To all that are on the mailing list, I apologize for sending so many poems through in one day, but my mind has been spinning--as usual--and I want to get on to something else. However, I couldn't leave the collection of poems unfinished so I had to post them all. I hope to post a bit more regularly, so keep your eyes and hearts open. Please feel free to comment, even if it sounds like criticism. I welcome any advice you may give or any additional thoughts or even any errors I have made in grammar or theology. God bless you richly! Thanks for reading.
Jennifer
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“Where we love is home: Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.”
- Oliver Wendell Holmes
To See
The sights of that beautiful City
Will be lovely to behold
Those pearly gates
The crystal sea
The streets made of purest gold.
My eyes now strain to see
That long eternal day
No more sickness
No more death
My tears all wiped away.
I’ll meet many saints of God
That upon this earth I loved
Grandpa, Grandma
Unborn child
Reunited up above.
But of all the beauty I imagine
About my Heav’nly Home in the skies
The utmost joy
My supreme desire
Is to gaze into my Savior’s eyes.
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“Some people want to live within the sound of chapel bells, but I want to run a mission a yard from the gates of hell.”
- John Wesley
Feet
I heard a song as a girl
In Sunday School long ago
“Oh be careful little feet”
Watching wherever you go.
I have tried to live my life
Not going where I shouldn’t
When others asked me to sin
I declared that I wouldn’t.
Now the Bible says the Church
Will triumph over all Hell
Seeing armies of God
Many an enemy fell.
If we keep ourselves from sin
We have gained one soul for Him
“Well done”, our Lord will say
And to joy we’ll enter in.
The defense is what I need
To save just myself from sin
But the offense is needed
A lost, dying world to win.
Against the gates of Christ’s church
Hell’s stronghold cannot prevail
Let’s march to its very gates
God’s army never shall fail!
Snatching souls from the very brink
Of destruction and of death
Is of much more profit then
Sitting and drawing our breath.
For when our feet are busy in
Bringing wounded souls to Him
They won’t have the slightest urge
To carry us into sin.
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Faces
Sitting in the joyful worship atmosphere
She raised her hand in victory and praise
Inside she was hurting, a victim of abuse
But she concealed the pain behind a face.
Standing for prayer, he bowed his head in rev’rence
The voices of defeat within him raged
Today his boss had said, “We don’t need you now”
The worthless feelings hid behind a face.
A mother holds a toddler squirming to get down
The musician leads in a song of grace
“I can’t go on any more” she cries in her heart
A look of calm composure on her face.
The middle-aged couple, charter members here
Fought together all the way to church
But to see the division that’s plaguing them
‘Neath cover of faces you need search.
Discouraged and disheartened, the pastor starts to speak
Pouring out what’s left of his heart
Each face a perfect mask before him as he preaches
He dons his own and plays his part.
What would we see if we could pull away each face
And read only the heart and soul behind?
If we could see with Spirit eyes as our Lord saw
What sorrows, pain and heartaches would we find?
But it is easier to come, never showing our pain
Sitting in the pew with mask in place
As the front of the building doesn’t show what’s in its walls
Neither will a heart be shown by face.
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“The wonderful thing about God is that He not only gives us a standard, but a Person who died for the violation of that standard and a Holy Spirit who can change your life to conform to it.”
–Tommy Nelson
Voices
Wooing me with love, you called me again and again
I heard the sweet whisper above the world’s noise and din
Ever after in years to come I hear that still, small voice
Your voice throughout the Living Word that finalized my choice.
Lately I’m hearing voices coming from ev’ry side
Satan wants to confuse me and Your sweet voice to hide
One whispers “It is only love; that is all you need”
Another holds up holiness as their only creed.
I cry in desperation as a dear saint falls to sin
A voice whispers in my ear and I feel like giving in
Then someone cries out, “Freedom! Throw all aside
God doesn’t care what you do, He’ll still abide.”
The church has many voices, the world even more still
I hang on by determination of the will
Is everything that I have stood for to be counted for naught?
Or am I not living up to all the good things I’ve been taught?
The voices speak to my mind and try to reach my heart
The media, the counselor, that’s only a start
A fam’ly member, a scholar, a radio preacher, too
Of all the voices sounding in my ear, these are just a few.
Oh when can I find some real peace within my mind!
Each new voice I hear further puts me in a bind
When I think I have it figured out, another dominates
To find another audience to which it can dictate.
Just when I think of giving up, that there’s nothing more to do
That’s when I steal away from all and listen again for You
The still, small voice that wooed me, that called me long ago
Is still speaking yet today, showing me where to go.
Nothing is complicated, by His death saved by grace through faith
Sanctified in the present, glorified when we see His face
Losing all with no hope of gain to gain what I don’t want to lose
Dying to sin, to self, for Christ and His eternal plan to choose
The “manual” that I follow is what he asks of me
The “rule” within my heart is whatever His wish may be
The “dos and don’ts” are simple---“I do” what He commands
The “don’ts” are the sins that put the nail prints in His hands.
Let my chiefest “standard” be defined as the banner of my King
As I take it into battle, “Holiness to the Lord” I sing
I will fight against Satan, selfishness and against sin
But ne’er against the sinner or the brother I need win.
May the Voice of your sweet Spirit be the only one I hear
May your quiet words of love be the ones that I hold dear
Instead of following voices of doubt, fear, sin and deceit,
The voice saying, “Well done” as I fin’lly worship at Your feet.
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“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”
Job 23:12
To Taste
“Take and eat” offered the serpent
It was Satan in disguise
That taste of forbidden fruit was
Flavored by deceit and lies.
“Take and eat” said brother Jacob
To gain twin Esau’s treasure
The aroma that promised much –
Its taste was void of pleasure.
Satan’s table piled high
Tempts and woos each sinful soul
Gluttons of lust and pleasure
Then, the poison takes its toll.
“Take and eat” another offered
“This my Body and my Blood”
To taste of Christ’s salvation
More satisfying than needful food!
“Taste and see” said the Psalmist
When speaking of our dear Lord
“Sweeter than honey” say they
Who have feasted on His Word.
As a rat drawn to poison
Tasting, will the sinner die
But as deer pants for water
Christ, my soul You satisfy.
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Hands
The minister’s convention was on
All arrangements had been made
The sessions were all on schedule
Each admission duly paid.
They were quite a striking lot
Each one dressed in suit and tie
Every perfect preacher led
An equally perfect wife.
The children all were cared for
In a little room upstairs
Each minister’s wife assured
They would get the best of care.
The sessions all looked promising
Ethics, Ministry and Parsonage Life
Housekeeping, Hospitality
Taught by a veteran preacher’s wife.
Each day they learned a little more
About caring for the flock
Ev’ry session carefully timed
By auditorium clock.
But soon it was drawing to a close
The forty-third yearly convention
Each facet of ministry covered:
Everything worthy of mention.
The last session a diff’rent format
It would be a sharing one
Each minister sharing his success
And the good things he had done.
“Not to be a braggart” said the first
“But I have won many a soul
By knocking on doors and making calls
I have brought many to the fold.”
“Our church has many programs”
A second preacher stood and shared
“Married, singles, youth and kids
We are known as the ones who care.”
On and on they shared success
In numbers they had won
‘Til the director raised a hand
And said, “We’re almost done.”
“I don’t believe we’ve heard from
The brother by the aisle
Would you care to share with us
Your own ministry style?”
A few impatient snickers
As he rose up to his feet
He wasn’t very stylish
Though his clothes were pressed and neat.
Looking all around the room
A smile lit his face
“My message is a holy life
While showing all God’s grace.”
“I don’t dress to be the best
Nor do I dress to be the worst
My clothes are not important
For in my heart, people come first.”
“My preaching has made angry
Some members of the church
But helped many a sinner
When for God they did search.”
“I don’t preach in a building
For men’s hearts are God’s temple
These are what I seek to win
By truth that is made simple.”
“That sounds easy enough”
The director spoke up then
“But what have you really done
A lost, dying soul to win?”
“Hands that knock on doors
Are worthy and they’re good
Hands that give food to the poor
Are doing as they should.”
“Hands that gesture winsomely
While a preacher preaches
Or point to a Scripture verse
While the teacher teaches.”
“You ask what my hands have done
A lost world to win
I have come to free them
From darkness and from sin.”
He reached out to the nearest one
Sitting in the pew
“My friend, here’s what my hands have done
To save even one like you.”
A gasp rose from the group
And each felt very small
For all the boasting they had done
Meant nothing at all.
In light of what they saw
They had nothing more to share
For looking at the Stranger’s hands
They saw nail prints there.
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Yes, you have seen that title before. A couple of people brought it to my attention that my first entry did not answer this question fully, so I did a little editing. I've been pondering this for about a week and hope that I can give a satisfactory answer to the question, "Why do you write?"
In my original post I quoted some writers and their answers to this question. In once sense of the word, I believe that everyone who is called to write can give these answers. I will give you the quotes again and expand on them as a way to introduce this topic. If you are a writer (and even if you think you're not), I would appreciate reading your thoughts on why you write as well.
1. "My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way."
-Ernest Hemingway
This is primarily my goal in writing. I have a unique perspective on life that no one else has (as do you). When I write, I want to share my perspective with others. Why on paper or on a blog screen? I'll deal with that more later, but I'm a detail oriented person. If I'm going to make a case for something (whether it's homeschooling or why God created the world in seven literal days), I want to have all the facts. Although I love details and facts, my brain does not always keep them readily available. When I sit down to write (or type), I can sort through the facts. I can research the things that aren't clear, and I can organize them in a neat pattern of thought.
2. "We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to." -W. Somerset Maugham
Writing is not something that I just decided one day I'd like to try like scrapbooking or skiing. (Actually, no, I haven't tried either of those things. If you have, I'll be glad to write a review on your experiences. 
) I did not begin to write back in kindergarten because I was naturally gifted. Yes, I am gifted on expressing my thoughts(no comments, Jerry!), but without filtering them through the writing process, they aren't usually understood like I had intended. I began writing the first time something touched my soul and my passions. My dad teases me about my impromptu song writing on the way to school as a kindergartener. I would literally sing about whatever was on my mind, and though it drove him crazy, he realized that the things in my heart were coming out of my mouth. Later on it was journals, notebooks, book reports (I loved those! Read a book and write about it, what could be better?), term papers, and blogs. The point is that those things could not be expressed any other way rather than recording the words that described the feelings I had (and have).
3. "The act of writing is the act of discovering what you believe." -David Hare
In the last few years, I've been faced with some changes in life, and some soul searching questions have surfaced many times. When something is really bothering me, I get out my Bible and study, then I start to write. By the time I'm done writing, I have a pretty good idea about what I believe about the subject at hand. Most of the time, I even write my prayers to God. That may sound heretical, but God hears and speaks to me just the same as when I speak audibly to Him. In my writings, I have a tangible record of my spiritual journey over the years.
Someone recently asked me what my purpose was in writing--what goal am I trying to accomplish and exactly what thoughts I feel a need to express. I can't give a simple answer to that any more than a pastor can say exactly what message he feels he needs to get to his parishioners. Yes, he could say he preaches the Bible, but there are so many wonderful facets to the Gospel and so many themes to expound upon within that Holy Book. Matthew 12:34 says, "...out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." My heart is full of the many things that the Lord shows me, and I feel compelled to share them.
I hope this post aptly answers the question, "Why Must I Write?" If not, you know what the comment box below is for!
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This is the first of the seven poems in my "Collection of Poems for the Body of Christ". I am a novice poet, so any suggestions would be appreciated.
The Head
Just like the human body,
Christ’s body has a goal
To keep itself complete and
Functioning as a whole.
Missing even one member,
It couldn’t operate
To work the way Jesus wills
Each must cooperate.
The arm works with the hand
To show someone affection
While foot works with leg
To go the right direction.
Someone there to shoulder the load
While others are on their knees
The heart beats for a dying world
Each seeks Christ, our Lord, to please.
But how can each member
Know they’re rightly led?
Why this is the assurance –
All obey the Head.
A body that is without a head
Is just an empty shell
Only when connected to our Lord
Can we do all things well.
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Welcome to my writing blog! I have decided that as a busy homeschooling wife and mother that a blog is my best outlet for writing at this time. I invite you to read and to critique--to comment honestly and without fear of offending me. I ask you to be my editor, to play devil's advocate where possible and to realize that controversy is inevitable when one shares his or her thoughts and beliefs. If controversy frightens you, read no further, because I am apt to comment on the "touchy" issues close to my heart. My goal is to follow the advice of Joseph Pulitzer, who stated, "Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light."