowser price, & jumped in the car and off we drove. I hadn't paid for my fuel fill-up. I thought it was around $93.

I tried to ring the 7/11 shop. Coverage was iffy. It rang … but went to a message bank voice mail. I explained that I'd be back tomorrow, & all my details.

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We had a lovely day eating our luncheon sandwiches, doing walk one with a good water bottle, sitting on the shore. Trying some of walk 2, during which I got stuck on a log crossing a creek. Then driving along track 3.

• While trying to drive out we got stuck in our 4wd, our 4 wheels spinning on the very steep dirt track while towing our camper trailer out (of track 3)…

• While trying to back the trailer up the hill, off the side of the road…

• Patrick, who was gold panning at the bottom, heard and climbed up the hill, saw what had happened, & offered to tow our pop-up camper-trailer up with his bigger (& loaded) 4W-D. Thanks Patrick. I didn't think to go with him, nor to clarify if we should drive behind him on the very steep, bumpy, sharply turning, dirt track. We hadn't worked out how far up the track he would drop the trailer. The steepest bit was about 100-200 m up the track (yet out of sight), but there were a few other quite steep bits.  I didn't want to cause problems now, with me going up when he was coming down. We had no phone coverage to make up for it. We waited at the bottom. I was feeling very silly. Wondering if I'd ever see the trailer again. Katrina had walked up the creek a bit before he drove to hitch the trailer on, and now told me he had a partner down in the creek. He probably would be back then. After ~12 min he did return.

It worked - & ~ 30 min from realizing that we were stuck, we were out.

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• we drove back, though the 2cm of run over water on the causeway, to Orange, &

• We went back to pay our 7/11 bill,  & met (as the attendant) the husband of the lady who had a baby and only a week or two before, had brought us a bunch of sweets, commemorating the healthy birth. And finally…after quite a while, … not being able to find it on the video, or in the bills (hard-copy or soft-copy), and at his suggestion, checking my digital wallet that it had not been paid (we had guessed that we had filled up 11:20-11:40am, because our phone message back to the voice mail was about 12:12pm, and Google maps said it was around 35min from home to the camping ground). After many apologies for much extra work given to our acquaintance, & between other customers at a busy shop.. .. it turned out to be around 11:47am that we were "in"; and it wasn't $92, but ~$87, so none of his quick searches had found it. It got done. (though I started to put my phone away after he scanned my phone for the fuel discount, & he had to suggest, with a smile, that I would need to now pay for it.

 

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• At home We listened to Cytonic, had an early wine & dessert, cooked dinner, ate it watching the sunset until it started spitting rain and the wind picked up.

• I wanted to work on doing something  creative with words for Xmas presents for our family and community, so worked on understanding creative words.

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The next morning

God got me out of 3 big mistakes this day. He made it an adventure, instead of a disaster. Wow! It really was a partnership, but in this one I am inexperienced, over focussed (tunnel visioned), & forgetful; and he has make it all work with heaps of fun! And my dear wife stuck with me, held my hand, let herself be stuck in problems of my making, and didn't once complain, grumble, have a hissy fit.. do anything other than really help me grow up, and to deal with my immaturities, and difficulties. It was her  helping push a trailer up a hill and chocking it, on & off a steep dirt track. 

I'm IN. This is amazing. I wanted to thank him & her very much, hence I wrote down all above this section before I fell asleep. This morning I have edited it,and added this section but what to do now? God, please help me to see.

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