The Dream

    I had gone to bed.  For a time, I could not sleep, but tossed and turned restlessly.  Then, as I finally started to drop off to sleep, I had the strangest vision, or if you will, a dream.
    It seemed as if I was so large that this solar system of ours was as a toy to me, and I held in my hands our planet.  It was as a ball or a precious jewel.
    It seemed so perfect, this jewel I held, all blue and green, with shifting streaks of white.  But as I looked more closely, I could see flaws. The scars of war were there, old wars and the bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  And the newer wars of Vietnam and Bosnia.
    Then with penetrating sight, I looked and saw flaws more hidden.  The flaws of hate and suspicion ran across the face of this jewel I held.
    Suddenly, I feared to let go of this ball, this jewel, for if I let it go from me on its appointed rounds, I feared that it would come back to me in fragments, exploded, or as a blackened and dead world.  But yet I let it go, and watched more carefully, for it had become suddenly very precious to me.
    Then I was myself.  And I thought and then wondered if God were not at times afraid to let go of this world of His.  For it seems that however hard He tries, we people turn from Him and choose, instead of the path of glory and light; other darker paths.
    Then my dream returned to me.  And I seemed to watch, afraid, as this precious world of ours wound its way through the starry night. 
1964          

Alone

Alone, so alone,

No one near me 

To cheer me. 

Oh Elohim, 

Where are you? 

You are my Beloved 

And I am lost

And so sad 

Without you near. 

Come to me now 

And stay with me

And walk with me 

Always. 

A Prayer for Help

Yahwah,,Elohim Adonis, 

Lover of all, Light of my life, 

Walk with me always. 

For I find I need you near. 

I have no strength 

And cannot walk 

My path without you near. 

Stay with me, I pray, 

And guide me 

Through this life. 

Trouble

Trouble, trouble in the air,
There is trouble everywhere.
People yelling,
People shouting
Fighting hard
All around,
Then they fall
And lie upon the ground.
Broken, bleeding
In body or in soul.

Help me to see
Those who are severely hurt
That I might help
Those who need healing
In body or in soul.

Gifts to Give

      Gifts to give at any time that won’t cost any (or much) money

1    Smile at people
it just might make their day.
2    Give hugs
to everybody. 
3    Call those who live alone.
They just may need to hear another voice.  If family is near, they may be busy. And if you say you’ll call, call.  They will be waiting for your phone call and it is a bit upsetting when you don’t call.  They hear from medical people all the time. Hearing from friends can be the best medicine for them.
4    Open doors for people you see.       
They just might need the help.
5    Tell someone you care for them.      
People living alone can get depressed easily.  You might be able to change someone’s outlook. If they’re a shut in, hearing you even like them can be the best medicine for them.
      6 Offer to help
              This might cost you some money for gas, but if family is near, they may be all busy with
              work.
7      Ask if they would like company.  
If you have some time, single folk, especially seniors, appreciate visits from friends or family.      
      8 Offer transportation to the store,
            to events, or to church.  There may not be anybody else to drive an older person to
            where they want or need to go.       
  9     Share a meal with them.  If possible, let the person pay for the meal.  It will help them
          feel good about themselves.
  10    Bring them a home cooked meal.
          Something you cooked yourself is always welcome, provided it is something they can or    
          will eat.

11.   Call them (or email) and offer to come by just for conversation. 
        Sometimes the silences can be too much and the TV doesn’t always fill the void.

12.  If you are allowed by your church, offer to come and give communion.
        We sometimes forget that the rituals of faith can be comforting to shut-ins.

13      Visit those who are in nursing homes regularly.  They often feel lost and forgotten by everyone who they know. 

14     It's not necessary to bring anything, just yourself is enough. If you bring items, be sure they have room for what you bring. If you bring food, be sure it is something they can eat.
     

Kindness

 Kindness,,  how to be kind when the other person is not and doesn't seem to care who they hurt?   What can be done in that case? You start by not reacting the same way. If you can, a soft voice and quiet   demeanor can work wonders. It is much better to be kind to people, even those who you think don't deserve it.   And you just might change the way that other person reacts to others. 

Come, see what kindness can do to relationships between people.  Keep your voice calm and quiet , no matter the provocation. You will have a much better life if you will treat  all other people with love and gentleness. And this is God's command, that we live together in peace and love. 

I have discovered that if you talk quietly to a person you distrust,  you just might find the person is not as bad as first thought. From a distance,  the person sometimes seems impossible to deal with, but as you get closer, you may find the person is   better than others have told you. 

Hope

Hope        for Rev Micah Hartung

Isaiah 40:31

Come to me in hope,

For in me

You will find strength.

I will always

Be near you,

And with me

You will never

Be weary.

Matt 11:28

Bring all your burdens

Here to me,

For in me is rest.

I am always near

And will help all

Who come to me

In faith and trust.

Matt 11:29-30   

Hope in me,

For my burdens

Are much lighter.

With me your souls

Will find the rest

That they need,

For here you

Will find gentleness

And all the love

That you need.

John 14:27

Keep your hope in me,

For I will give you

Such complete peace

That can never

Be taken away from you.

I will always

Be near you

And my love

Always is yours.

For Norma Bell

For Norma Bell 5/31/03

Psalm 23

God is always with me

In good times and bad,

And when trouble treatens

To overwhelm me,

I turn around

And find that God is there.

Always, I am safe

And always loved.

 

Psalm 33:1-3

I sing for joy

Of God, my creator!

My voice is raised

In melody

To tell all the world

Of my God,

Who loves me

And all people!

A Storm

A Storm 

A Storm is coming! 

The Trump has sounded 

In warning to all ;

A storm is coming! 

Look around 

And see the signs ;

A storm  is coming! 

A storm is coming! 

Not a weather storm 

But a different one ;

A storm is coming! 

Fear and hatred 

In control ;

A storm is coming! 

A storm is coming,

Look who is talking, 

What is being said ;

A storm is coming! 

War comes near ;

No one sees, 

A war is coming! 

A storm is coming! 

The drum beat sounds ;

No one hears;

A storm is coming! 

Look around you, 

See the signs!, 

A storm is coming! 

A storm is coming! 

Watch out now and see 

It's almost here! 

A storm is coming,

See it build 

And beware ;

The storm is near!!

When the weather is going to turn bad, all a person has to do is to look to the skies to see and interpret the signs. The signs are there for those who know the signs and how to interpret them. It's the same with other storms that impact our lives. The signs are there, we just need to learn what they are and and how to read them. Then maybe we can do something to combat the problem without resorting to war. But too many people refuse to learn about this sort of problem. Beware and watch for the storm!! 

Happy Day

Happy day, My God
Walks with me
And has promised
To be by my side
At all times.

Happy day for God
Has told me  
That I am loved
And that love
Is always mine.

Can We

Can we ever learn to work for peace? Can we ever learn how to love each other people with love the love and respect they want and deserve? When will we learn how to love all people?

A Prayer

Here we go again! Dear God, when will we grow up and lose our fascination and love for guns? When will we learn to love and care for people? Laws are good and needed , but they are not enough . We also need a change in our attitudes. Please teach us how to value ALL people, no matter who they are or what they believe. And help all of us in this time, especially those affected by the shootings.

Dare

Let us dare to dream 

Of a day that will come 

When all people 

Will finally be free. 

As we dare to dream 

Let us pass the dream

Outward to others 

That they will be free. 

We dare to dream

That all people 

Will one day be free 

To be who they are. 

Dare to pass the dream 

Outward to other people. 

For they have a right 

To dream of  freedom, too.  

A Time

     There was a time  when I was broken into many pieces, fragmented.  There was no joy for me sadness and despair were my lot.  I knew not where to go nor could I find any peace. Then I remembered that there one person who I could turn to, who had always been there, and waiting for me to turn to Him.
    Now I am whole again, and complete; not fragmented and broken as I was before.  Joy has returned to me; and a peace better than any I knew before, for He has touched me and healed me.
    Where could I find another like Him?  For He is ALWAYS there for me to talk to, even when I want Him not, for I will not always listen to what He says, and need someone else to tell me His word.  But still, He has is there for me, always. And never will I be completely alone.
    And He holds my hand, nor will He ever let me stray far from Him, but lovingly keeps me close by.  He is my Counselor, my Guide, and my Friend. He keeps me on the straight path, and I flourish and he leg me in grow only when He is near.  For"c I have no strength of my own.
    He is the sun, I the moon.  I shine only in His glory. My light is only reflected light, reflected from Him.  I do not reflect that light perfectly, but what light I do reflect is only His.
    Where could I go for someone as patient and loving as He?  Nowhere! For He has infinite love and infinite patience, He is at once my God and my Father.  He is the one who made me and gave me life. He is all life and all love. And only in Him is complete love and complete peace. 
    I can never know all of Him.  The more I know about Him; the more there is to know.  He is greater, mightier than I could ever conceive. He is everything to me, my complete life.  And without Him, there is no life, there is nothing but chaos.
    My joy is all in Him, my peace and happiness, His.  He keeps me going through all the troubles and sorrows of this life.  He is everything to me, my whole life.

A Person

A person sat in a darkened room, thinking.  Then began to speak aloud to no one, for no one else was there:  “I seem to be alone, too different from others to be accepted by anyone else.  It seems that no one cares enough about me to come around to see how I am. There is no one to love me AS I AM!  Yet I will not go away, nor leave this life until it is time. And I wonder where God is in all this.”

Came an answer immediately; a voice that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere:  “I am your GOD, and I AM here, near you. I will not leave you, for I love you. You are one of my beloved children, and I love ALL my children, and I love them all AS THEY ARE right now.   I am the One who made you and all others AS THEY ARE right now, and I do not turn any away. Come, walk with me, beloved. Stay always near me and do not despair. And by the way, there are many who care about you.”  

Dwelling closer to God, how does one do that?  How does a person get closer to the Divine, to pure love?   What path does one follow? Follow the path given to you and learn to trust that God will always there nearby to lead you and to always love you.   However, unless you listen carefully for the voice of God, the path that is yours alone can be hard to find. We have to learn to hear with the inner ears, the ears of the soul.  And then, day by day, we will be lead to dwell closer to God. The possibility is there for all people.

In reading over my writings, one theme is there over and over again, God’s love for all people no matter who they are.   But how do you get that across to those who have been told too many times that they are not loved? How do we reach out to them and what words do we use?  How do we put together a sentence so that they will understand that God loves them, too? One way is to listen for God’s voice and then we will know what to say and how to say it.  

Butterflies

Butterflies in flight,  

Wings spread wide 

Beauty in the light, 

Made by God. 

See the baby

Learning to  walk

Becoming a person 

Made by God. 

See the people 

Dancing and singing 

Each of them special, 

Made by God. 

Butterflies are free 

And so are ae

If we let God

Into our lives. 

Butterflies fly free

And so can we

If we can let go

Of our fears.