Could This Little Bird...be Me?

See the little bird in the tree,

Hidden so masterfully.

Nestled, camouflaged delicately

Among the branches intricately.

Could this little bird...be me?

A silent statue on a limb

Shrouded, thus stoically dim.

Perched, yet poetically prim

A faint, fluttering rhythm.

Resolute, what stirs him?

Could this little bird... be me?

Change of posture, a sound slight

Suddenly, the bird takes flight.

A secret signal, soaring to the heights

The horizon lures his keen eyesight.

Flying higher, higher without fright

Sweet liberty, glorious delight

Could this little bird... be me?

Is there a height to high?

Is there a song, a shrieking cry?

A melodious lullaby?

Could I soar, attempt to fly?

Are there dreams beyond my eye?

My heart and soul, softly sigh.

Could this little bird... be me?

Dedicated to my children:  Christopher, Erica, Daphne and Natalie.

More ... but Most of All

I want to cry, but I want to laugh more,

But, most of all I want the heart of Jesus.

I want to engage in battle, but I want the victory more,

But, most of all I want to be a warrior commanded by Jesus.

I want to journey, but I want adventure more,

But, most of all I want to be where Jesus has placed me.

I want understanding, but I want wisdom more,

But, most of all I want to obtain the mind of Jesus Christ.

I want life, but I want to really live more,

But, most of all I want eternity with Jesus Christ.

I want a voice, but I want to be listen more,

But, most of all I want to hear the silent whispers of God.

I want to be fearless, but I want faith more,

But, most of all I want the assurance found only in Jesus Christ.

I want to pursue happiness, but I want joy more,

But, most of all I want to exalt the Savior of my soul.

I want to see, but I want to observe more,

But, most of all I want to gaze into the revealing eyes of Jesus.

I want to climb, but I want to fly more,

But, most of all I want to mount up on wings of eagles and soar.

I want to be free, but I want to unshackle the world more,

But, most of all I want to be a bond servant to My Lord and Master, Jesus. 

I want justice, but I want righteousness more,

But, most of all I want redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ.

I want companionship, but I want to be a friend more,

But, most of all I want an intimate relationship with Jesus.  

I want to be me, but I want to surrender all of me more,

But, most of all I want Emanuel, Christ in me and through me.

I want hope, but I want to expect more,

But, most of all I want to wait patiently on the Lord.

I want to dream, but I want to believe more,

But, most of all I want to be found trustworthy by God the Father.

I want to be seen, but I want to be hidden more,

But, most of all, I want to be sheltered under the wings of the Almighty.

I want to move, but I want to “be still and know” more,

But, most of all I want to be found resting at the feet of Jesus.

I want to taste, but I want feel more,

But, most of all I want to see through the eyes of Jesus.

I want to run, but I want to finish the race of life more,

But, most of all I want hear “well done my good and faithful servant.”

I want to tell a story, but I want to be an epic tale more,

But, most of all I want my life to be written by the Author, Jesus Christ.

I want to be here, but I want to be there more,

But, most of all I want to be present in His Presence.

There are countless wants, and seas of endless mores

But, most of all there’s  ...  Jesus.

Winter's Bend

As I sit, deep in thought, I stare out the window.  The sky is cloudy; the ground has patches of snow leftovers from the last winter storm. The grass is stretching, and peeking through the white icy crust.   The peaks of the nearby roofs are covered in a white thick blanket.  As I focus, and begin to keenly look, I see one isolated little snow flake fall, it seems very lonely as it gently floats down.  Then I gaze a little longer, I see yet another tiny flake flurrying in the air.  I realize this is very similar to life at times.  We often feel very lonely and isolated in the world. Sometimes we feel we are one lone flurrying flake. But if we give life a chance we will realize that we are not alone. 

The truth is, we gently fall into our explicit defined places, and we gather and unite, softly dusting our surroundings.  In time, more and more will congregate; soon the land will be completely covered.  Nestled under this layer of glistening goodness, the earth is resting, preparing to give life once again.  Just around the winter’s bend, the sun will shine, the wind will blow. There will be a thaw, a melting.  The earth will be watered.  Winter will end; spring is just around the corner, something special waits for us, at the winter’s bend.

The scripture tells us, that God gives to the earth snow like a blanket of wool; He scatters the hoarfrost [frozen dew] like ashes.  He casts forth His ice like crumbs; who can stand before His cold? He sends out His word, and melts the ice and snow; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow (Psalm 147: 16-18).

“ I prefer winter and Fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape — the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show.”  ~Andrew Wyeth

Untold stories are the souls of mankind that are covered with frost and ice, yet God promises a defrosting.  This thawing will melt away heartache, shame, sin, doubt, despair and brokenness. This thaw will give way to wonderful stories full of epic characters, conquering insurmountable conflicts, etched upon the canvass life.

 “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

God sent for His Word, and the Word is God Himself and His Word brings forth life.  Jesus thaws the frozen land, He melts the frigid heart.  He speaks life into death; He chisels away at the cold hardened heart.  He looks at His Father’s creation, and does not see frozen tundra; He does not see a wasteland.  He sees a world worth saving, a people worth dying for.  Jesus was sent into the world to bring salvation.  Jesus came into the world so that we could be delivered from the harshness of the world, that we could be protected from the world’s stinging, bitter frost.  Jesus came to the world, that it would be made safe and sound through Him. He stretched out His life, opened His arms, and He shrouded our sins with His blood and His blood washes us whiter that snow. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Knowing this makes my soul rejoice, my spirit spring to life and sets my mind to rest.

Soon, yes very soon the snow covered land will bring forth fruit, all those seeds that have lain dormant, will spring to life. The fields are filled with winter wheat. The harvest will be plentiful!  The vine will be filled with abundant fruit, flowers will bring forth divine fragrance, and herbs will savor the sullen, taste will be awakened and bud in delight. “O taste and see that the Lord our God is good” (Psalm 34:8).  He has made everything beautiful in its time; He has planted life and purpose within our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3: 11).

Look ahead; see the curve that is before you, it is the winter’s bend.  Before long, you will be able to declare, “Winter is past, spring has sprung!” 

Legacy

What does bananas, cantaloupe, Hershey’s Mr. Goodbars, homemade ice cream, pink things, daiquiris’ in the barn, over salted brownies, Kraft macaroni and cheese topped with Pace Picante sauce and spud nuts have in common? 

What does sudsy, slippery, cold water fun, diving to the drain and Marco Polo imply? What is the combining force behind sleeping in the car because I missed curfew, clothes-lining myself- literally- I had a giant-sized, hickey looking bruise across my neck for weeks, and determining whether you have the mumps by drinking pickle juice. 

Why does macramé, playing cards to see who washes the dishes, Polly Ana, competing in a race to shell peas and snap green beans, and piano sing-a-longs, say” I love you”?

What does feet too small to fit in water skies, rodeos, bowling league tournaments, and miniature golf suggest? How do German shepherd dogs, rattlesnakes, planting seasonal bulbs, moving pipe, the north forty and flipping a three-wheeled ATV relate?

What does scavenger hunting in country abandoned homes and buying out a small Texas town’s entire supply of” pink things” and The Red Rooster indicate?

Why does the thought of Thanksgiving, cotton harvest, frosty Christmas mornings, tumble weeds made into snowmen, whiskey for cough syrup, and countless hours traveling up and down the same road make me smile?

I might have a few of you bewildered with terms like pink things, spud nuts and red roosters.  “Pink things” were a type of frozen treat similar to a Popsicle, but way better. As a child, my cousins and I bellowed “Pink Thing, you make my heart sing...” to the tune of the ever popular hit- Wild Thing. “Spud nuts”, not to be confused with "sputnik", are donuts made of potato flour, these light and airy glazed pastry circles were always a special morning delight.  Oh, and the Red Rooster  was a quaint little drive in restaurant, not more than a shack really, with a red rooster on top.  It was usually my family’s first stop on the way into Brownfield from Amarillo. Regardless of appearance, they had the best hamburger in the basket.

I am sure some of you are curious regarding daiquiris in the barn, but I promised to keep that secret to my grave! And whiskey for cough syrup, what can I say, it was truly for medicinal purposes. I was a sickly child; I came down with a case of tonsillitis one Christmas.  Needless-to- say, I had the family chuckling as I staggered down the hallway that Christmas Eve- one too many hot totties, I suppose.

The answers to these questions are found held within my childhood memories. My cousins and I had such fun as kids spending our summers in the pool, celebrating the holidays and vacationing together. Oh yes, and we got into our share of mischief- cruising the streets of Brownfield and in various bowling alleys across the great state of Texas.  The night we slept in the car, we were past curfew and Missy, the German shepherd, knew it.  She would not let us out of the car! Yes, we learned our lesson and were never late again. Missy took being watch dog to a whole new level; she was more like “mistress of the manor”!   Oh dear, now I can't remember if was Missy or Lady, who kept us trapped in the car... so many great German shepherds and age is fogging up my memory. I do know that it was Bo-bo, who stood guard and frantically raced around the pool, every time all of us where in it. We made that dog so anxious!

All of the above questions can be answered with one person - my Aunt Ellen.  She is the one common thread weaved throughout all of these what? why? and how? questions. She made my childhood so memorable; she turned chores into games, sickness into a comedy, and West Texas country living into a grand adventure. My aunt was a bit rough around the edges, she had a raspy voice from years of smoking, but held within her stern correction, was a sincere twinkle in her eye.  Her life experiences created such a rare and priceless wisdom. She imparted her knowledge with the perfect blend of hilarity mixed with reality and always topped off with truth- shaken not stirred. She had a way of shaking you up, then gently pouring out her nurturing tonic upon you.  At our family gatherings, oh the stories she and her sisters would tell.  

Thank you my wonderful  dear Aunt Ellen, you are an enduring legacy, you left a lasting imprint my childhood.

The Allurement of a Smile...

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells
people you're at home.  ~Author Unknown

There is insurmountable beauty held within a smile. When I see someone smile, I cannot help but wonder, what well of joy is hidden inside?  I get an urge to draw near and soak up the goodness around them, to stand in the shadow of their happiness.  I am puzzled, where does their joy come from?  Have they received good news?  Do they hold a precious secret?  What gave them liberty, that resulted in a smile? 

 The teeth are smiling, but is the heart? ~African Proverb
 I have met a few people in my life who always smile.  I have often wondered if their face is just shaped that way, you know a permanent, somewhat manufactured glued- on smile?  It is like the face is frozen, more like a “snile”, instead of a smile.  I will explain, to say smile, you must close your mouth; your lips contact each other in forming the word.  But, in saying, “snile”, your mouth is open, your lips apart, teeth touching, in a frozen position.  Go ahead, try it!    I love bashful naïve smiles that reflect silent giggling innocence. The carefree toothless smiles are the best. I am intrigued by the "I'm so happy full-face smile", where the smile captures the entire face causing the eyes to squint. I am captivated by the wide-eyed smile of wonder.   But a fake smirk, I can live without! And a sinister grin, well that is just downright scary!  What about the hand over the mouth smile, what's up with that?

Alright, so I analyze smiles.  I ponder and ask these questions because I find it a difficult task to smile. My face does not fill the shape of a smile easily.  There must be something unique and wonderfully special to set my heart to laughter and bring forth a smile. Please, don’t get me wrong, I love to laugh! It is a magical liberation, a glorious emancipation of self.    

I think my eyes are my, tell “tale”, they reveal my story held within.  They shine as the morning sun, when I am truly joyful. They tear when I am moved by awe.  At times, they are held downcast refusing to look at sorrow and deception. They twinkle when I am feeling ornery or excited.   They appear distant when I am deep in thought.  They dilate when I am curious.  They are heavy when I am tired and weary. They are focused when discerning the written word. 

Therefore, after I am lured by a smile, I look to the eyes of the gleaming face.... and I wonder, “What is your story, what treasures are hidden within”.  

---

Desperado....

A desperado - a person out of hope 

and living in despair.

 

 
Hopelessness is that feeling when all seems lost.  Breath does not bring life, it is only a reminder that you are alive, but hopelessly empty. Life has no meaning. All expectation, anticipation and confidence are gone.  Hopelessness, is that feeling when everything around you is spinning rapidly out of control, you are caught in the middle, and cannot escape the vacuum.  Hopelessness is that feeling that you have done everything you know how, strived to do and live right, yet to no avail.  Hopelessness is the feeling of complete loss of control. Hopelessness is utterly being dumbfounded with life, or worse, being found dumb in life.

How is hopelessness achieved?  It comes by choice, it comes through surrender.   At some point, a conscious or subconscious decision was made and it haunts your thoughts. This choice has become a weighted scarf around your neck, and slowly it has wrapped itself around you like a python, tightening with each move it gradually chokes the life out of you. Everything becomes a struggle; sweat drips from your brow into your straining eyes causing a clouded stinging perception. Your body has become weak and your thoughts are consumed in defeat. You have become prey to hopelessness.

For the hopeless, hopelessness has become their constant companion. These desperadoes cannot see anything good, there is nothing pure, and life is vanity. Vain and futile, life is aborted, it is useless. The hopeless are held convicts jailed within their own desperate souls. The hopeless looks upon others with disdain, their faces are hardened, their words are bitter and their breath is rank. Their steps are hindered, backs are hunched over, and movement is crooked. The hopeless have forgotten beauty and believe that innocence is a mere mirage of deception. 

Nothing is as it seems, everything is black or white, but really everything is just BLACK! Every thought and every word are spoken in absolutes - nothing, never, always.  Their mottos are verses of misery:  “Nothing every works”, “I will never succeed.” “Bad luck follows me where ever I go.”  “They have everything, I have nothing.” “I can’t win, for losing.”   “Everything is wrong, nothing is right.” "I can't!"   Hope deferred has created a sick and embittered heart!  

The hopeless wade in the muck and mire.  They have no zeal, no courage, nothing but appalling memories and a vacant present. To think of the future is utterly absurd, “why bother?” nothing good is waiting there. They boldly declare,” it is only going to get worse!” 

We see these people every day, and we ask ourselves, “What happened to them?”  You try to reach out to them, to pull them out; they look back with disgust and turn away.  Darkness is their friend; they fellowship with doom and gloom. They would rather remain in their obscurity than dare to hope. The idea that anything could get better is terrifying.  The notion that a wrong could be made right, that there is beauty for ashes, that there is a sweet taste available instead of life’s bitter gall, that their life could be full and satisfying, that there is a loving embrace waiting for them- ridiculous! 

Boisterously, hopelessness declares, “Goodness, love and prosperity may happen for others, but it is not ever going to happen to me”.  Hopelessness mocks kindness; it shudders at the thought of happiness. Hopelessness lurks, it tempts and persuades the hopeful to join its desperate parade. 

We have all faced adversity and endured hardship, it is escapable.  We live in a fallen sinful world.  But not all of us surrender to its power.  I may be considered foolish for believing that life is greater than hardship. That good triumphs over evil.  That something good is beyond the bend.  I refuse to be bullied by life.  Life has not been easy, I have been knocked down, blindsided and left for dead.  But I will not lie in the dirt, raise my fist and curse life.

“I would have despaired, unless I had believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

Life is too precious.  Life is a mystery, it is a treasure chest of wonders, it is a challenge, it is an essence to long for, and it is a heroic quest.   I prefer to look for the good among the bad. Some days are difficult, they have little to offer, but I choose to face the spirit of depression and violently push it aside. I place despair under my feet, and jump up and down upon its ugly head!  I put on the mantle of hope; I crown my head with faith, and fill my heart with joy. Laughter is medicine to my wounded heart; thanksgiving changes the condition of my downcast soul.  I look up, and I breathe in the vitality of life.  I wrap peace around my feet, and I move forward.  I head toward the light at the end of the tunnel. 

The temptation to dwell on the negative is an easy endeavor, at times a mindless option.  Therefore a choice is required, a standard of hope must be raised. I choose to uncover good, to discover the quality of excellence, instead of measuring the quantity of mediocrity. Decisively, I look for hope, I wait in anticipation, I opt to rely and have confidence in something greater than my circumstance.  I choose to dwell in the land of the living.  Come join me,  there is plenty of room.

 

Choose hope....

 

 

 



The door is open.... walk in.

Seek Truth

I woke up this morning with this question..."What lies below the surface?  I laid in bed and pondered this question for awhile. 

If you dive into the ocean, you see the underwater beauty that cannot be seen from the shore.  If you look at ugly crustacean covering of an oyster, toss it aside and never open the shell, you miss the pearl held within.  If you dig beneath the surface of the soil, you find tremendous wealth of mineral deposits.  If you dare to enter a dark cave, you may discover a molten rough piece of coal. However when this hardened stone is cut and polished, it reveals the rare sparkling luster of a diamond. Don’t be fooled by what is seen on the exterior, the outer shell can be deceptive.

To seek: to go in search or quest of
                
There are many masters of deception, covering up and concealment is their persuasive art form. They disguise truth with fear and  hopelessness, misdirection, half-truths and illusion.  Discovering truth requires a patient, yet ravenous hunger. Seeking truth is a noble life quest. Truth must be tenaciously pursued and often it is necessary to excavate for genuineness. Dig Deeper! Truth seekers must look beyond the shell of ugliness, peer into the darkness, and take a plunge into the deep.

I hope that you will join me in the pursuit of truth!  Together we can expose deception.

Excerpt from:  Exposed!