Nichole Nordeman - Slow Down

Slow down
Won’t you stay here a minute more
I know you want to walk through the door
But it’s all too fast
Let’s make it last a little while
I pointed to the sky and now you wanna fly
I am your biggest fan
I hope you know I am
But do you think you can somehow
Slow down

The Gospel In Four Minutes

The Angels Are Crying In Heaven Tonight

Peter Noone & Natalie Noone - The Angels Are Crying In Heaven Tonight

It was getting dark
Across the park,
When I saw her sitting there,
A little girl who must have lost her way.

The night was clear and I could see
The tears welled up in her eyes.
She didn't say a word,
She just kept staring at the sky.

I asked her why she was so sad,
And did my best to make her laugh
And when she finally spoke,
Her words took me by surprise. She said:

(REFRAIN):
The angels are cying in heaven tonight
Their hearts are so heavy,
They've got tears in their eyes.
The angels are cying in heaven tonight
'Cause they can't understand,
Why we can't find the light.

She said they cry for all the lies we live with everyday,
And for all the children sick and in the rain.

For the noble dreams that somehow seem to always be in vain,
And for the the gentle hearts who still believe in the miracle of faith.

It seems so strange that a little girl could know so much about a troubled world,
But now I see, she had to be an angel in disguise.

Happy Birthday - Mike- Never Forgotten

I look to the sea reflections in the waves spark my memory
Some happy some sad
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had
We live happily forever so the story goes
But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold
But we'll try best that we can to carry on

 Styx - Come Sail Away

I Know Your Out There Somewhere

The mist is lifting slowly
I can see the way ahead
And I've left behind the empty streets
That once inspired my youth.

And the strength of the emotion
Is like thunder in the air
'Cause the promise that we made each other
Haunts me to the end...

Happy Anniversary , John

"Friday night it was late I was walking you home,  we got down to the gate ,and I was dreaming of the night ,would turn out right ? How to tell you girl, I want to build my world around you, tell you that it's true, I want to make you understand I'm talking about a lifetime plan. " ......1978
We  were stopped at a light and this song came on the radio. John started singing... the rest is 37 years later. Happy anniversary, John

Forgiveness

Some reflections on forgiveness...

"A good marriage is the union of two forgivers." Ruth Graham

"Once a woman forgives her man she must not reheat his sins for breakfast" Marlene Dietrich

" Whoever forgives ends the argument"

"To fogive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you"

And then of course there is ...

" Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
Colossians 3: 13

All Is Grace

"God loves you unconditionally as you are, not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be"..
-Brennan Manning

I'm Soaked

If blessings were raindrops how wet would you be?

Stand Back

No one looked, I walked by

just an invitation would have been just fine.

So no to him, again and again,

then he took my heart and he ran.....

Right Here Waiting- A time of missing

Oceans apart day after day
And I slowly go insane
I hear your voice on the line
But it doesn't stop the pain

If I see you next to never
How can we say forever

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

I took for granted, all the times
That I thought would last somehow
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears
But I can't get near you now

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

Happy Mother' Day

The closest a human being can come to unconditional love is a mothers love for her children.

Good Friday : If We Had Been There

If we had been Jews, would we have spoken out for Him

when the Sanhedrin accused Him of blasphemy?

If  we had been Gentiles, would we have defended Him

when the Romans condemned Him to death?

If we had been disciples, would we have stayed with Him

when the crowd became a crucifying mob?

Or would we have been like Peter-

who followed Him and loved Him

and denied Him three times before dawn?

And the Christ who was crucified there, once said:

"As you have done it to the least of these, My brothers,

you have done it unto Me."

As nations rise in war

As governments oppress the poor

As passive people turn and look aside

In silence

We crucify

Again-

We crucify.

As indifference forms the pattern of our lives,

As hungry children cry for food,

As widows mourn alone in empty rooms,

In apathy-

We crucify.

Again-

We crucify.

I think of the nails that crucified my Lord.

They were made of iron; but more-

They were made of hatred, prejudice and greed.

And I wonder-

What part of myself creates mails in other forms

that wound my brother or sister-and my Lord?

You know how many times I have betrayed you, Lord.

You know the times I have chosen evil over good.

Guilt lies upon me like an iron cloak.

My soul is heavy-my burden hard.

In the act of death He absorbs our sins.

In love, He forgives our failures.

In the act of resurrection He gives the promise of acceptance,

the assurance of forgiveness, the affirmation of eternal life.

"Your sins are forgiven you", He said, "Go and sin no more."

Through You love, I am made whole,

Through Your death, I have found new life.

You are my shield, my redeemer and my hope.

My sins are forgiven-Hallelujah!"

-Marilee Zdenek

Do Not Be Discouraged

My encouragement for the day:

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Dt 31:8

There has to be a song

There has to be a song-

       There are too many dark nights,
       too many troublesome days,
       too many wearisome miles, 

There has to be a song- 

        to make our burdens bearable,
        to make our hopes believable,
        to transform our successes into praise,
        to release the chains of past defeats.

Somewhere- down deep in a forgotten corner of each man’s heart-

There has to be a song-

Like a cool, clear drink of water,
Like the gentle warmth of sunshine
Like the tender love of a child.
                              - There has to be a song.

- Robert Benson

Do You Ask?

James 4:3 You do not have because you do not ask".

Instead of turning to God as our first choice, how often do we make him our last resort?  And then we wonder why we don't have the guidance,comfort or provisions we do desparetly need and seek. 

If you have a need today, make God your first choice. He is a Father who loves to meet His children's needs ,if only they ask. 

Turning Point with David Jeremiah 6-16-15

Mean People Need Jesus

One of my favorite bible passages is Titus 2:7-8. It is a word for "real" Christians who live in the real world and want to maintain a strong witness.

 "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show them integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about  us."

Poem For A Happy Marriage

I do my thing, and you do your thing.
I am not in the world to live up to your expectations
and you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you.
And I am I.
and if by chance we find each other..
it's beautiful.

Immeasurable Good

No matter what happens to you, no matter the depth of tragedy or pain you face ,no matter how death stalks you and your loved ones, the resurrection promises you a future of in measurable good.-- John McDowell

No Worries

I have more to be thankful for than to worry about.

Amazing Grace: The Story Behind The Song

Prayer

Rest In Peace- Rod McKuen 1933-2015

So saddened to hear of Rod McKuen's death today. If you want to read the written word of a beautiful soul, I suggest you look for his poetry books. I suggest Listen To The Warm and Lonesome Cities. I hope you find a safe place to land, Rod.

Listen To The Warm -Rod McKuen

Rod McKuen is another favorite of mine. His books, Listen To The Warm and Seasons In The Sun (yes, he wrote the song that was a big hit in the 70's) are two of my favorites. Breathtaking and heartbreaking. Just the way I like it.

I've drawn your face
on tablecloths across the country.
Tracing your smile
with my index finger,
making your hair just so.
Till now you are more
what I want you to be
than what you are.

I can paint yours eyes and say
this is where I lived
for twenty minutes and more.

I order grapefruit
and pay for ruined napkins.
And between the morning and the eveningI draw your face a little fainter every day.
++++++++

“I've been going a long time now

along the way I've learned some things.

You have to make the good times yourself.

Take the little times and make them into big times

and save the times that are all right

for the ones that aren't so good.”

―  Rod McKuen, Listen To The Warm

+++++++

“It's nice sometimes

to open up the heart a little

and let some hurt come in.

It proves you're still alive.”

―  Rod McKuen, Listen To The Warm

+++++++

How can you say something new about being alone?

Tell someone you're a loner 

and right away they think you're lonely.

It's not the same thing you know.

It's not wanting to put all your marbles in one pocket.

It;s caring enough to not care too much.

Mostly it's letting yourself come first for awhile.

                                                                 +++++++++++++

Eighteen

I stood watching
as you crossed the street
               for the last time.
Trying hard to memorize you.
Knowing it would be important.
The way you walked,
the way you looked back over you shoulder at me.

Years later 

I would hear the singing of the wind

and the day's singing would come back.

That time of going would return to me

every sun-gray day.

April or August it would be the same

       for years to come.

Man has not made the kind of bromide

that would let me sleep without your memory

or written erotically enough

to erase the excitement of just your hands.

These long years later it is worse

for I remember what it was

as well as what it might have been.

+++++++

“This is the way it was while I was waiting for your eyes to find me.”

―  Rod McKuen, Listen To The Warm

++++++

“Be gentle with me, new love.

Treat me tenderly.

I need the gentle touch,

the soft voice,

the candlelight after nine.

There's been so many who didn't understand

so give me all the love I see in your timid eyes

but give it gently.

Please.”

―  Rod McKuen, Listen To The Warm

+++++++

We come into the world alone,

we go away the same.

we're meant to spend 

the interlude

between in closeness

or so we tell ourselves,

But it's a long way from morning to the evening.

 -Rod McKuen, Listen To The Warm

+++++++

There is no wrong side or right side.
No misery in not being loved
only in not loving.
I learned these truths myself
I tell them to you now
as you go sailing through the sun
on your way towards life.
+++++++

I don't have to touch you
to be touching you
Nor feel your face to feel your face. 
Yet, sometimes touching you 
I feel you not at all.
There seems to be 
so much of you at times
enough to fill
and spill across the room.
Other times
I stretch in your direction
and draw back to me
great armfuls of air.
++++++++

In loving you

I've held back no reserve

and so I've nothing left

to give tomorrow's lover

when you go.

+++++

And then there is my favorite:

If You Go Away (Ne me quitte pas-Please Don't Go)

If you go away on this summer day,

Then you might as well take the sun away;

All the birds that flew in the summer sky,

When our love was new and our hearts were high

When the day was young and the night was long,

and the moon stood still for the night birds song.

If you go away, Ne me quitte pas

But if you stay, I'll make you a day

Like no day has been, or will be again;

We'll sail the sun, we'll ride on the rain,

We'll talk to the trees and worship the wind.

Then if you go, I'll understand,

Leave me just enough love to fill up my hand,
++++++++