Step out! - into the dance I'm learning…

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And learn to do the simple thing - admit

when I am immature or self absorbed;

and, on the side of greater good, then git -

to work again, the sacred oil’s been daubed

on toe, and thumb, of this priest of the God,

the spirit of creative love who loves 

creatively, with pow’r that’s not just nod-

-ding to a principle, with gen’ral shoves

in right directions. Partnership it is,

but still not one of equals; I must start 

with humble, loving, learning ways of his,

who’ll reach, impeach, and teach me all his art

of living well, by seeing good that’s there

around about me, ev’ry step I take,

and letting my heart well in thanks, and prayer

for others round about, then help them bake

the cakes they love to make, to bring more good

into God’s great good world, when thirst is slaked, 

and hunger which is meant to serve, or should

enhance the passion - fruit icing what’s baked…

and say the thing his prophet should then say,

and rule the world - bring order as a king

is meant to do, who knows the kingly way

of God who rules the rulers of each thing

or aspect of our lives here down below!

I’ll recognise, then speak, and sing, and play

his praises, to his honour, for I know

the kind of songs he sings, and words he’ll say.

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look out, slow down, see clear, step forward now ’n live "near"...

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I'm so affected by those round about,

by people whom I love, and want to please.

I’m scared of what it means with those who lout-

ishly accuse, command, so I’ll appease.

I’d cease to be the person who you made,

or play the part you wanted me to play

within this drama, with its heat and shade,

and problems which show while you seem away.

This shows my insecurities up well.

It shows my own propensities to act

instinctively, defensive of the self,

not with the view that’s overall in fact.

Not closely, well connected with the GOD,

the spirit of creative love that’s formed

a world like this, and me to serve the lot,

to work as partner with your ways en-normed.

Ennorm-ously in need of your input, 

inhibiting affects that slow me up,

to check, and tune, and get in step, without

just throwing in the tow'l when I’m shown up.

So here I am, so weak and immature,

who knows so little of your kinda love,

HESED*, that lives in covenant with who’re

a willing partner with who’s “from above”.

So my first call is from yourself: “Respond…" -

in kind, to all the care you've shown to me.

My first love will then draw the others on;

do you see, Paul, how they are then set free?

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* HESED is the Hebrew word for loving-kindness, loyal love, covenant love, and is based on keeping one’s own word, affected by, but not predicated upon the other’s responses.

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Draft audio song

...doing well…

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Well here’s a thing I’m learning* that’s a “trick”,

a “hack” for living down here as we do

(for those of us who travel slow or quick

upon this Earth through time - and distance too).

For those who live within this kind of world

where processes are part of how things work.

Instead of just events where stuff is hurled

near “ready made” at us. It’s quite berserk

that even then, like when a baby’s born,

it takes a bunch of years to learn to use

it's body prop’ly - 'cept for how to mourn,

or cry aloud. We help them learn to choose

to live out of their instincts, and then learn

to do things that are helpful to their place 

within a human culture: take their turn

at turning round, at sitting in a space,

at crawling on all fours, and using words,

and learning to participate within

the structures of authority [like birds

within the unseen air wherein they swim

both up, and down, and join in flocks to aid

in simple things like moving right along

in line with seasons (though they are not paid

in cash) there’s gifts they take. They thank in song.]

So forward Ways we go, we learn to trust

the process that is bigger than ourselves

of mateship that means friends who do not bust

when hard things come about. So “anti- hell”!

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*  This year I followed the process of a bunch of mediocre skills that required ongoing repeated work towards an end that seemed (& was) far, far removed from my starting point, over a time frame of 5-12 years, or more: 1) with my wife, I bought a house and oversaw (& significantly contributed to) the insulation & recladding of it, then upgrading its front & back landings, and the usability of its various rooms and underneath for  storage & living areas; 2) I jammed a (piano/) keyboard with some real (band-ed) musicians playing new songs in different keys, and got a very fun outcome; 3) I got gamer to do fun “3 min portraits” of possibly over a thousand people; 4) I completed walking the length of Australia NOBO (NOrth BOund) every step (possibly apart from 10- 50 meters, the difference between some pickup points and drop off points, e.g. across a road outside Weipa) from South Cape in Tassy, to North point in Tassy, then from Wilson's Promontory (Southern tip of mainland Victoria), to Pajenka (Northern tip of Cape York in  mainland Queensland) including Melbourne to Mapoon; then from the Southern tip of Thursday Island (South of the helicopter pad), to the Northern most sand/mud spur of Thursday Island, (on the northern mangrove-flat/ beach); 5) I lived intimately with & raised a family with - my woman for 39+ years; 6) I  responded (in the Way of Jesus)  to real, freely offered friendship from unexpected quarters, like a little child; 7) I am trusting the process I began over 65yrs ago. The process of “growing up”, which is as with a grain of wheat, a process that comes about mystically, invisibl-ly, and in the words of Jesus,  “automatically” or “all by itself”; yet a process that, with humans, can never occur “all by one’s self”; though a child is certainly involved in the process of parents “raising it”, it seems to me that loving parents/ guardians are essential to the human genome being transferred from a collection of molecules into a whole person of the human kind, an adult Woman or Man, relating with those younger and less mature as a conduit of the resources of the wellspring of HESED - lovingkindness. ...

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left over?

Thursday 11/Dec/2025

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Today we had a diff’rent day @ school

the normal teacher was away so we 

did diff’rent things; it could have been quite cool!

Instead we tried to hear, & think, & see,

& learn about the "right" side of the brain.

A fellow said it could do magic stuff; 

& I believe it 'coz I've seen again 

how magic’ly it operates in tough

& tricky situations - It connects 

us with the world around us where we live

& helps us to "belong” in all respects 

not just to 'use'; but even how to give... 

That’s not to say what’s left is “just no good”!

That speech and language (indexed by that side)

have no place, or can’t help, or that we should

not use them to communicate (or hide)

the truth about ourselves (or what goes down)

from those about us with their interests -hey!-

in us, our world, our country, or our town.

It’s just that we’ll think in a diff’rent way

not just about “What is it that I want?

(Though we might well be quite aware of that,)

We’ll also think of body-language, font,

and who we might affect by what we’ve shat..

within the eco-system we received -

to influence for good, in ev’ry act,

and word, and thought (imagined, or perceived).

The "right"* sees right, by rights, (and rite,) in fact!

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*  i.e. the right-hemisphere of the human brain (as understood by the statistically verified generalisation of what is common in the human species, while acknowledging variations in individual bodily manifestations of the general "rule".

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a Mum works hard to birth a babe

Oh God, the God of fatherhood itself, 

and motherhood as well we've come to see,

whose Leader for us is our life and health,

our food and drink, as Mum is to Baby.

The El-Shaddai who succours those who come

beneath your wings of pro-tec-tion and care,

as chicks come to the hen who is their Mum,

knows all the cost, and pays it. God's aware.

Not standing off, aloof, (as some Dad's did, 

in days gone by.. because we trusted our

culture & our science   to keep hid)

To notice you, we have to take a bow.

Then from a lowly spot we see more your

ways of hiding in the lowly spots

when crying, wailing, groaning, would implore

and yet we learn to trust you, more than not.

Please Help Milly!

people swamped by storms & massive flooding…

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Oh God of Abraham (who trusted you)

we’ve seen you act to help him rectify

his family caught, enslaved, delivered to

some enemies. Please now do help us die

to our own comforts (as our guiding lights)

and ease the weather for your kids to shine

your attitude towards the folk in plights

beside them in that country all the time…

and give the spirit of your child to them.

A child who trusts implicitly his Dad,

and lives the fam’ly values from tree-stem 

out to the branch where he can rightly add

expressions that are tailored for that time

and place within your world where they have lived,

to show the fam’ly thriving as aligned 

to root of fam’ly tree of life as sieved

out to the world now through this avenue

of your fam’ly, with motives of its source

and start, as at its heart - the heart of you,

once broken by our failures and the course

we’ve taken as we walked away from you,

and fell asleep, or died (which-ever one),

our flesh now has not strength enough to do

the things impossible that are not fun.

We need a way to team up yet again,

with that creative love that thought and made

a world for children to grow up, be sent

to waft the fam’ly scent within its shade.

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sore affected

---

My Abba I love you, show you my hurts,

my arm that’s aching, my shoulder that stabs

whenever I use it, or put on my shirts,

lean on my elbow, or clean up or dab

something in front of me. But I recall

this body’s a gift from you to me now.

You mentioned another more permanent thrall,

a body that will serve better somehow!

I love that you made this whole world - and dust.

It matters to you, and me more-so as 

your child so small, learning  largely to trust.

And so, we’ll grow - as our big brother has!

Unlike a brother who tried to secrete

things for himself, and would not let eyes meet

with others in openness sharing his loss

with all the world as Christ shared in our cross.

Here is my pain, and un-comfort as well.

Here are the fears - that I won’t play much more,

let alone work. I’ll be “crangry” and yell.

Push people away. God, oh help - it’s sore!

So thank you for each chance to look and see 

your goodness dancing with great energy,

and sometimes to speak out, even to sing

of good that’s present, though evil’s a thing!

I’m learning to trust you, and to speak truth 

out of the HESED love (that sources youth,

as well as wisdom, and beauty forsooth),

that what I say will match, and has some cooth.

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to raise^ a child*

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The spark of genius that is this Christ's

who takes up death by cross so willingly,

who warns folk that no sign would quite suffice

unless it’s Jonah’s quite “Will-’e? Nill-’e!” 

edge, with a disappearing - out of sight;

& burried underneath the surface bling

of world, where happenings of hist’ry might

be known by all (with secret suffering).

Where love brings birth, but at a cost - that’s paid

by someone paying forward in the past,

because of that creative love which made 

the world from the beginning - to the last.

It pays the price which love alone can pay.

For no-one who’s impelled by less will want

to do something that gives, when there’s a way

to get control, to have acclaim. Their font

has guise of ’munication, but in fact

it seeks t’impress, to note-a-riot-y

as end it really wants, behind each act.

A mother/ father’s kind society

is seed-bed for a human being born.

The method that’s from love means suffering.

The blood of birth, a badge that may be worn

with pride, when it’s not getting, but would bring

an offering of love, to bless, not bind,

unless with chords of only love itself.

A Song of Serving One° can only find

the lonely, who have lost their hope & health.

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Footnotes:

^ note Christ’s repeated prophecies warning his disciples that the Son of Adam must be “Handed over, made to suffer, killed, (buried,) raised!!” Note also his repeated reference to being “lifted up”, which drew both concepts together of “raised”, and “crucifixion” (a physical being made higher, but as a mockery of the person themself).

*  Note that “unless you change and become like a little child, you cannot enter the reign of heaven”; “The reign of heaven belongs to such as these (little children?)” etc

° see Isaiah’s several  “Servant Songs” e.g. Isaiah 42:1–9; 49:1–13; 50:4–11; 52:13–53:12 which are possibly mirrored by the later  “Songs Of The Annointed Saviour” e.g. Isaiah 59:15-60:22; 61:1-9; 61:10-62:12; 63:1-6  recounting the one who comes from YHWH God, to the people of God as one who serves & suffers with & for them, to lead them into real right relating with their God, with eachother, & with those around (and with the  newly-made-right whole world)?

to grow up more like YOU!

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Please teach me your ways Lord! Please grow me up

to learn to love, as Christ displays down here.

He trusts his shepherd to fill up his cup;

as Dave before him sang+ -  trusting he’s near.

So don’t “forget the nearness of your Lord”*;

He’s close, and I’m made up to link with him!

Thus I can never get what they call “bored”.

To conduit love from source has nothing dim

about it, many-coloured “goods” abound

within that coat which goes on over all^.

Creative in existence love has found

a way to make the world, not just a wall

or fence to keep our other neighbours out,

demarking bound'ries, minimise confus-

-ion, clarify somehow. But folk still pout,

and feel excluded, ‘coz they didn’t choose

to invite whom they’d like, and have them come

to their place, so to share life in a meal, 

a cuppa, or a walk, or talk, or some

way that life can be shared, a deeper deal.

I s’pose that must be friendship at its core,

we keep our word to each and carefully

consider what we say, to not say more,

or less than what is helpful$. Speak slowly#.

And “slow to anger#” too is just like you,

Yahweh the GOD who IS, who gives us breath.

And quick to listen#, tune to helpful$ too.

To show more of you here, before my death.

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Foot Notes: 

+  (Psalm 23)

* “Delight yourselves in God, yes, find your joy in him at all times. Have a reputation for gentleness, and never forget the nearness of your Lord.”(Philippians 4:5 look at footnote of NLT)

^ “ As, therefore, God’s picked representatives of the new humanity, purified and beloved of God himself, be merciful in action, kindly in heart, humble in mind. Accept life, and be most patient and tolerant with one another, always ready to forgive if you have a difference with anyone. Forgive as freely as the Lord has forgiven you. And, above everything else, be truly loving, for love is the golden chain of all the virtues.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, remembering that as members of the same body you are called to live in harmony, and never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you.

16-17 Let Christ’s teaching live in your hearts, making you rich in the true wisdom. Teach and help one another along the right road with your psalms and hymns and Christian songs, singing God’s praises with joyful hearts. And whatever you may have to do, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, thanking God the Father through him.” (Col3:12-17 translated by J.B. Phillips, link show Greek & also other translations which can be changed)

$  All things you choose to do may be legal but not all are helpful. (See 1Cor 6:12; 10:23)

#  Exod 34:5-8; James 1:19-27

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“Communicating with kids!”

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Book Club for parents and for humans who

do have an interest in what’s in this book 

by Steph’nie Davies-Arai, so we’d do

it. But we're finished now, our faces look

not only sad, but happy to have won.

We finished what we started months ago.

We worked hard, and we’re lucky to ‘ve had fun

along the way with open sharing so…

God, thanks for such a mazing job as this.

We sometimes feel quite lost, and seem to be

a-going round in circles, lost in biz-

nus of the jobs you gave us (and that we

would love to do well too - the way you made

us, to be quite a lot somehow like you).

Yet we know that you are amazing shade,

protection and revealing what to do

as it is needed, necessarily,

and we can be amazed, & still learn trust

and grow in wisdom, understandingly

as you allow (who knows that we are dust).

Our first job might just be to speak in love,

while acting out of creativity

to form some space and time, down from above,

where living/ moving ones like you and me

might then attain a life increasingly, 

as we share what your hopes and dreams might be

by living into our identity-

a nature nurtured in your family.

---

Full of Life

---

It’s been a busy day dear Lord.

We drank some coffee in that park,

we heard some stories told by Mark,

we walked through places that were dark.

It’s been a busy day dear Lord!

It’s been a busy day dear Lord,

we (some) went home and had a sleep,

and clubbed a book* to life, to keep

what’s true and loving, growing deep.

It’s been a busy day dear Lord.

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Notes

*  Thinking of the opposite of clubbing baby seals to death for their furs, we finished today a book club discussing (one a week - over wine and cheese)  the eleven chapters of Stephanie Davies-Arai 's book “Communicating with kids”. A life-giving exercise, that all of us (probably) would like to repeat with other friends. We had wood-fired pizza together today after a late, last Book-club meeting. A busy day, dear Lord. What else would I spend this life doing? Good things - with you!

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Tripsy daisy ..

---

Mate, thanks for sending those pictures that whet

my appetite to hear the stories which

go with them so their memories then get

unlocked and meaning compounds, while the kitsch

remains to always hang about with us!

To move into the changes, holding hands

seems like the stuff ADVENTURES which build trust

are made of, till one fine’ly understands

each loved one in a hopeful, open way.

Adventure* pokes its head out as we do

what’s needed (even in the stuff we say)

to build up good for ev’ry thing/one who

we have to do with - where we BE that day.

It looks a great adventure you're all on!

Hope friendships in the fam will grow, not fray.

Connecting to creative love brings song!

So I will sing this ditty now to you.

Please prosper with - the language that you learn;

relating with the others in your group;

and spreading more creative love in turn

to those “outside”, you do not understand.

And speaking of the day that’s past, at night

or in the morning (not just what is planned),

to savour and to process, thank, delight,

each heart, and too creative love itself!

And what a start - to more to come each day

for each small life we live (sickness or health)

as ships (made for this passage) berth. Hooray! …

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Notes

*  “Inconvenience is only adventure wrongly considered.” Or was it “Adventure is simply inconvenience rightly considered”; not sure… I think that one or both quotes, or ones very like them, are from G.K.Chesterton.

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A Hallow'een tweak to Progress, Re-incarnation & Karma..

( three wells )

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Get to know well, so that you can Remember well who owns you! .. and then use this self well, today! 

Part of the Backstory: 

The “given” you is 'on loan' (SHŌMA), & this life (in this body, in this world) is your chance to be involved in the creation of a new permanent version, and to choose some of its capacities.. in the service of pro-found ‘creative love’, or simply ‘control’ (as another cog in the machine where ‘machinery’ and ‘desire’ are its only impetuses).

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That Prayer

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His glorious, unlimited resource

is such that as he speaks a world begins

and I’ve been made a messenger with laws

beyond this universe. A power that wins -

in ways that folk who gain internally

the impetus to act and move and live

from just desire of their biology

(don’t know much love, to grieve or to forgive)

will never know, unless they let that love, 

(creative and continuous) express

itself through them as it comes “from above”,

because they stand beneath it, and would bless

as much as they are able to, they pray

for others too, that love might give the strength

inside them in their spirit ev’ry day

em-pow-er-ing them so that then at length 

the Christ will make his home within your hearts

as you trust him to come, and then to do

it, rooting you in God’s love ’s how it starts

(it doesn’t stop) and it will keep you too. 

And may you have the pow’r to understand, 

as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, 

how high, and deep is this great love expand-

ing more than this whole Universe in song.

May you ex-per-i-ence the love of Christ, 

though it’s too great to fully understand. 

Then you’ll be made complete & fully spliced 

into the life and power that God has planned…

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Notes:

Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT :

¹⁶I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

+  To see Eph 3:16-19 in Greek, & other English translations NTIME, GNT, NRSV, & NLT- you can also choose other translations too!)

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