The Blessed Night Of Two Hearts
Weary
Worried and Frazzled
Frustrated, confused and hurting
Two lonely figures made their way into town
A journey they could ill-afford to make
A poor carpenter and his young wife.
Life was not easy
Rumours wounded their reputations
Talk of fanaticism
Broken dreams
Dashed hopes of a groom longing
For a sweet innocent bride
Desperate surrender to their God
Relinquishment and determination
Bowing to the will of God.
A cold desert night
Beyond their strength
Their only place of respite
A hovel
The pain unbearable
Wracking her slight body
No mother near
No comforting hand
Only a nervous, terrified husband.
Lost together
Found in their divine purpose
Bound by hope
Unified by the wonder of the cry of a newborn babe
Human both
God accomplished His purposes
Through two hearts
Surrendered to his will
The immortal became mortal
That blessed night
© 2005 Katherine Walden
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Born To Be Our Example
I'd been working on my annual Christmas greeting for "I Lift My Eyes Website" this weekend and spent hours working on a graphic of a Madonna and child. I was so caught up with the close fine work of modifying the graphic that I had lost sight of the overall picture, focusing on hundreds of tiny pixels that composed the background instead. Only the urgent ring of the phone pulled me away and as I sat on the couch, a few feet away, I was drawn to the picture as a whole.
Silent night, Holy night ...round yon virgin, mother and... child?
God came to us not as a warrior, ready to do battle. He came as a vulnerable babe, totally dependent. All his needs had to be met through his mother and her husband. His parents provided him with food, changed his diapers, bathed and clothed him. They taught him how to walk, patiently helped him learn to speak and provided him with all the tools necessary to grow in live. He probably grew up with a thick Nazarene accent, the same as his parents and his mother probably chuckled as he copied his adoptive father as he played within the carpentry shop.
I pondered. Is this a calling that God places upon us as his disciples? Perhaps I go too far with this analogy. Does he ask us to become vulnerable by following his example? Does he ask of us to allow ourselves to be fed through His provision, to allow the sacrifice of his blood to cleanse us? Does he call us to spend so much time with him, in his word and in quiet times and prayer that we begin to unconsciously pick up his 'accent' and see the world through His eyes? Would our speech eventually be ridden with his tone and inflections in time? As his children, does he want us to learn to do His works as we watch Him at work in his workshop - the earth we live in? Does it please his heart when he sees us imitate his actions as we strive to be 'just like him'? I have a feeling the answer is yes.
© 2005 Katherine Walden
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It Fell From Angel Lips
It fell from angel lips
Into the realm of spoken word
Nature hushed and worlds stood still
And a humble virgin Aheard
Seraphim's and cherubim's
With folded wings bent low
Hell beneath was moved with fear
At the mention of this foe
Hope smiled down on earth that day
As God himself descended
Into a robe of earthly clay
The human race defended
©Linda Pousson
Writter57@aol.com
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Small Things
...the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3
Boarding the plane in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, I noticed there were a lot of kids grouped ahead of me. Sixty-five, to be exact, headed for summer camp. Once onboard, the airline attendant cruised the aisle, checking paperwork against who was actually seated in which seat. "It's too early for this," she quipped, with a twinkle in her eye, "but I know who the ringleaders are!"
The younger kids were so obviously excited, chattering, laughing, snorting even. At take-off their arms went up in the air as if they were on a roller coaster. The older ones exchanged knowing glances that said, "Good we are more mature than that."
Girls with very long straight hair, sporting at least one toe ring on each sandaled foot, and boys in baggies and T-shirts moving back and forth in the aisle and climbing over seats with
walkmans and game boys. Adult passengers read newspapers, looked at cell phones that couldn't be turned on yet, and napped.
The little ones' exuberance maintained for the entire flight. Every single thing was an adventure to be celebrated, from the video headsets to the drink cart to the telephone on the seat backs. No doubt the kids were all looking forward to getting to the camp destination. However, it didn't diminish the full joy of the moment. Their excitement was in the now. Isn't great to be a kid?
Dr. Grant Mullen talks about ‘growing' back to five years of age. Cool. Not the Peter Pan syndrome, but fully being in the moment.
The best things in life do come in small packages. A little wooden
plaque in our home says, "God's biggest blessings are little ones." Each new day, I will hopefully be aware of His gift of the precious present.....in the small things.
Sally I. Kennedy
Author of "Words from the Heart", and "52 Little Parables from Ireland" (Creation House Press)
sallyikennedy@bellsouth.net
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Here Am I, Stuff Of Earth
Here am I, stuff of earth
But by the Spirit's power rebirth
Has brought me receptivity.
Fill me with Yourself.
Molded by Your holy hand
I wait before You
Prostrate, kneel, stand
Cupped and ready, cleansed, atoned
Waiting for Your radiant touch
Virtue compelled to enfold Your own
The vessel of Your making.
Here am I, stuff of earth
Yielded for Messiah's birth
Be it unto me, O Lord,
As in Your word and will.
The Great I AM
Dwells in my heart
There to impart the power
Courage and propulsion
For His dream.
© Molly Lin Dutina
dutina@juno.com
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My Journey Through Grief
My life forever changed one cold December morning when I got a phone call that no parent wants to get. I was told that there had been a house fire in the early morning hours, and that my 16 year old daughter never made it out of the house. This happened at her dad's home. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I didn't want to believe it. I felt as if my whole world came to a sudden halt that day. I was in shock. It took days before I could grasp the reality that my daughter was gone and that I would never see her again. So many thoughts flooded my mind. The things left unsaid, the "if only's", and "why my daughter". I felt like I was on an emotional
rollercoaster that was never going to stop. The pain was overwhelming. My daughter was really gone and I had to go on this journey without her.
I knew I couldn't deal with this in my own strength. I needed God more than ever. I needed His comfort and strength to get me through this darkest time of my life. And He gave me the comfort and strength I needed to move on. And He gave me peace in the midst of my sorrow. It has been almost four years since that tragic day. I have come a long ways in my journey through grief. I still have my ups and downs. I don't know if we ever really stop grieving, I think we just learn how to live with it. I still have a long way to go on this journey, but I don't have to go through it alone, God will be there with me through it all.
I try not to dwell on what I have lost, but to be thankful for the time we had. God can use all that we have endured to reach out to others with hope and encouragement, so that we may never have to walk this journey alone.
There is no wound that God cannot heal, no pain to great that He cannot comfort, no sorrow to deep, that He cannot understand.
God is our refuge!
"As we approach the Christmas season many will be feeling the pains of grief and the ache of loneliness. Give the gift of your love and time to someone who may be spending the holidays alone. Christmas is the time to share the love of Christ with someone who may not know that love, or who may feel far away from it. "
snowangel91867@yahoo.com
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Alleluia
As a kid I learnt a great song
First sung by an angelic throng
While rendering service to the Lord
I've not seen a more powerful word
Nor heard a sweeter melody.
Alleluia: I've tried the sound
The spiritually lost is found
Divine joy comes to the depressed
And liberty to the oppressed
At the mention of this great word.
I have sung it when I was glad
And I sing it when things go bad
With its sound and many a tear
I have often caused God to hear
The groaning of a mortal.
I'll yet sing it as a mortal
Till at last at heaven's portal
I join the great angelic throng
To render this sweetest song:
Alleluia: praise Jehovah!
oshodavies@yahoo.com
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Prepare Your Heart
"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
John 14: 2 KJV
People are already making preparations for Christmas. Stores have Christmas items for sale, and people are purchasing Christmas Gifts. My neighbour has already decorated his door and porch for Christmas. Some people buy Christmas Gifts all year long.
We need to prepare our hearts for Jesus. First of all, we need to give Him a place to live in our hearts. If you have never accepted Jesus as your personal Saviour, I urge you to open your heart to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you.
The greatest gift we can give Jesus on His Birthday is to spend time with Him. We spend countless hours in the kitchen cooking delicious meals. We clean the house thoroughly because our family and friends are coming for Christmas. Yet, sad to say, we don't give Jesus even two hours a day during our preparations for Christmas. Without Jesus, there would be no Christmas!
Have you thought about what you can give Jesus for His Birthday? You can give Him your time, and you can be kinder to your family, loved ones, and friends. You can pick up the phone and call someone who is hurting and alone.
Many people commit suicide during the holidays because they are so lonely, and feel that nobody cares about them. Let's get back to the real purpose of Christmas, spreading the Love of Jesus to a hurting world.
©Joanne Lowe
joannelowe8@cox.net
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The Angels Smiled
An angel unto Mary came
"You shall have a child, but bear no shame.
Jesus Christ shall be His name."
Upon Mary the angels smiled.
While Joseph pondered everything
An angel came good tidings to bring
"This child will one day be your King."
Upon Joseph the angels smiled.
God sent His Love to this wicked earth
As a present of untold worth.
An humble maiden gave him birth.
Upon her the angels smiled.
This precious package so very small
Wrapped in rags, sleeping in a stall
Will one day be Saviour of us all.
Upon Jesus the angels smiled.
Shepherds watching sheep nearby
Saw Angels in the evening sky.
"Glory to God!" they did cry.
Upon shepherds the angels smiled.
The Holy Bible declares
Angels minister to salvations heirs.
And carry to heaven all their prayers.
Upon us the angels smiled.
The angels smiled
All Heaven gleamed.
This was the child
Of which the Father dreamed.
To fulfill the plan
In Eden begun
God became man.
Man became Son.
And the Angels smiled
For the victory was won.
© 2001 Patricia Gohlke
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antiquer@classicnet.net
My, How Time Flies
Every year it's the same,
And to my dismay
When I wasn't looking
The year slipped away.
Last winter slipped silently
Away into spring
Spring gave way to summer
Without saying a thing.
Summer streaked by,
It went by in a flit.
And fall, well folks,
I can't even remember it.
It's winter again
That means Christmas is near
I've got to get busy.
Is that sleigh bells I hear?
Next year will be different
I'll start early this time.
I'll be organized and ready
Before sleigh bells chime.
(Yea, right, I said that last year too)
Oh well, Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year
to all my friends and family
God bless you one and all.
To all my friends at ILME
© 2001 Patricia Gohlke
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antiquer@classicnet.net
As of May 2012, "WHATEVER IS PURE" ARCHIVES will no longer be seeking submissions. As most authors and poets now have their own blogs, we noticed a significant drop in submissions over the past year and felt it was best to move on to other endeavors.
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