Mythopoeia

In Paradise perchance the eye may stray
from gazing upon everlasting Day
to see the day-illumined, and renew
from mirrored truth the likeness of the True.
Then looking on the Blessed Land 'twill see
that all is as it is, and yet made free:
Salvation changes not, nor yet destroys,
garden nor gardener, children nor their toys.
Evil it will not see, for evil lies
not in God's picture but in crooked eyes,
not in the source but in malicious choice,
and not in sound but in the tuneless voice.
In Paradise they look no more awry;
and though they make anew, they make no lie.
Be sure they still will make, not being dead,
and poets shall have flames upon their head,
and harps whereon their faultless fingers fall:
there each shall choose for ever from the All.

An excerpt from "Mythopoeia," by J.R.R. Tolkien

A poem I wrote...

Let me Your glory see:
in Thee my Source
of living be. 

Teach me to look for You:
in wilder hues,
in deeper blues.

Teach me to seek Your face:
in tree and leaf,
in every place.

Teach me Your hand to take:
in those innate
whom You create.

This world, though not as it should be,
holds wonder, glory, hope for me.

A quote

"The gods we worship will write their names on our faces; be sure of that. And a man will worship something-- have no doubts about that, either. He may think that his tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of his heart-- but it will out. That which dominates will determine his life and character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping, we are becoming.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, quoted in Heaven Is Not My Home, by Paul Marshall

Thoughts...

An excerpt from my journal:

I need to stop thinking that I can come to a place where I have figured everything out and solved all my problems. My relationship with the Lord is not as if He is at the end of a long, dark tunnel, and I am trying to reach Him. He is walking beside me, and the tunnel is getting lighter and lighter as we go along. Little by little, I am beginning to see Him, and my true self, more clearly. 

Psalm 25

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
 ² in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
   nor let my enemies triumph over me.
³ No one whose hope is in you
   will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
   who are treacherous without excuse.
 ⁴ Show me your ways, O LORD,
   teach me your paths;
⁵ guide me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are God my Savior,
   and my hope is in you all day long. ⁶ Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love,
   for they are from of old.
⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth
   and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me,
   for you are good, O LORD.
 ⁸ Good and upright is the LORD;
   therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
⁹ He guides the humble in what is right
   and teaches them his way.
¹⁰ All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
   for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
¹¹ For the sake of your name, O LORD,
   forgive my iniquity, though it is great. ¹² Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD?
   He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
¹³ He will spend his days in prosperity,
   and his descendants will inherit the land.
¹⁴ The LORD confides in those who fear him;
   he makes his covenant known to them.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever on the LORD,
   for only he will release my feet from the snare.
 ¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
   free me from my anguish.
¹⁸ Look upon my affliction and my distress
   and take away all my sins.
¹⁹ See how my enemies have increased
   and how fiercely they hate me!
²⁰ Guard my life and rescue me;
   let me not be put to shame,
   for I take refuge in you. ²¹ May integrity and uprightness protect me,
   because my hope is in you.
 ²² Redeem Israel, O God,
   from all their troubles!

A few quick quotes:

What I am reading right now:

Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.
Philippians 2:12b-13

My heart says of you, “Seek His face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.

Psalm 27:8

It is hard to work out God's sovereignty with the feeling that life is not always as it should be or as I would like it to be. Romans 8:28, 31-32 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose....What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? When I think of "the good," I would like to see issues and conflicts consistently be fully resolved and dealt with. But probably, God's good is a lot bigger and diferent than I think. I am sure He has a lot of work to do in my own heart. When I feel out of control of situations, maybe that is where I need to be, in order for Him to be in control.

Lord, teach me to be grateful.

Teach me to see Your work in everything and to thank You for it.

.

A song I find myself singing a lot...

My child, are you discouraged by the sorrows of the day?

Does it seem that life is crumbling; the skies have turned to gray?

Don't forget I gave you promises, to guide you every hour.

In the moment of your heartbreak,let Me show you my great power!

.

And I will be your shield,when the battle rages on.

And I will be your light, when the way ahead is dark.

I will be your strong tower, and guide you every hour.

Just place your life completely in my hands.

.

I know it won't be easy, I never said it would.

But my grace will always be there; my plans for you are good.

Remember that your weaknesses are perfect in my sight,

only when you yield them to Me can I turn them into might.

.

And I will be your shield, when the battle rages on.

And I will be your light, when the way ahead is dark.

I will be your strong tower, and guide you every hour.

Just place your life completely in my hands.

.

And someday you'll understand, why I sent this trial,

and someday you will see the end, and know it's all worthwhile!

.

And I will be your shield, when the battle rages on.

And I will be your light, when the way ahead is long.

I will be your strong tower, and guide you every hour.

Just place your life completely in my hands.

. 

"I Will Be Your Shield" by Rachel Wissmann