Rooted in faith

This tree fascinates me. It has obviously been uprooted. You can even see the stone from the riverbank it brought with it when it flipped. Yet the tree hasn’t died. It is still flourishing as you can see from the photos below.

This tree makes me think about my faith and how my faith is rooted. We are told to build strong foundations on solid ground so we can weather any storm. This tree obviously had a root system established yet has been battered and blown. However it has such a root system established that it survived the storms by having roots running deep.

This is what I need in my faith. Even when I am blown over in a storm. My roots need to be firm in Christ forever. He sustains me and helps me grow.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6‭-‬7 NIV
Let my roots be deeply planted 
Only in Christ
Spread so far
That if I become uprooted
My faith will not crumble

Let my roots keep me flourishing
Bearing fruit
Constantly growing
So any storm that comes my way
Never fazes me

Keep my roots in you alone Jesus
Building me up
Keeping me strong
For all the glory goes to you
With every breathe I take

Security in God

Our security in this world isn’t in a job, a house, or money. God is our security and he constantly holds our hands through it.

Life can be grand
Looking down from an ivory tower
It can be full of flowers
Sunshine everywhere

Life can be bumpy
The only path cobblestone
Lined with nettles
Thorns overflowing

Life can be hard
Walking up the mountain
Treading in treacle
As the road gets steeper

Life can be firm
Whatever the terrain
When God is in you
And ahead and in front

Life needs nothing else
Except God in control
Holding your hand
Never letting you go

Life's security is in God
Creator, Son, Spirit
So when the world shakes
We will not be shaken

The powerful gentle whisper

A Sunday morning poetry reflection inspired by 1 Kings 19:11 – 13

And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:11‭-‬13 ESV

A gentle whisper 
That is how you came
Not in the powerful wind
Earthquake or fire
But gently whispering

A whisper so peaceful
A presence so identifiable
No doubt
That it is only
God touching earth

Your power, your strength
So strong, yet so gentle
There is no way to ignore
Your presence as a whisper
Passing by

Your whisper
Your strength and power
Now lives in us
Through your Holy Spirit
Still powerful and true

A power not to be taken frivously
Taking God for granted
His spirit
Living in us
Whispering tremendous power

Power that rose Jesus
From death to life
For us to live
Not in the grave
But joyous in victory

No situation to big or small
God whispers
Let me do this
And break the chain
So you can walk with me freely

It’s not about us

It's not about us
It's all about you
We humbly walk with
God the father
Jesus the son
The Holy Spirit
Living in us
Keep our eyes on you
Our hearts beating as yours
Acting justly
Showing mercy
Humbly walking
Doing God's will
Not looking for praise
That points to us
But only to the father above

The cross and the curtain

Good Friday. The day every one that doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus asks what is so good about it? Stick around there are a few days left of the story.

The crowd that was cheering
Only days ago
Singing Hosanna
Now are jeering
Scoffing, mocking
Calling for your death

Crucify they say
Stirred up by the priests
Oh what a threat
You were to their lives
They didn't care about God
Just putting on a show

My voice of sin
Is in the mocking crowd
Do you look me in the eye
As you pause with your heavy load
I cannot watch this horrid scene
And run to hide at home

As the day went black
The sun disappeared
It is finished your final breath
As the tears from loved ones flow
The curtain torn in two
No more barriers between us

The toughest soldiers of them all
Stirred, touched, amazed
Surely this was the son of God
Uttered from his lips
Buried in a cave
The stone to seal your grave

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
Mark 15:33‭-‬41 ESV

God’s promises – delivered from troubles

Love this #Godspromises.

Troubles gone

God wants to be in our all
From the tiniest of detail
To the heaviest of burdens

No matter is to trivial
Or to complicated to solve
God is in the detail carrying the load

We can have one or seventy
Troubles at once
God doesn't pick and choose

He looks at each one
A solution in place
Delivering us to a safer place

In time we will see
The needless worry
As each trouble disappears

God has been true to his promise
Delivering us from troubles
Releasing us to freedom and joy

God’s promises – peace and restoration

Psalm 23. How many of us recite these 2 lines when life is being life.

#Godspromises of restoring and peace. He leads me beside still waters he restores my soul.

The waters are still 
So peaceful and quiet
Next to a field of green
You say rest my child
Be still
Don't think
Just breath in and out

Let my spirit come
It will rest in you
Restoring all the calm
Taking the mess
Of heart
Of mind
Clarity shining through

Your soul so weary
The rest will help
Lay down and enjoy
Scenery all around
Lose the weary
Be energised
Refreshed hope restored

The worries all gone
Peace is restored
Your body and mind
Fully recovered
Holy Spirit
Soul refreshed
Just trust in the Lord today

God’s promises – he is good to all

What a beautiful #Godspromises

God doesn't have favourites
Or think your not special
God doesn't care
If your tall or short
Fat or thin
God loves you just as you are

God knows
No one is beyond redemption
There is nothing
You can do
No pit too deep
When calling to be saved

God is good to all
There is no one is better than another
His mercy is everywhere
If you can't see this
Just open the eyes of your heart
And gently let God in


Time

This week’s  Five minute Friday prompt word is Time. You can join in the fun here: https://fiveminutefriday.com  As a writing community we write for 5 minutes(ish) no perfection or edits, the words just flow. #fiveminuteFriday

Time 

Tick tock
On the clock
What are we doing today
Are we wasting time
Making the most of time
With all the chores to be done

Are we spending our time wisely
Or wasting it away
Daydreaming
Wondering what could of been
Not moving on

Are we wishing for a better time
Expecting perfect
Normality again
Not living in the now
Counting all our blessings

Do we take the time
In person or virtually
To see loved ones
Or visit them
Whatever the sign of the times

Will we seize the moment today
Not taking time for granted
Making the most of our time
Secular or spiritually
Putting Christ before everything.

A Christmas family

Today’s word prompt for #wonderfulladvent is family. I struggled with this word but have persevered.

There were more like a family from today 
Than 2000 years ago
Joseph's not the father
Can you imagine the rumours

But Joseph a righteous man
Believed in the God of Israel
Loyal,honest,discerning
Weighing up all his options

Mary his girlfriend pregnant
And he knows for certain
That he isn't the father
What to do is the dilemma

This is where God enters in
Appearing in a dream
God's voice
Confirming this is his Son

Marry Mary, Joseph's told
I trust you to raise my child right
Mary and Joseph accept the challenge
Jesus part of the family

Mary and Joseph's family grow
Three brothers later follow
Did they want pillow fights doing normal things

Did the boys want a normal brother
Not one full of insight
Did they understand
Their older brother was the son of God

Was this family just like ours
Not always understanding each other
Did Mary and Joseph get tired
Breaking up the squabbles

But isn't that the point of Jesus
Stepping down from heaven
Becoming fully human
Experiencing all we do
Knowing what family is and the mess we make it so

Whether our family is from birth
Chosen or through Christ
We need to follow what Jesus taught us
To love one another through God's grace

This Christmas just because we can't see every one
Doesn't mean we can't be connected
Having fun celebrating the supernatural baby
Who became all to human in a way to human family

Photo – clipart