The little clearing


I had spent my life wandering through the mountains.  Decades of Investigation showed me that every hill was like the one before.  This was so, until I came upon a certain place.

It was at the top of a gentle rise in the land.  The forest about it allowed the sunlight to gleem in.  The grass which grew there was particularly soft, as if to invite a pleasant nap.

Though  I was sure others have passed this way, the little clearing seemed to welcome me as its owner.  So ceasing my roaming, I made the little place my home.

As I sat in the warm sunlight I let my senses take in what the little clearing offered.  Only then did I hear it.  The tiny sound of a bubbling stream came to me on the puff of a breeze.

Looking in the direction of the breeze I took note of a small lump in the grass.  I hadn’t noticed it before. But it would’ve been hard to miss.

“Investigate.”  I clearly heard the word spoken.  But there was no one here.  It must’ve been an odd sound the water made.  Surely I only heard what I wanted to do.

Going over to the little lump of grass, I noticed a small stream of water flowing down into the forest.  The grass have grown up over the top of the mound so that I could not see the origin of the water.

I place my fingers into the grass at the top of the mound.  Jim lee I pulled the grass inside so that I could peek in.  To my great amazement the sunlight glare back at me from the tops of three large rocks of gold!

The find so stuned me that I fell back into a sitting position.  It was then that I noticed the brilliant white flash to my left.  How had I not seen this before?

Right there beside me stood a bush with white leaves.  They were brilliant white and shining in the sunlight.  Each one was a tiny rectangle with rounded corners.  I reached out to touch one and found its substance to be like that of leather.  Now I was in complete awe!

As I sent their musing over the place, another tiny breeze came along. The air brushed the leaves of the bush and gently parted them. At that another surprise appeared!

Beneath the little bush were tiny black crystals. They lay nestled all about the bush’s base. When the sunlight get them they glowed like tiny lanterns.

I picked one up to examine it. It was cool and rather heavy for its size. It was made of six sides and came to a point at each end. It may have looked like a crystal but it was made of an oily substance like graphite. Now it was impossible to miss, graphite pencils and white leather leaves.

I sat, entranced at my new home. I don’t know how long I sat still. Eventually my eyes grew heavy and I slept.

To be continued…

The pleasure of stability


Was there ever a man who was ashamed of the Sun? ,

Is there a record of someone making apology for the moon?

Who is ashamed that they know enough to get out of the rain?

And when the rainbow appears who curses it?

We adore the things in creation that are stable.  Men give honor to men for stability in their performance of necessary things.

All the while they rant and rage at he who created such things.  “They have hated me for no reason.”

How will men escape when they love pleasure but abhor the one who allows them to enjoy it? 

By His Grace.

John 3: 16


I have often been frustrated at the Church for teaching John 3: 16 without an equal attention to the verses which follow.  The entire world wants to hear that God loves them.  Yeah, ain’t that the truth!  But they don’t want to approach Him. 

To teach the one without the other can be summed up as follows. 

A four legged table with but two legs does not entertain with a stable character.  And those who sat to eat walk away hungry.

Learn from failures? Maybe


There is no lesson to be learned simply by failing.  No.  We learn from our failures when we perceive the damage they do.  The more astoundingly vivid the contrast becomes, between productive and destructive, the less likely we will be to repeat that folly.

The greatest source of such contrast will be found in God.  Approaching Him, despite our wickedness, will result in learning what is good.

Write


“Write what is true.  Make your mark in this place of testing.  You have spent decades taking.  Give now from what you are given.  Do not fear, and do not shrink back.  Do not lose heart.  And do not allow yourself to care who reads your words.  Write, instead, to solidify God’s ways within your soul.”

Reluctant Acknowledgment


A fault appears within my soul.

I assume all men are obstinate.

Then with heavy heart and resignation of mind,

I find the fault is likely well founded.