The Presence

My Presence is
a Gift to you
a glimmer of Glory 
too Radiant for
your frail existence to
fully behold
but nevertheless
a taste of your
inheritance as
My precious
Sons and Daughters
that is meant to
wash away your
weariness and
draw you to Myself
I am
your refuge
a shelter
when the
waves of life
crash upon you and
anxiety cascades in a
cacophony of  whirlwinds
when persecution lurks
and ridicule
tempts you to
hide your love for Me
but even when
lesser constraints of
daily pursuits
overwhelming schedules
responsibilities stretched
far beyond capacity
when temptations are
nipping at your fingertips to
feed unwieldy appetites
self's circus of delights
or pride's
incessant aggrandizement
craves to be fed
because of envy's hunger
so in every circumstance-
especially your daily visitation-
decide to seek My Face
drawing upon My Power to
enter through prayer's portal in
the language of angels
into the great
silence of surrender
there to rest in
pastures of peace by
quiet streams of
tender tears
there to consume
the fruit of
My Presence
Love's nectar of delight
without measure
there to share your
heart's inexpressible desires
our eternal dreams for
Life together while
listening in
quiet expectation
even as storms
come and go

Reflection/Discussion:
-How do you come into the Lord's Presence?
-Do you experience the Presence of God in your life? How/when?
-How has the experience helped you?
-Is the Presence of God something common to believers? Why? Why not?
-Is it a "reward"? Why? Why/not?
-How has ridicule tempted you to hide your love for the Lord?
-What is the "language of angels"?
-How do we enter into a deeper life in the Spirit?
-Prepare a 5-10 min testimony of how you came to the Lord.







































































































































































































































































measure

The Challenge

                                 

illness

is a magnet for
our attention
pulling our pity inward
forcing our focus
away from
Love's calling to
serve the other especially
when crying for relief from
the challenge to                                      
stay afloat in an
unwelcomed storm which
batters our security while
the losing of our perceived control 
begrudgingly recommends humility
through our finite frailty-
the truth of  our
ultimate dependency on the
One who knit us together in the womb-
adjusting for weakness and
pain's 911
feels formidable
while uncertainty
wreaks havoc with
our self-sufficiency
intensifying the temptation to
drink deeply of the
whine squeezed from trials
too long endured as
faith ebbs and flows
questioning the reality of
life's sharp turns and
fearsome dead ends
suffering seemingly ratifies
Satan's lies against
God's existence or
His Love for you
accusations of
His abandonment
lack of concern
powerlessness to help
all prove daunting when
your experience touches
Passion's extreme ordeal with
reluctant reliance and
tumbling feelings
yet your affliction advances the
choice to
trust or worry
love or withdraw
detach or despair
receive or reject
suffering's incessant
provision for purification
an invitation to imitate
Jesus' surrender of Self
and in this
we can prevail by
joining I to Thou's
terrible agony
entwining our crowns
offering our immolations
together as One for the
sake of those we love
entrusting Him to
Redeem our sufferings
for our good and theirs
forming a bond
fused in the
fire of sacrifice
fixing our eyes
on the prize to yield a
fruitful harvest
beyond our own strength
yet within our grasp by
Grace sufficient

Reflection/Discussion:
-How is your illness challenging you?
-How is Colossians 1:24 used in this poem?
-What is the relationship between faith and feelings?
-What does it mean to unite our sufferings with the Lord's sufferings?
-How can our suffering with Jesus be a prayer of blessing for others?
-How is the Lord calling you to love while enduring your illness?
-What is the difference between surrendering to the Lord and giving-up? 

The Challenge

                                  
illness
is a magnet for
our attention
pulling our pity inward
forcing our focus
away from
Love's calling to
serve the other especially
when crying for relief from
the challenge to                                      
stay afloat in an
unwelcomed storm which
batters our security while
the losing of our perceived control 
begrudgingly recommends humility
through our finite frailty-
the truth of  our
ultimate dependency on the
One who knit us together in the womb-
adjusting for weakness and
pain's 911
feels formidable
while uncertainty
wreaks havoc with
our self-sufficiency
intensifying the temptation to
drink deeply of the
whine squeezed from trials
too long endured as
faith ebbs and flows
questioning the reality of
life's sharp turns and
fearsome dead ends
suffering seemingly ratifies
Satan's lies against
God's existence
His Love for you
accusations of
His abandonment
lack of concern
powerlessness to help
all prove daunting when
your experience touches
Passion's extreme ordeal with
reluctant reliance and
tumbling feelings
yet your affliction advances the
choice to
trust or worry
love or withdraw
detach or despair
receive or reject
suffering's incessant
provision for purification
an invitation to imitate
Jesus' Surrender of Self
and in this
we can prevail by
joining I to Thou's
terrible agony
entwining our crowns
offering our immolations
together as One for the
sake of those we love
entrusting Him to
Redeem our sufferings
for our good and theirs
forming a bond
fused in the
fire of sacrifice
fixing our eyes
on the prize to yield a
fruitful harvest
beyond our own strength
yet within our grasp by
Grace sufficient

Reflection/Discussion:
-How is your illness challenging you?
-How is Colossians 1:24 used in this poem?
-What is the relationship between faith and feelings?
-What does it mean to unite our sufferings with the Lord's sufferings?
-How can our suffering with Jesus be a prayer of blessing for others?
-How is the Lord calling you to love while enduring your illness?
-What is the difference between surrendering to the Lord and giving-up?