My Conveyance of Choice

"The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer...things." (Proverbs 15:28) Having been given the gift of words, I have to be careful about how I use them. This gift was given to me to encourage hearts that may get weary from time to time. As I walked through Proverbs this morning, there were several pieces of fruit that seemed practically to want to land at my feet or were easily within reach.

But, I didn't choose those pieces because

I had to consider the needs of the folk

That I am preparing a meal for today.

And after prayerful consideration I

Chose to take my blog another way

And choose pieces of fruit that are

Not as easy to prepare and put on a serving tray.

Since I  an avid believer in prayer

I made sure that I chose pieces of fruit

That encapsulated that belief, so

One of the pieces that I chose was

The latter part of verse eight, which says

"...But the prayer of the upright 

Is GOD's delight."

Using my words, (which are a big part

Of the life that I live) for the good of all

Means that I must make timely comments

Because I travel a path that leads upward

So I don't give in to negativism's call

And since as a righteous woman I'm striving to live

My best thoughts to my fellowman I try to give.

Here is a piece of fruit that seems to

Take center stage on my tray

"But HE hears the prayers of the righteous."

And with that thought uppermost in my mind

I continued to build my fruit platter

With fruit of the succulent and thoughtful kind.

So, as I read verses one through four

Of Proverbs Chapter 15, with particular interest

On verse three, I came away with a strong resolve

That no matter what a person might plan

GOD sees the intent of every man.©

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Proverbs 15:16-17 and 31-33 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁶ Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
Than great treasure and turmoil with it.
¹⁷ Better is a dish of vegetables where love is
Than a fattened ox served with hatred.

³¹ He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof
Will dwell among the wise.
³² He who neglects discipline despises himself,
But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.
³³ The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom,
And before honor comes humility.

From a Prayerful Mother

The healing words of a loving mother and

The touch of her soothing and prayerful hands

Can travel far in calming the heated hearts of men

And lessening the turmoil in a land.©

(Based on Proverbs 12:18 & 25.)

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Six Ways from Sunday

 

Listen, Y'all, even if trouble comes at you

Six ways from Sunday, I stopped by to tell

You that it's gonna be okay

Because GOD, not hatred and not Covid-19

Is in charge at the end of the day.

Something foul is breeding in our land

But, I never thought much about it

Until day before yesterday, at the clinic, I received

A look of naked hatred from an unmasked man.

The hatred was so raw that I was taken aback

And checked my stride before I continued

My walk on up to the check-in desk

Being cautious not to intrude upon the six-feet

Social distancing rule of the next guest.

Covid-19 -- I wish it would not be

But that decision is not left up to me

Knee on the neck until a man's dying plea

Is, "Momma, I can't breathe."

And the subsequent looting and rioting in the streets

Until people said over and over

"LORD, have mercy, where are the police?!"

These things, so-o ought not to be!

Hatred is a malignant cancer that

Eats at anything in its path

But I want folk to come together before

We feel an even bigger sting of its wrath.

You see, here's the thing that I want

Folk to think about

Covid-19 has decreed that everybody

Use social-distancing and wear a mask

But the rioting mobs of the last few days

Seem to have forgotten, for the most part, that task

For several cities, the nation over

Had races of all kinds letting

Their angry thoughts be voiced

And their hatred ran so hot that they

Forgot that in the cool of the day

When their anger had run its course

Whatever they picked up in the non-social distancing

Mob was invited right back home with them

And death or sickness, carte blanche, may wreak

Havoc on their families

And their burning anger may soon be

Replaced with abject misery.

If I could, I would say

To officials in charge of these situations

Please, please, choose with care

Each word that you say

Because you might cause somebody

Else's death, at the end of the day.

But, I am just a lowly poet

Who is a Christian by choice

And though nobody much wants

To listen to my voice

I still say, "Soothing and healing words

Are needed for our land

So that we can unite and fight the

Greater threat, Covid-19, which

Threatens the lives of every man.©

(Based on Proverbs 10:11-12, 31-32 and Chapter 11:2, 17.)

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She Built a House

 

Wisdom's House

Wisdom has built a new house

And it is open for all to see

It is built upon seven pillars

The first of which is purity

The second one is peaceableness

Followed by gentleness

The fourth pillar is reasonableness

Which means easy to be entreated

The fifth is, "full of mercy and good"

Y'all, how blessed we are that wisdom

Decided to build in our neighborhood

And we could not do without

Pillar six which is "without partiality"

Which means, same treatment for you and for me

And the last of the seven is sincerity.

Oh, what a magnificent house

Wisdom has constructed

For in it, she has placed the

Seven pillars by which a life of

Wisdom should be conducted.

And don't forget that she has invited

Us all over to dine

For which reason, I am so excited

Because, Y'all, I have it on good authority

That her food is simply divine!©

(Based on Proverbs 9:1-6 and James 3:17.)

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Tablet of My Heart

As I walked through Chapter 7 of Proverbs

I wondered which piece of fruit would appeal to me

I read verses one and two, and then I read verse three

And after I had finished the chapter

I skimmed over it again and

Found myself circling verse three

And as I pondered over the words of that verse

Sweet words from the "memory shelf" in my mind

Came up, and my Momma's voice read to me.

Proverbs 7:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³ Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.

 

And then, the words of one of my favorite songs

Came up in my thoughts

"It's in My Heart to Serve the LORD"

Oh, what a wonderful thing is done

When the words of GOD are taught

To children at their life's road start

For one thing, I can tell you true

The words sowed on the tablet of your heart

Will govern everything that you do.

Not saying that everything that you do will be right

But when you transgress one of those old teachings

It will be hard to sleep at night

Until you do your best to make things right.

And so, I treasure the sweet memories

That my Momma, in me, did build

Because having her teaching and her remembered love

Help me to be a better soldier

On this, the LORD GOD's battlefield.

You know, people have often told me

That I have a heart of gold

Because often, I try to do things so sweet

That some of them are taken aback

But what they don't realize is that by doing

The kind, unexpected thing

I am giving some of the words of my heart away

As living more for GOD, them. I am trying to sway.

And sometimes, just because they can

People will do you wrong

But I remember that Momma said

"GOD is looking baby; HE's gonna keep you strong

And to help me through those rough times

I hum or sing the words to a favorite church song

And little ole Alma steps on.©

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And so, I am telling you as I told you a few blogs ago, GOD sees, HE knows, and HE cares. So, put your all in HIS hand and learn to trust HIM while you are waiting for HIM to make things right in your life. HE will. Be encouraged and be safe.

 

Tunnel Vision

Sometimes things can become a bigger

Part of you than you know

And I can say that the wise words of a mother

Will entwine themselves around your heart

And feed you as you grow.

When I was a little girl, I used to talk

To my Momma about everything

And one day I said to her

"Momma, I wish that I knew

A lot of the answers like Janice

In my class at school because that way

My teacher would brag on me, too.

" Momma looked at me and said,

"You want wisdom, ask GOD."

Then she showed me in the Bible

Those words could be read.

My Momma told me to ask GOD for wisdom

And that is what I did

I asked GOD every day as a child

But had the nerve to be astonished

When I knew things, and I knew not how-

For having read or heard something once

I could recall it at will

-GOD answered a little child's prayer

And HE does it today, still.

So, now I often tell folks to ask GOD

For wisdom and understanding in

In studying the Bible because the

Wisdom that I asked for as a child

Was still feeding my soul, even today

With my eyes straight ahead with tunnel vision

As I continue my steps on the narrow way

With my heavenly home in mind's view.©

(Based on Proverbs 5:21 and on James 1:5.)

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Her Words Still Live in Me

Yes, as a result of my Momma's teaching

I go about telling all who will listen and see

As I ignite sparks from the torch

That was given to me

As I work to inspire you, and

You, in turn, others, with the work

That torchbearers are to do

To be all and do all (and so on and so forth)

As each of us goes in, out and about

Until GOD gives the order

For the torches of mankind to be put out.©

(Based on Proverbs 4:18.)

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Proverbs 4:1-7 and verse 13 make some great additional reading for this blog. For, these are some of the scriptures that I have long been able to quote, even if I could not tell where they were found. So many of the verses in Proverbs made up my daily life with my Momma when I was a little girl.

 

And so I often say, "Mothers, you never know

How far-reaching your teaching will go one day

So be careful about what you let your children

See you do and hear you say.

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_________________________________________

“Kindness First” Attitude

 

 

This morning in strolling through Proverbs, I saw so many juicy fruits that were just right for the picking...

 

I sampled the fruit from Proverbs three

And chose the select fruit that tasted best to me.

And from that fruit, this poem was born

When I was a little girl, I was

One of the best liars that could be

Yes, Y'all, I could lie with the best of them

While keeping a straight face

And adding in the necessary details

So that my lie could be embraced.

Now, don't get me wrong, I did not choose

To be a liar because I liked it so

I chose to lie to keep from getting my

Momma's switch put to my backside

Don't you know?

But, my Momma, as sharp as she was

Would always find me out

She knew how to get around my lies

About that, there was no doubt!

After the lying was over, my backside was sore

And my eyes ran with tears

Momma would always hug me and say

"If you had told Momma the truth

I wouldn't have had to whip you this way."

I thought to myself, "Okay, that means that

If I do something bad again

Momma won't whip me because she said

All I had to do was tell her the truth."

And armed with that logic in my head

I was determined to do, within limits, pretty much

What I wanted, because I remembered those

Glorious words that Momma had said.

So, one day my favorite cousin asked me to

Walk down the street to the grocery store

To get some things that her mother wanted

When we got to the store, we looked at

All of the penny candies displayed

In little boxes on the store shelf

And having the perverse mind of a youth

Since we didn't have a nickel to buy

What we wanted, we decided to help ourselves.

Now, mind you, my cousin was the one

Who came up with the idea and

Stole the first piece and stole another piece

With me looking on, and though we

Usually shared everything, she would

Not share her candy with me

But, told me that I had to get my own.

She showed me how to watch until the

Clerk's back was turned,

And with that, my first piece of

Stolen candy was earned

-The most pieces I took was two or three

But, while I was waiting outside

My cousin took about twenty!

-The cashier fussed at us and said

That she knew how many banana kits

And Coconut Longboys she had had-

We paid the bill and made our way toward home

And we thought nothing about the stern look

The delivery boy gave us on his way to deliver

The groceries that my aunt had ordered

But I did wonder why he, who liked to

Stall for time, instead of riding along and

Talking to us, the shortcut across the field, he took.

And wouldn't you know it, that happened to be the day

Of my Momma's regular off day, and as we crossed

The yard, I saw that she was standing in the door

With her hands on her hips and asked me

What I had to say.

I gulped and looked at my cousin

Who was eyeing her Momma holding the ironing cord

And before I could put on my innocent act

And ask Momma what she was talking about

My cousin opened her mouth, and her version of things came out.

She told my Momma and hers, too

That I had been the one to come

Up with the idea of taking the candy

And that she, unlike me, only took one piece at a time.

I was so astounded to be lied on

That I never thought about spinning a lie

To top the one that she told

I just opened my mouth and while mumbling

Let the truth unfold

Because I knew that since I told her the truth

The most that she'd do to me was to scold

Ha, ha, ha, I betcha I never took

Anything else that was not mine

Being a child to which pain was intolerable

I learned to be good and never to do a particular thing again.

But, I do remember that Momma apologized

For having to whip me, and asked me not to be sad

And I replied, "Well, the only reason I told you

The truth is that you said that if I did

Something, just to tell you the truth, (sniff, sniff)

And I'm not ever going to tell the truth again

And get myself in trouble!" I remember that she

Looked at me with a sad, wistful, little smile

Then, she wiped it off and told me that

Jesus did not like liars.

Well, I had wanted to make Momma feel a little sorry

For whipping me, but I did not feel like a winner

At all; I kept thinking over and over about the magicalJesus

Who was so powerful and did not like me because I

Was so good at lying

I was so upset that all I did was pick over my dinner.

And the next Sunday we had a Sunday School

Lesson that talked about how all liars would

Have their part in the lake of fire

And I determined then and there, to

No more, be called a liar

And I also determined within myself, as well

That GOD was all-powerful and that

HE was always looking, and that is why

You will hear me say even today

GOD sees; HE knows, and HE cares.

 

When we bring a child into this world, some of us do not fully comprehend the seriousness of our lifelong task of being a mother. As I have said many times before, we train a soul for or against the LORD GOD. And this pandemic has given us more time with our children- So let's use it wisely.

Yes, lessons I learned as a child still stick with me today. My Momma taught me that GOD sees, knows, and cares, but life sealed this knowledge inside of me! And say what they will, nobody can call me a liar and be telling the truth. The preacher's daughter walks with "the daughter of the preacher's daughter," still.

And always remember how blessed we are as long as GOD looks upon us with favor. (Proverbs 3:4) And HE will, if we keep Proverbs 3:3-4 in our hearts and let those words govern our lives. Be safe.

Note: Oh, and the candy we stole? I had to walk back down to the store by myself and tell the woman what we had done and pay her a quarter and apologize. Oh, my cousin, she did not have to go back and apologize. But, I remember that the lady thanked me and told me she admired me for having the courage to do the right thing. I told her that I had to because that was what my Momma said.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones

Tough

My Momma used to tell me that when things got tough and it seemed like the bottom was falling out of my life, to pray that much harder and that much more!

Proverbs 1:2-4 & 7 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

² To know wisdom and instruction,
To discern the sayings of understanding,
³ To receive instruction in wise behavior,
Righteousness, justice and equity;
⁴ To give prudence to the naive,
To the youth knowledge and discretion,

⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Those words of wisdom that she gave me are some that have helped me time after time. As you can see from the verses quoted above, receiving wisdom and instruction is a wise thing to do. Her words taught me how to behave in certain aspects of life, and I am thankful for the foundation of belief that she built for me. She taught me fear of the LORD, and for that, I am thankful. And she taught me the stories of the awesome things that HE did down through the ages, enough so, that I came from under her tutelage with a deep faith and a strong sense of knowing that there was nothing, absolutely, nothing that HE could not do! And HE is my FATHER!

I tell you, folks, it took years of beating on the walls of my faith before I allowed the walls to start to crumble. I allowed my faith to take such a beating that some of my enemies said things like, "I don't see how she does it." And of course, they just had to let me hear them say it. But, I kept on going, and I read the book of Job just like it was a favorite story or novel. Any time I heard that a preacher was speaking on the life of Job, I tried to make sure that I was in attendance for the sermon.

I kept letting the scriptures mentioned below dwell within me and I kept going.

Proverbs 2:1-8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security

¹My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
² Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
³ For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
⁴ If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
⁵ Then you will discern the fear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
⁸ Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.

I had already ingested verses one through six from the repeated teachings of my Momma, so verses six through eight above, were like icing on my cake of, "Oo wee, look at what our GOD can do!" I liked knowing that I was one of HIS children and that HE took special care of guarding my way and my steps.

But, then, it seemed as if life had decided that I had had it too easy and followed up with some things that stopped me from being the fierce little soldier who withstood the frontal assault in battle. Folks, in frustration, I turned to praying more, like I had been taught to do, but I had more questions in it than I used to have. I think that I did a bit like Job did in the end. I just wanted to know where that powerful GOD that had carried my Momma and of all of my life was. I mean, after all, she was gone now, and I was all alone and I just did not understand. (whimper)

Then I read about the mustard seed faith and I was glad that that scripture was in the Bible because that was about the amount of faith that I had left at that point in my life. (Matthew 17:20) And when I found that scripture about hiding under the pinion of GOD's wings (Psalm 91:4), I stopped all pretense of taking a frontal assault. I dove for GOD's wings. Ha, Y'all, and when I got there, I cuddled up close with my eyes tightly shut.

And then, Y'all, I got to see HIM move, and HE was stirred up and moving on my behalf! I was in awe once again.

And now we have Covid-19. But I have long since understood that as long as I keep my hand in HIS hand, I will be all right. You see, like Job, and Hezekiah, I know that GOD will take care of HIS children. And that is why I tell you so often about HIS lovingkindness for us. I want you to walk with the assurance or renewed assurance that I walk with.

So, said all of that to say this

Things are tough for you

Well they are for me too

But here is what we should do

Keep living for HIM and holding HIS hand

And watch any and all situations that

Trouble us, take a fall

When HE decides that HIS children

Have had enough!

For, HE is GOD ALMIGHTY, after all!©

••••••••

 

Don’t Let Situations Get You Down

 

If Michael Jordan had listened to the naysayers

He would not have become the player that he was meant to be

If Albert Einstein had listened to his naysayers

He would not have discovered the theory of relativity.

There are countless others, but those, I won't take the time to mention

I just used the two above to garner and hold your attention.

So, thank you very much, I'll keep my rose-tinted

Glasses on, through each stage of my life

And become the best me yet to be

Teacher, preacher's wife, author, or whatever else...

Just have to wait and see.

But in the meantime, you keep your dream

Tight within your mind

As you work through whatever life brings your way

For, one thing you will find

If you keep your hand in the CREATOR's hand

You will be your best self, at the end of the day!©

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Find any positives in any situation that you are thrust into

And make that situation work for, and not against,  you

"Like what," you say.

Well any new hobby or interest that you maybe

Wished that you had time to do

Well, now through social distancing

That time has been given to you

For you never know when a new skill

Will come in handy, so find one

And master it, if you will.©

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We have finished Isaiah and I do not know which book I will start on next, but I will have one chosen by tomorrow morning. Be safe.

 

Before, in My Midnights

 

 

Before, in my midnights

I tossed to and fro

But GOD's love upheld me

And with assurance, let me know

That everything would be all right.

Now, I humble myself as

Before HIM, I kneel

And pour out my trust and dependence

On HIM and I lay my current

Cares before HIS Throne

And quote Hebrews 4:16

Where, HE, once again, reassures

Me that I am not alone.

And so, with assurance I

Can say to you, my homeland

That if we hold on and

To GOD, be true

HE will do what HE

Is famous for and

Bring us through.©

(Based on Isaiah 66:2.)

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Anyhow

Isaiah 64:8-9 New Century Version (NCV)

⁸ But Lord, you are our FATHER.
    We are like clay, and you are the POTTER;
    YOUR hands made us all.
⁹ Lord, don’t continue to be angry with us;
    don’t remember our sins forever.
Please, look at us,
    because we are YOUR people. (In the original, the words in bold green are written in lower-case black. I chose to put them in all caps and as is muy usual custom, I placed my comments in bright green.) 

 

They laughed at her for forgiveness, praying

She said, "Faithful to GOD, I'm staying."

And she prayed anyhow.

They mocked her for her piety

In the midst of her battle fray

And for not being a part of their "society"

But she was pious anyhow.

They whispered behind her back

Snickered at the things that she lacked

And made her work hard to do

But she kept on working anyhow.

When she tried and failed

They laughed without mercy

But she continued to try anyhow

Just like a well-tended pot

She continued to boil

Because she knew that one day

She would no longer have to toil

- The day when the POTTER would say

"Enough! Reward my servant with grandiose pay."©

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(Based on Isaiah 65:7-14, 17-25.)

 

Yes, sometimes to do right is to be a target. But we have already been warned. The thing that we have to do is keep going because GOD sees, knows, cares, and has the last laugh.

Isaiah 65:10-14 and 17-25New Century Version (NCV)

 

¹⁰ Then the Plain of Sharon will be a field for flocks,
    and the Valley of Achor will be a place for herds to rest.
    They will be for the people who want to follow me.

¹¹ “But as for you who left the Lord,
    who forgot about my holy mountain,
who worship the god Luck,
    who hold religious feasts for the god Fate,
¹² I decide your fate, and I will punish you with my sword.
    You will all be killed,
because I called you, but you refused to answer.
    I spoke to you, but you wouldn’t listen.
You did the things I said were evil
    and chose to do things that displease me.”

¹³ So this is what the Lord God says:

“My servants will eat,
but you evil people will be hungry.
My servants will drink,
but you evil people will be thirsty.
My servants will be happy,
but you evil people will be shamed.
¹⁴ My servants will shout for joy
because of the goodness of their hearts,
but you evil people will cry,
because you will be sad.
You will cry loudly, because your spirits will be broken...

¹⁷ “Look, I will make new heavens and a new earth,
and people will not remember the past
or think about those things.
¹⁸ My people will be happy forever
because of the things I will make.
I will make a Jerusalem that is full of joy,
and I will make her people a delight.
¹⁹ Then I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and be delighted with my people.
There will never again be heard in that city
the sounds of crying and sadness.
²⁰ There will never be a baby from that city
who lives only a few days.
And there will never be an older person
who doesn’t have a long life.
A person who lives a hundred years will be called young,
and a person who dies before he is a hundred will be thought of as a sinner.
²¹ In that city those who build houses will live there.
Those who plant vineyards will get to eat their grapes.
²² No more will one person build a house and someone else live there.
One person will not plant a garden and someone else eat its fruit.
My people will live a long time,
as trees live long.
My chosen people will live there
and enjoy the things they make.
²³ They will never again work for nothing.
They will never again give birth to children who die young.
All my people will be blessed by the Lord;
they and their children will be blessed.
²⁴ I will provide for their needs before they ask,
and I will help them while they are still asking for help.
²⁵ Wolves and lambs will eat together in peace.
Lions will eat hay like oxen,
and a snake on the ground will not hurt anyone.
They will not hurt or destroy each other
on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.

Be safe and keep praying.

Heart to Heart with GOD

 

Hello FATHER

It's me, and I just want to say that

YOU are my FATHER

And know that I depend on YOU

And that without YOU, I wilt and am dismayed

Though the world may not know nor

Recognize my right to call YOU FATHER

But I know from my youth

How YOU nourished, cherished, and taught me

So that I could come into my own

And become what YOU had decreed for me

When YOUR lovingkindness for me, YOU displayed.

And I Thank YOU for the taught and learned belief

That from this situation, YOU will bring relief

For YOU are The GOD of DIVIDING WATERS FAME

WHO knows that I live and breathe by YOUR name.

FATHER, see my praise and hear my voice

As I beseech YOU to remember

That I made YOU my choice

And I thank YOU in advance

For giving my service to YOU another day

To thrive as I remind my fellowman

Not to despair because we serve,

The GREAT GOD, WHO, is, "I AM," says, "I CAN!"

(Based on Isaiah 63:12 & 16.)

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Continue to lift the name of our great GOD in praise and prayer. Be safe.

Mantle of Praise

This morning, as I walked on my path through Isaiah 61, verses one through three caught my attention, and before I knew what I was about, I had decided to pick this fruit to share with you.

Everybody has a story to tell, and we tell it every day. The more tough situations give you a stronger story to tell. This pandemic is teaching us all lessons (some new and some reteaching) and giving us a story to tell. But, sometimes, even though we know that we are learning a new lesson or having our faith made stronger, the lesson gets to be too much for us, and we find ourselves downtrodden and running for the safety, security, and warmth of GOD's wings! And y'all know how we do; the thought that we have uppermost in our minds is, "Make it go away!"

But you know, I like to think about the fact that during each of our struggling days, during our tough situations, GOD is watching the whole time, and just like a Momma bear watching out for her cub, HE has arms open wide for our cascade into HIM!" And I imagine that HE gets a bit tickled by the way we burrow up close to HIM as HE enfolds us in HIM loving arms. I like to think that HE is proud of the fight that we put up, in our battle and that HE looks on us with the pride of a FATHER. Just let me tell you one more time how proud I am to be HIS adopted child (a part of spiritual Israel).

So, if your battle has your feeling downtrodden, look at these verses below and be strengthened:

Isaiah 61:1-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 

¹The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
² To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
³ To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

 

And here is the poem that I have penned for you this morning.

 

When this old world broke me down

And I could not stand

I lay my head in the locks of my shoulders

Ran for my FATHER's wing

And let my LORD strengthen me while there

And I came forth telling my story

With a newfound flair

No longer like a tiny pebble

But with the strength and stamina

Of a mountain boulder

With sin-crushing strength

Wearing GOD's mantle on my shoulder

Geared up and strong enough to travel the length

Of the road marked for me.

And don't you know that in my newfound strength

I open my mouth to the world and my voice I raise

Extolling the lovingkindness and greatness of GOD

By giving HIM soul-reaching praise

And saying ."As I told you yesterday, everything will be alright

For day is coming thus ending our night."©

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Nearness of GOD

Isaiah 57:15-16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁵ For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.
¹⁶ “For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would grow faint before Me,
And the breath of those whom I have made."

Though you know that you should not feel this way, sometimes the unfairness and vagaries of life leave you feeling disillusioned and harboring feelings of resentment in your heart. So, you do like Job and have a contrite heart for your thoughts as you express yourself to GOD.

I Abhor Myself

And, when my heart is contrite

And my spirit is numbered with the lowly

GOD sees my penitent heart

And HE surrounds me once again

With love, just as HE did at the start.

When my night of weeping is gone

Joy returns to my world when

GOD's love is back where it once shone

And I am reassured that all

Will be well in my world again.©

(Based on Isaiah 57:15-16.)

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(Refrain in the video is taken from "Everything Is Gonna Be All Right," by the Jackson Sisters.)

Just like the sea, mountains, hills, and trees, and all animals that be, I delight in HIS nearness and faint when HE withdraws! It's that simple, and I am glad that GOD knows this and loves me enough to have put it in the Bible for such times like the ones mentioned above that occur in life. There again, Y'all, I am reminded of the faithfulness and lovingkindness of our GOD, and I know that no matter how unfair life seems, all will be well.

 

Just Right for GOD

 

"What's hard for you is just right for GOD." I got this title from a favorite song of mine when this phrase cemented itself in my mind. And so a blog post poem was born from it. I hope it blesses your spirit as writing it did mine.

GOD sent me to this earth

To my Momma, who was with me

Since my birth

So, when she left me

I was as bereft as I could be

And I found it hard to deal

With the stark, cold reality

Of her being gone

Until her teaching kicked in and I

Realized that I was not and

Never had been alone.

You see, I realized that before

I came to this earth

There was GOD making plans

Before my birth

And I realized that before I

Was my Momma's child

I belonged to the GOD of all creation

And that, Y'all, gave me back my smile.

You see, when my Momma left

All that I saw and felt

Was colored in a misty blue

And I felt that I had done

All in this world, I could do.

My zeal for my work was gone

And motherless child, that I was

I felt all alone.

And yes, my enemies and some

Haters that I did not even know I had

Circled for what they thought was the kill

Only for both them and me to receive a shock

That my life was programmed

According to GOD's clock

And that by GOD and for GOD I had

Been being groomed all along-

He just let me know and my enemies, too

That I was ready now to do

The full extent of the work

That I had been born to do.

And I, just like a toddler, who had been

Forced to let go of her Momma's hand

Began to walk, talk, and do things

That I thought I never would again.

But I found out that the path

That I thought was too hard is the

Path that, long ago, was ordained that I trod

And now, I do all that I was meant to do

Under the benevolent auspices of a loving GOD

And I don't worry much about what

Men might say or do

I just keep my head up with a newborn fierceness

That tells the world that I am my Momma's

Daughter sent to this world to do a job

That was only hard enough to let me know

That, newly released toddler, though I may be

I have a FATHER WHO says, "Before you

Were your Momma's child, you were mine

So you belong to me

I AM GOD, YOUR ASSURANCE AND HELPER DIVINE

And never forget that

YOU ARE MINE

SO, SHINE, MY CHILD, SHINE!"©

 

"MY strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

We will begin our walk in Isaiah again tomorrow morning if GOD wills. Be safe.

Myrtle Tree and Me

Well, well, well

Have you ever said

Those words to yourself

Or umph, umph, umph

Ever said that one before

Well, I can tell

You that I have said

Them often enough

To have been reminded

Of having heard my Momma

Use the same

Right before she, in GOD's name

Uttered, "Have mercy

LORD, on me."

And Yes, being my Momma's child

I have learned to face

My disappointments and hurt with a smile

While making my way homeward

Mile after questioning mile.

But, when I walked up the path in Isaiah 55

This morning, I was reminded that

I belong to the great, "I AM."

And I know that nothing and nobody

Can fulfill my joy as HE can

And I know that HE will make a way for me

In spite of any calamity.

So, I just say to myself

"Hold on, Alma, and you will see

The salvation and favor from GOD

That your Momma told you about

And that you, yourself, have seen

More than once, get worked out

For Isaiah said that in GOD's time

GOD will give you joy and peace

And you can rejoice along with

The mountains, hills, and trees

And plant a myrtle bush in jubilation

In honor of your release

To say, "Thank YOU" to your ROCK

The GOD of all creation!©

(Based on Isaiah 55:12-13.)

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