Meaningless
Our language is changing……..
I mean, words mean stuff.…….
In the vernacular,
But, the most meaningless phrase in the English language
Has to be this one: “It is what it is“………
Good grief!!!
Aaaaaaaarggghhhhhhhh……….
Meaningless
17 Dec 2012 2 Comments
Shards
15 Dec 2012 6 Comments
A FORE-WORD
I feel very strange. The day before yesterday I was strongly led to write this unusual piece – “Shards”. (unusual, for me, in its pain and darkness – I’m more into joy)
Around noon yesterday (Friday, 12-14-2012) I saw the horrible, heartbreaking tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut on the news.
I had not planned to give God much of a part in this poem. I intended it for encouragement for one individual, that “they” might be encouraged by it and know that they are not alone in their plight of brokenness. However, yesterday morning, as I awoke, I was strongly led to change it, and include His compassionate nature in the final stanzas.
I hesitated to post this in fear of being inappropriate, but I feel strongly that He wants someone to read this. I emphasize that this was written before the tragedy. It is my hope and prayer that it will draw someone to Him and lead them into his arms.
Today I will post “Shards”. I have no answers to the usual questions which tend to make people turn away from God in times like these. “Where’s God?” “Why does God allow innocent blood to be spilled; innocent lives to be taken?” “Why does He so often allow evil to prevail?” “Is it because of the rebellious and disobedient nature of mankind?” “Is it because when we, as a people, decided to ‘go it alone’ without Him, He decided to show us how that would work out for us?” I don’t know.
This is all I know at this moment: I refuse to let these questions shatter the faith that I, with His grace, have gone through so much to maintain. I refuse to be captive to my own meager understanding. Jesus didn’t come to earth to eliminate murder. He came to comfort the brokenhearted, for one thing. We still live under the curse of evil and we all face death – old and young alike – but Jesus came here to address death and defeat it for each of us through His resurrection.
I refuse to let evil steal my joy and my hope, for this is what it boils down to, for me — that our only hope to be reunited with those innocent souls is through Jesus Christ. I am absolutely certain that Jesus’ compassion for innocent souls, those taken too soon, is immense, for, in a sense, He was one of them. It is through faith, trust, and belief in Him alone that we will be allowed to rejoin those beautiful innocents again in full joy, to sing, and dance, and laugh, and love with them forever.
Shards
The countless shards of one shattered heart,
An exploding, expanding sphere of chaos,
Spreading wide and scattering apart,
Across the world, a swarm of loss.
Shards acutely sharp,
Across the heavens, destruction hurled,
Shards immutably hard,
Dark devastation unfurled.
Small flechettes ripping flesh and bone,
Piercing even the fragile membrane
Between the body and the soul,
Replacing joy’s song with despair’s refrains
Shredding the universe into coarse turmoil,
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Unsharded
Where, in the lovingkindness of His heart of compassion,
God gathers them all in His arms, and His hands,
And skillfully, then, He begins to re-fashion
Refitting them back as only He can.
Remaking, shaping, forming, unshattering,
Deftly rounds off the pain and re-tunes – it’s an art,
He fits them all back, in a shape that’s most flattering.
Then removing the thing that tore them apart,
He creates a new unshatterable heart.
He creates a brand-new unshardable heart.
The Perfect Christmas Gift
11 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
“The Perfect Christmas Gift”,
written and performed by Sandy Howell.
Uploaded by Bob Marshall.
Many thanks to you both.
My friend, I give you the gift of a song; music with a video. It speaks for itself.
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Now I Lay Me Down – For Davey Christopher
08 Dec 2012 4 Comments
Now I Lay Me Down
A Bedtime Poem and Prayer
This is the bedtime prayer that my mom taught me. I was told to say it every night without fail:
“Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
The dying part scared me. The implication of the possibility that I might die if I went to sleep was too much for my young mind to grasp, so I rushed through it which took the whole meaning, purpose, and heart out of praying it.
Recently, when I researched the history of this classic children’s prayer, I found that the earliest version of that prayer was perhaps written in 1711 by Joseph Addison in an essay appearing in The Spectator. Mom’s version came later from The New England Primer. Several different versions exist, some including child-watching angels.
I decided that Davey Christopher (and I, as well) needed a better bedtime prayer. Davey’s prayer is a new version of the classic:
“Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
Stay with me, Lord, in dark of night,
And wake me with Your morning light.”
Davey made another verse:
(I helped him with the spelling)
“And as I go to sleep, dear Lord,
I’d like to ask for one thing more:
Be with me all my waking hours,
And keep me, Lord, for I am Yours.”
Here is Davey’s complete bedtime prayer (without all his personal “God blesses”):
“Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
Stay with me, Lord, in dark of night,
And wake me with Your morning light.”
And as I go to sleep, dear Lord,
I’d like to ask for one thing more:
Be with me all my waking hours,
And keep me, Lord, for I am Yours.”
“Amen”
Parents, think about your children’s prayers. Pray with them. Think, and pray, and teach them well.
A Christmas Who’s Who
06 Dec 2012 Leave a comment
in Christ, Christian Poetry, Christian Writing, Christmas, Forgiveness, God's Gifts, Good News, Gospel, Salvation Tags: christianity, Christmas, Jesus, Subjects and objects in a sentence, The true meaning of Christmas
We must remember this,
Amidst the noise and fuss,
JESUS is the subject of Christmas,
And the object of Christmas is US.
*LS*
Jesus, Joy of the Highest Heaven
05 Dec 2012 2 Comments
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A Children’s Christmas Carol for Everyone
I lift up Keith and Kristyn Getty and I thank them for this beautiful song.
Remember, JESUS is the subject of Christmas, and the object of Christmas is US.
LS
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Announcing Publication of “The Godsend”
26 Nov 2012 2 Comments
The Godsend
is now an E-Book !
Words such as “inspiring”, “down to earth”, “honest”, and “will melt your heart” have been used to describe this author’s “initial public offering” of this E-book.
Set in the Upper Mid-West, in the decade following World War II, this mini-novel will take you back not only to a hopeful, encouraging, prosperous time for America, but to a magical time in a young boy’s life. This is the heartwarming story of a specially-gifted boy who is faced with a heart-wrenching situation. Using his “sleuthing skills” he embarks on a journey “to find the truth” about himself, about Santa Claus, about the real meaning of Christmas, and about the existence of God Himself.
How will he find his answers? Will God reveal himself? Are there miracles in store for him? What is the real Godsend…….or who? Is it possible that we are all Godsent for each other?
The Godsend is rated Family Friendly. Somewhere, there is a special child who has some very special parents, who needs to have this story read to him or her. That is who this effort is for. May God bless you in the reading of this story and in the reading of the REAL story of Christmas.
The Godsend is available on Kindle or Kindle for PC here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Godsend-ebook/dp/B00A8TPVPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353944048&sr=8-1&keywords=lenn+snider
The Godsend is also available on Smashwords, for PC (in PFD format) Sony Reader, Nook, Apple I-Pad, Kobo, and most e-reading apps ( including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others) here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/256725
GRATITUDE
22 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
in Christian Music, Christian Poetry, Christian Writing, God's Bounty, God's Gifts, God's Provision, Thankfulness and Gratitude, Worship Tags: Giving Thanks, Giving Thanks: The Gifts of Gratitude, Gratitude, Nichole Nordeman, Thanksgiving
Gratitude
Gratitude,
Let me have a heart of gratitude.
Thankfulness,
Let it be my soul’s beatitude.
For blessedness beyond words,
Let my thanks be unconditional toward
You
Here is one of my favorite songs about gratitude:
Thank you, Katherine Hardman, and thank you Nichole Nordeman.
Happy Thanksgiving 2012, everyone!
By Grace I Am Un-Limited
20 Nov 2012 2 Comments
Oh, Lord, I have swum astounded, deep into clear Hawaiian lagoons
Holding my breath in the pressing foreign world
On my own before I knew You
In rocky marine corridors where fear is, and faith calls
Twenty feet down in discomfort, but not crushed
Where beautiful creatures live and breathe effortlessly
Looking up in urgency, life and light seemed much too far away
Yet I rose up from distress and received life through Your mercy.
Oh, Lord, I have climbed to dizzying heights in the Rockies
Only on Your power, not my own, amazed that You allowed it
Where breathing became gasping and cold winds blew
Where even clouds and birds played far below my perch
And glorious formations waited for me to stand upon them
Inhospitable, the threatening no-man’s-land, even dangerous
Hesitation overcome by hope of life renewed
In flatter places well-made for my warmth and breath.
Oh, Lord, I have delved deep into vast, southern subterranean chambers
Where squeezing darkness rules in uneasy peace
Where tunnel and precipice wait and bat wings warn
Where immeasurable crushing weights loom overhead
Where magnificent earthly artwork poses to be admired
Exploration of being — of Spirit, of Earth, and of Spirit again
Who am I to be adventuring out of self and into You who creates
From a Living Love so unrestricted, so infinite, so boundless?
Oh, Lord, Your grace has pulled my heart, my mind, my very soul
Strongly, surely, toward quick-receding limits
Then beyond limits where that beautiful grace can be grasped
Where hope, and faith, and mercy can be held, and felt, and measured
Where peace is palpable, and there is no end
Where Your very Love can be embraced, and seen, and heard
And where, only through Christ, my being, my existence, my overwhelming joy
Is released, freed, and un-limited from the ends of Earth into Life Without End.
In 8/4 time…….
Copyright by Len Snider, Gloryteller 11-1-12
His Omni-ness
19 Nov 2012 5 Comments
~ ~ ~
α His Omni-ness Ω
Isn’t it astounding that each person can truthfully say to Almighty God,
“I am, in effect, the only one on Your mind right now!”
“Jesus gave His life just for me and my salvation!”
“All creation was made for my enjoyment!”
“You love me as if I were your only child!”
“Thank You, O Highest Lord!”
I believe that in Your omnipotence,
Your omnipresence,
And all Your “omni-ness”,
All the above sentences are true!
You have infinite “time” to think about,
Care about,
Commune with,
Speak with,
And to LOVE each of us as if we are Your only one.
I love that I can say those words,
and I love that you can say them too.
So go ahead, say them!
Make His day!
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Words Mean Stuff (I Can’t Tag Or Categorize This) Wink
18 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
“They” Don’t Teach Vocabulary, Spelling, Or Grammar Much Anymore
What Does That Have To Do With Anything………
Student: “I wish you had told me, why didn’t you tell me?”
Teacher: “I wish you had asked me, why didn’t you ask me?”
S: “I didn’t know to ask.”
T: “I, therefore, didn’t know to tell you.”
S: “I guess guessing is a lot like rocket surgery.”
T: “I guess guessing is futile like resistance.”
S: “Yeah, really………words mean stuff…….”
T: “Yeah, really…………….I told you so……..”
Cottage, Pain, and Palace
07 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
Cottage, Pain, and Palace
“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
A Seeing Heart
07 Nov 2012 Leave a comment
A Seeing Heart
Train up your heart to see
Train up your heart with grace
A heart that cannot truly see
Will never see His face
LS<
11-7-12
By Grace Un-Limited
01 Nov 2012 2 Comments
in Belief in God, Christ, Christian Poetry, Christian Writing, Creation, Evangelism, Faith, God's Bounty, God's Glory, God's Love, God's Provision, Inspirational Writing, Jesus Christ, Personal Testimony, Redemption, Worship Tags: Adventure, Cavern exploration, Christ, Climbing High Summits, Divine grace, Diving Hawaiian Lagoons, Earth, Exploration, God, Grace, Jesus, Knowing God, Lord, Receding limits, Spiritual exploration, Unlimited through faith
By Grace Un-Limited
Oh, Lord, I have swum astounded, deep into clear Hawaiian lagoons
Holding my breath in the pressing foreign world
On my own before I knew You
In rocky marine corridors where fear is, and faith calls
Twenty feet down in discomfort, but not crushed
Where beautiful creatures live and breathe effortlessly
Looking up in urgency, life and light seemed much too far away
Yet I rose up from distress and received life through Your mercy.
Oh, Lord, I have climbed to dizzying heights in the Rockies
Only on Your power, not my own, amazed that You allowed it
Where breathing became gasping and cold winds blew
Where even clouds and birds played far below my perch
And glorious formations waited for me to stand upon them
Inhospitable, the threatening no-man’s-land, even dangerous
Hesitation overcome by hope of life renewed
In flatter places well-made for my warmth and breath.
Oh, Lord, I have delved deep into vast, southern subterranean chambers
Where squeezing darkness rules in uneasy peace
Where tunnel and precipice wait and bat wings warn
Where immeasurable crushing weights loom overhead
Where magnificent earthly artwork poses to be admired
Exploration of being — of Spirit, of Earth, and of Spirit again
Who am I to be adventuring out of self and into You who creates
From a Living Love so unrestricted, so infinite, so boundless?
Oh, Lord, Your grace has pulled my heart, my mind, my very soul
Strongly, surely, toward quick-receding limits
Then beyond limits where that beautiful grace can be grasped
Where hope, and faith, and mercy can be held, and felt, and measured
Where peace is palpable, and there is no end
Where Your very Love can be embraced, and seen, and heard
And where, only through Christ, my being, my existence, my overwhelming joy
Is released, freed, and un-limited from the ends of Earth into Life Without End.
Copyright by Len Snider, Gloryteller 11-1-12
Illuminated
24 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
Illuminated
To paraphrase C.S. Lewis in “The Weight of Glory” :
“I believe in Jesus Christ as I believe the sun has risen, not only because He illuminates me, but because by Him all else is illuminated.”
LS<
What Was Closed Is Open
22 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
For evil to flourish, and for evil to prevail, good people need only do three things:
Close their eyes to it.
Close their mouths about it.
Close their twiddling hands behind them and turn away.
Therefore keep an eye open to discern evil.
Openly denounce it.
With open palm extended, oppose and reject its advances.
All the above from a strictly physical place.
While effective, this cannot begin to approximate the power and certainty
Of the spiritual answer to evil. Openness to that is at the root of the ultimate defeat of the evil one. Seek it. Seek Him. He has already closed the door on evil and opened the door to paradise.
10-22-12
The Short-Post Series
19 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
You can’t tax a populace into prosperity. Neither can you spend one out of debt.
Common sense.
Anon, The Subversive
26 Sep 2012 Leave a comment
When I first applied for a top administrative job, I was hired on charisma and promises. My past was deemed irrelevant, although it should have been called into question. At my first annual review, I was given a promotion and an increase, although my performance had been inadequate, to put it mildly; counterproductive, to put it realistically. Power seethes behind my tranquil, confident stare. Almost too, too, insidiously easy – I smile that I am not what I seem. Being Anonymous, I have pulled the wool over their willing eyes. I can’t wait to see the look on their horrified, surprised, faces when they discover…….
Anon. I remain Anon. Even through the ages.
I grin, when anon also means soon……..
Anon, it will all happen.
Alone in the Rockies.
Gloryteller 